A Short Ray Bradbury Documentary.

I just don't have it in me to write this evening. I'm not sick by any means... I just seem to be trapped under the rubble of the world's biggest wall of writer's block. Those of you that read my article about writer's block a few week's back will certainly be able to understand. I always promise to entertain you on the weekend, though. As such, here's a fantastic little self-produced documentary about my favorite author -- Ray Bradbury. Enjoy!

Five Novels Every Child Should Read.

My love for books is something that occupies a very special corner of my heart. Every book is a window into a new world -- they are full of excitement, horror, mystery, romance, adventure. The gamut of human emotions can be experienced through the written word. Without books, our lives would be so much more bland and grey.

In my experience, there are certain remarkable books which transcend time. Their ageless nature can convey wisdom, altruism, love, compassion and honor -- no matter the age of the reader or from which generation they're from. Though, such distinctive novels are best read when a child is growing and developing into a young adult. Their minds are open to a world of possibilities. These special stories can help mold them into more complete human beings.

Here are five books that I believe every youth should read. The impact that they can have on a person's life is profound. The examples I've cited have certainly made a difference in my personal journey.

1. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1943) - This enduring novel from Betty Smith recounts the story of the Nolan Family. The live in the Brooklyn tenement of Williamsburg, surrounded by poverty and despair. Lead protagonist Francie, whom grows from age 11 to 17 throughout the course of the novel, gives the reader a glimpse into a world where there's no hope for success. Through it all, Francie's indomitable spirit pushes her to work harder and learn faster. She never gives up on herself, even when the world around her does. Addressing many of the factors that shaped early Nineteenth Century life in America (poverty, the lives of immigrants, alcoholism, abuse), A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a novel for the ages. You can survive -- you just have to want it bad enough.
2. Silas Marner (1861) - Written by George Eliot (pen name of Mary Ann Evans), Silas Marner: The Weaver of Raveloe exemplifies the value of charity, compassion and sacrifice. Silas Marner, an unhappy and altogether bitter man, comes to let go of his personal demons and hatred through young Eppie, a toddler he finds wandering at night in the snow. Taking the orphan in as his own daughter, he develops into a selfless and loving person. Eliot's work is a testament to the power of love -- what was once broken can be made whole again if you just give it enough time and care. It also conveys the notion that doing the right thing is rarely easy.
3. Brave New World (1932) - Set in the future London of the year 2540, Brave New World paints an altogether bleak portrait for the reader to process. This might be a novel filled with elements of science fiction, but it's not wholly of the genre. Instead, it functions much like a cautionary tale. What happens when the people of the world are content with their lot in life? What happens when no one wants to improve or become better? The global population is strictly regulated in number and ability; they exist in five different castes. Those at the top revel in lives of shallow luxury, with little thought for their fellow man. Those at the bottom exist merely for labor and industrialization, with no desire to become smarter or more independent. Aldous Huxley's dystopian novel is eerily similar to the climate which we now live in -- it is a future we desperately do not want to experience.
4. Fahrenheit 451 (1953) - Ray Bradbury's magnum opus warns of a society where individual thought has been criminalized. State-sponsored censorship has led to the abolishment of books; owning one is a punishable offense. Firemen no longer serve to extinguish fires, but to set books ablaze if found. The vast majority of human beings exist in a state of illiteracy; citizens are now completely obsessed with pop culture and hollow entertainment. Sound familiar? It's chilling how much Bradbury got right about the future. Ironically, Fahrenheit 451 has been frequently banned by school districts since its publication. A book about the dangers of censorship being banned... go figure.
5. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland / Through the Looking-Glass (1865 / 1871) - In reality two books published six years apart by author Lewis Carrol (pen name for Charles Dodgson), Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass can be considered as one larger narrative. The young Alice ventures through a fantastical world filled with nonsense and wonder -- nothing seems to quite makes sense. Yet, the illogical nature of the world painted by Carrol serves to spark the imagination and tempt the reader. What is the nature of reality? What is real? What is imaginary? The tale doesn't merely exist to entertain for a short while; it makes the reader ponder the nature of the universe. Mathematics and logic problems are regularly lobbed at the reader by the vivid cast of characters. You don't just read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland... you experience it. On a much broader scale, the two parts can be viewed as mirror images of each other. Whereas the first part is wrapped in a theme of playing cards and takes place outdoors, the second part is enveloped by chess in a mysterious interior. Inherently, Carrol suggests that life is but one large game; it's completely up to you how you play it. The same holds true when reading Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass -- how the story plays out is ultimately left up to the reader and the manner they interpret it!

