An Author’s Reflections on Banned Books Week
Daniel Schwabauer
It probably takes something like Banned Books Week to remind us of the importance of reading, to say nothing of the importance of free speech and the freedom of the press.
Mr. S. Reviews “Nation” by Terry Pratchett
Daniel Schwabauer
Pratchett is a terrific storyteller, and Nation is a terrific novel. The novel is a worth-while read and beautifully crafted. It's also funny. And sombre. When I put it down, I wanted to pick it up again. What a disappointment then when I realized the heart of the novel is an old lie—one that is common to sci-fi and almost as old as humanity.
Mr. S. Reviews “The Jungle Book” by Rudyard Kipling
Daniel Schwabauer
Kipling's prose songs are really the melodies of Wisdom's laughing little cousin, Innocence. They will make you sigh, smile and think—at the same time.
Mr. S. Reviews “My Friend the Enemy” by J. B. Cheaney
Daniel Schwabauer
After meeting Ms. Cheaney at a local book signing in Kansas City, I was delighted to read My Friend the Enemy, a young adult novel set during the turbulent years of WWII.
Mr. S. Reviews “Have Spacesuit – Will Travel” by Robert Heinlein
Daniel Schwabauer
Anyone who reads science fiction with more than a passing interest will have heard of Robert Heinlein, grandmaster of the genre and writer of such classics as Stranger in a Strange Land and The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress. More obscure are the dozen or so novels he penned for teens, many of which were published as serials in magazines such as Boy Life.