Book Description
"There are no monsters anymore, or so the children in the city of Lucille are taught. Jam and her best friend, Redemption, have grown up with this lesson all their life. But when Jam meets Pet, a creature made of horns and colors and claws, who emerges from one of her mother’s paintings and a drop of Jam’s blood, she must reconsider what she’s been told. Pet has come to hunt a monster—and the shadow of something grim lurks in Redemption’s house. Jam must fight not only to protect her best friend, but also uncover the truth, and the answer to the question—How do you save the world from monsters if no one will admit they exist?
In their riveting and timely young adult debut, acclaimed novelist Akwaeke Emezi asks difficult questions about what choices you can make when the society around you is in denial." - https://www.akwaeke.com/pet
Where It's Banned
Pet by Akwaeke Emezi has been banned in school districts in the following states: Texas, Florida, Iowa, Wisconsin, & Kentucky (2021-2024 school years). https://pen.org/book-bans/pen-america-index-of-school-book-bans-2023-2024/
Why It's Banned
As with many other popular banned books, Pet's main character is a trans girl. According to BookLooks, a tool developed by Moms For Liberty,"this book contains violence including references to child abuse; references to sexual assault; profanity; controversial religious commentary; alternate gender ideologies; controversial commentary on government and society including policing."
Why I Recommend This Book
Stopping children and teens from reading about a character experiencing child abuse does not stop them from experiencing that abuse. Keeping books like Pet away from them can actually make young people feel isolated and less likely to seek help if/when they experience it themselves. This book is a great tool for getting them into the mindset of being able to identify abuse and speak up against it, especially since it addresses the fact that the perpetrators tend to be people the victims know like family or community members. Religion-wise, the book literally describes the biblically accurate depiction of angels in art. Personally, I found that fascinating. The "controversial commentary on government and society including policing" was actually one of the best parts of Pet for me because it shows how folks can become complacent after reaching a sort of equilibrium. The truth of the matter is that the government, society, and police have been violent towards Black folks, especially queer Black folks and we have a right to talk about that. Black children experience this aggression regularly! Not only do I recommend this book, I recommend that guardians and parents take time to talk about it with their kids.
This is a great tool to use for discussions: Educator's Guide.
See how others did the same here:
How to Access This Book
This is one of my most used apps on my phone because I can add e-cards from my local library, state library, AND the Queer Liberation Library to check out e-books and e-audiobooks. It is available on browsers, Apple's app store, Google Play, and the Amazon app store.
Similar to Libby, I can access e-books and e-audiobooks from my library on here but I can also access films, comics, and music. On Hoopla, we also don't have to wait until another person is done with the book before we borrow it! It is available on browsers, Apple's app store, Google Play, and the Amazon app store.
Books Unbanned is a resource is meant to help those who are struggling to access banned books in their states! Brooklyn Public Library founded Books Unbanned in 2022 and now, you can get access through multiple library systems as residents of the US.
The Banned Book Club, launched by Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) makes digital versions of banned books available to readers nationwide. The ebooks are available to all readers across the country for free via the Palace e-reader app.
More Resources
Book Résumés help teachers, librarians, parents, and community members defend books from censorship. They detail each title’s significance and educational value and are easy to share with administrators, book review committees, elected officials, and board members.
Comments