And there you have it -- five monumental novels that deserve to be read by every child, from all walks of life. Though, let me be clear. These books aren't just for the young. I still re-read these books on a regular basis. No matter how old you are, head to your local library (you know, those places where people go to surf the internet) and check one out. You can thank me later.

The Absurdity of Book Censorship.

If there's one hot-button subject that really stokes my fire, it's the concept of censorship. Specifically, the banning of books.

Out of all the methods of content delivery available to us -- film, television, music, digital content, print -- I see the censoring of a book as the most egregious. Why?

It's simple - the book operates on a few key principles:

• No one can force you to read a book (short of putting a weapon to your head).
• The content within a book is "witnessed" with the Mind's Eye; it's all theater of the mind.
• One can choose to close a book at any time, or continue to read it.

A book is not something that can force its way into your life. Only you can pick it up and open its cover. Only you can read the words. Only you can envision what the words are describing. Don't like it? Close it and move on to something else.

Yet, even in 2014, books are still being banned. What are the top reasons submitted as justification for banning a book?

• Sexually explicit material
• Offensive language
• Material 'unsuited' to an age group
• Violence
• Homosexual activity

The chief defense against such absurd excuses is the matter of personal subjectivity. What constitutes sexually explicit material? What about offensive language? What's offensive to one person is not to another. How can you deem material unsuitable for an age group? Did you speak with the group? Did you ascertain as to their maturity level? What about violence? Wouldn't banning on the basis of violence deem nearly all religious texts and historical novels as guilty? As to the homosexual activity, isn't that a matter of personal choice?

Let's just cut to the heart of what book censorship is all about - forcing your own agenda upon a large group. That's it. Folks whom are afraid of other ideas entering the public domain are absolutely terrified of books. The knowledge contained within books can't be controlled, much less presented in such a way that the Mind's Eye will "watch" it in the "proper" manner.

Nope, in the opinion of the one whom censors, banning a book is the only way to achieve total control of the populace.

In 2013, the top banned books were:

*Data Pulled from the American Library Association

1. Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey
2. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
3. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
4. Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James
5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
6. A Bad Boy Can Be Good for A Girl by Tanya Lee Stone
7. Looking for Alaska by John Green
8. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
9. Bless Me Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya
10. Bone by Jeff Smith

Of this list, I've read three of the novels (and/or series) -- Captain Underpants, Looking for Alaska and Bone. I can assure you - none of these books need banned. In fact, all three are wonderful novels (Bone is a graphic novel series) that assert comedy, introspection, bravery, deep thoughts on life and what it means to be alive. I'm certain the other novels on this list reach similar heights of achievement.

I'm thankful I read Fahrenheit 451 at a very early age in life. Perhaps one of the most banned books in the history of censorship, Ray Bradbury's novel about a hollow utopia bankrupt of intellectual enrichment is an annual must-read for me. Fahrenheit 451 paints a future where books are completely outlawed, through which the populace has become dim and without merit. Books are burned for the greater good, supposedly. Mr. Bradbury, beginning with this novel and continuing through so many other stories, helped point me in the right direction in life. I can never repay him in full.

Censorship is wrong on all levels, no matter the medium. If you don't like something... turn the channel, shut off the television, silence the radio, leave the theater, close the book. Not all content is intended for every person. If it were, then what sort of society would we live in? One void of character and uniqueness -- a pale landscape of mediocrity and blandness...

A society absent a soul.

There is no good to be found in burning a book. In the ashes of the written word, only fear can be found.