His 2019 novel Allies debuted at #2 on the New York Times bestseller list and received four starred reviews, and 2018’s Grenade debuted at #3. Refugee was also a Global Read Aloud Book for 2018.Īlan’s 2022 novel Two Degrees and his 2021 novel Ground Zero were both instant #1 New York Times bestsellers, and were also ABA Indie, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestsellers. Its other accolades include the Sydney Taylor Book Award, the National Jewish Book Award, the Cybils Middle Grade Fiction Award, a Charlotte Huck Award Honor, and a Malka Penn Award for Human Rights Honor. His 2017 novel Refugee has spent more than four years on the New York Times bestseller list, and is the winner of 14 state awards. Learn more about him online at Want to know more about Alan? Read on…Īlan Gratz is the bestselling author of nineteen novels and graphic novels for young readers. A Knoxville, Tennessee native, Alan is now a full-time writer living in Asheville, North Carolina with his wife and daughter.

As adults, we can understand the complexity of the real world, and the value of ambiguity in literature, but seeing that the issues raised by this one book’s inclusion is not developed at all, and this in a novel for children, I can only see it as a flaw in an otherwise worthwhile book.Alan Gratz is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of nineteen novels and graphic novels for young readers, including Two Degrees, Captain America: The Ghost Army, Ground Zero, Refugee, Allies, Prisoner B-3087, and Ban This Book. Also odd given another theme of the story: good intentions that lead to bad consequences. It seems odd considering the theme of the story. I can see no particular reason why this book was chosen for its role in the story (unless it’s a very subtle indication that some books are not as good as others - but it’s quite a stretch to find that interpretation), other than mere carelessness by the author, indifference to the reasons a book may be offensive, or lack of awareness of the harm that books can perpetuate - a naive belief in the magical goodness of every written word. There is no commentary about the merits of the book, but it is mentioned several times, giving it a prominence above many of the books named in the story - enough to send me to investigate. At one point the avid young reader is suspended and grounded with nothing to read except Indian Captive. Gratz’s story is about a schoolgirl standing up against book-banning in her grade-school library. Reese’s review of Indian Captive because of its appearance in Alan Gratz’s 2017 novel Ban this Book.

submitted this comment to AICL’s post about Lois Lenski’s Indian Captive: Reviewed Source: American Indians in Children’s Literature

Alan gratz ban this book