Ban This Book

Amy Anne’s quest in Ban This Book begins as a simple desire to return her favorite novel to the school library’s shelves for her own reading pleasure, but it becomes much more than that over the course of the story. Trace the changes and developments in Amy Anne’s campaign against banning books; discuss the larger significance of the cause to her and others, using plot and character details in your analysis. In a larger sense, what consequences can result from the banning or challenging of books?

Ban This Book is told entirely from Amy Anne’s first-person point of view. Which scenes are the best candidates for another viewpoint? Which character would be the best choice for a different first-person viewpoint of each of those scenes? Be sure to consider secondary and Shadow archetypal (antagonist) characters like Mrs. Spencer and Principal Banazewski as well as Amy Anne’s Allies.

The chapter titles in Ban This Book draw attention to or foreshadow important events or details in that chapter. Select three chapters whose titles are especially well-chosen and discuss your choices. Why are those chapter titles attention-getting? What connections to Amy Anne, other characters, plot details, or literary techniques are evident?