Banned/Challenge Book

The Face on the Milk Carton (Janie Johnson #1) / Caroline B. Cooney

/ Alisha Helms / Leave a comment 
The Face on the Milk Carton (Janie Johnson #1)
By: Caroline B. Cooney
Genre: YA
Number of Pages: 208
Published: May 22, 2012 (1st Published February 1, 1990)
Publisher: Ember
Dates Read: February 22, 2025
Format: Library Book / eBook

When Janie sees the girl on the back of her friend’s milk carton at lunch, she instantly remembers wearing that dress in the photo, she remembers the itchiness of the fabric against her skin. That little girl with pigtails is her! But how could that be?

As Janie starts to piece together everything, nothing makes sense. Are Mr. and Mrs. Johnson really her parents? Why does she remember other children? Who exactly is she?

I honestly don’t remember why this basically lived in my checkout shelf on Libby for nearly 6 months (yea, I just kept renewing it/putting a hold on it). I think it had to do with it being a banned book for sexual content, challenging authority, and inappropriate for age group. Janie is fifteen and she found out her parents aren’t her biological parents and has been not only lied to, but kidnapped… I think she’s gained the right to be “challenging authority”. 

Now, all that being said, did I find this book to be the best written novel in literature? No. Would I have probably enjoyed it a lot more if I read it younger? Yes. By the end of the book, Janie was slightly getting on my nerves and I was also annoyed that I didn’t know if I could trust what the parents said, cause it all sounded CRAZY! Oh, and then I found out this series has FIVE more books?!

Overall, I think young adults would still enjoy reading this. I especially think they would enjoy seeing how kids did their research “back in the day” as Janie tries to find out the truth.

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. / Judy Blume

/ Alisha Helms / Leave a comment 
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.
By: Judy Blume
Genre: Middle Grade
Number of Pages: 192
Published: April 20, 2014 (1st Published January 1, 1970)
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Dates Read: August 5, 2023
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

Margaret has no religion, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have a close relationship with God. It’s not until she moves from New York to New Jersey and begins hanging out with new friends does she realize it’s probably weird that she talks with God the way that she does. So, for a school assignment, Margaret sets out to do an experiment on religion and what that means for her.

So, I’m going to blame the fact that I didn’t read this novel until my 30’s because I was at such a high reading level as a kid, I basically skipped reading middle grade books for the most part and went directly to Young Adult. I totally should have read this as a kid because a lot of the novel is something nearly every young girl can relate to (minus maybe the religious parts of it).

It brought back a lot of memories as a young girl growing up. Exceptions for me: I didn’t want to wear a bra and fought my mom and older sister about it until I basically had to. And, when I got my first period, it was at the public library’s restroom, I shouted to my friend in the next stall I started, to which she replied, “Can I see?!” before I told her “NO!” and to “Go get my Mom!”

This book also talks about a young girl’s relationship with religion and how that affects her. Her parents are trying their hardest to raise her as nonreligious, so that she can choose a religion when she’s older. But, all of Margaret’s friends have some relationship with God, through Christianity or Judaism, and she feels almost like she’s left out.

Even though this book was written and set in the 1970’s it still applies to everyday pressures young girls still face. Margaret is trying to figure things out for herself but runs into a lot of misinformation or more of people’s opinions rather than facts. I remember a lot being a problem growing up.

Overall, I wish I knew of this book growing up. I think it would have helped me feel seen and know the fact that almost every preteen/sixth grader probably went through a version of the exact same thing.