Suggested Reading

Written by Dave Connis

Narrated by Kyla Garcia

In this hilarious and thought-provoking contemporary teen standalone that’s perfect for fans of Moxie, a bookworm finds a way to fight back when her school bans dozens of classic and meaningful books.

Clara Evans is horrified when she discovers her principal’s “prohibited media” hit list. The iconic books on the list have been pulled from the library and aren’t allowed anywhere on the school’s premises. Students caught with the contraband will be sternly punished.

Many of these stories have changed Clara’s life, so she’s not going to sit back and watch while her draconian principal abuses his power. She’s going to strike back.

So Clara starts an underground library in her locker, doing a shady trade in titles like Speak and The Chocolate War. But when one of the books she loves most is connected to a tragedy she never saw coming, Clara’s forced to face her role in it.

Will she be able to make peace with her conflicting feelings, or is fighting for this noble cause too tough for her to bear?

“Suggested Reading is a beautiful reminder that there is nothing simple about loving a book.” —David Arnold, New York Times bestselling author of Mosquitoland

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Sep 17, 2019
• ISBN: 9780062987532

Dave Connis

Dave Connis writes words you can sing and words you can read. He lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with his wife, Clara; two kids (a son and a daughter); and a dog that barks at nonexistent threats. When he’s not writing YA or MG, he interprets software-developer-speak as a technical writer at Skuid, a startup based out of Chattanooga. He is a member of the Jedi Council, facilities manager at the Sanctum Sanctorum, and a guy with a propensity to daydream whenever he attempts to be an adult. www.daveconnis.com

Reviews for Suggested Reading

[dairyqueen84 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

As a lifelong reader, I thought I would love this book. I liked it but didn't love it. Books DO make a difference and have an impact. The main character, Carla was a book lover who volunteered in her school library. She was snarky, funny at times but the character development was weak of her and the supporting characters. The end was sappy and predictable.

[kevn57-163679 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

“Prohibited media”? It sounded somewhat innocuous, but something pulled at my gut, telling me that it was policy-ese. Synonyms for prohibited included banned. Synonyms for
media included books, videos, board games, and games,

How they could tell me that these books weren’t good, or that their content was somehow “inappropriate” for me. Or, if not that, that there was some reason that it was better for me not to read them. That what they had to say wasn’t useful or was maybe even harmful.

I loved this book just for the kind of lines I've quoted above. Luckily I've never been in the situation that the MC finds herself in. Our school had a public library right next door, and as soon as I had my card, grade 2 I was free to borrow any book I wanted from kids-adult. The librarian might try to dissuade me if they felt I wouldn't enjoy a book I'd picked but I'd never be stopped from borrowing it.

[ewyatt_16 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Books are everything to Clara. In fact, she's a finalist in a scholarship program because she started a little library program in Chattanooga. She volunteers at the school library. She runs a community YA book club. So when she finds out her prestigious private school has disappeared books in the past and has a new secret list of 50 items that are deemed "prohibited media", it shakes her. She starts an UnLib (underground library) that runs from her locker with these books taken from the library shelf.
While navigating school politics, questioning everything about her assumptions about people and her own beliefs & motivations, Clara's senior year turns into something BIG and something she'd never thought it would be.
The book also serves as a love letter to literature full of shout out to books, meaningful quotes, and stories about the way stories touch her and her classmates lives.

[brookiexlicious · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

“Censorship is the child of fear and the father of ignorance” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson ⁣
⁣
As a lover of books and fierce defender of reading, nothing boils my blood more than the subject of banning books. When I hear of an incident I try to do my part and educate others of why it’s wrong (in a respectful way of course). There have even been a couple of incidents where I live where I’ve helped the fight to reinstate banned books at schools. ⁣
Clara as a protagonist was a breathe of fresh air in the YA genre. She reminded me of myself at that age-goofy and awkward. But she could also be self absorbed and judgy, which made her unlikeable at times. She was real, and that’s what I enjoyed about her. As the story progresses she undergoes growth and isn’t afraid to apologize for her past actions. ⁣
There were a few parts of the boom that I didn’t like: one was a confrontation towards the end between Clara and a parent. It seemed very movie villainish and the dialogue came across as unbelievable to me. Another was the lack of focus surrounding Clara’s parents. They are only mentioned a few times, and I was confused on why she never mentioned her underground library plans to them. Given the scant details we are given, I was under the impression that they would have been supportive. Plus, it would have made an interesting point for them as adults to also challenge the book ban at a PTA meeting. Surely the students weren’t the only ones who raised concerns of the book ban?