All of these are important lessons for everyone, no matter an individual’s background.Awkward, prickly teens find deep first love in 1980s Omaha.Įleanor and Park don’t meet cute they meet vexed on the school bus, trapped into sitting together by a dearth of seats and their low social status.

At night, I pray for children to feel safe – to have at least one night when they can feel safe. For me, this was one of the most powerful messages of Eleanor & Park. For those who come from safe homes, it educates them about what it is like for people to be afraid in their own home. For those dealing with abuse at home, it shows teens that they aren’t alone. For every girl who doesn’t have the perfect body, it shows that they are attractive. For those debating having sex, it shows that it is okay to wait. For those being bullied at school, it shows a way to deal with it. ” 1Īfter reading this book, I felt it had powerful messages for everyone. The Parents Action League also asked that “appropriate disciplinary action be taken against the Media Center Specialists who reviewed and knowingly approved and promoted this book for use with our minor children. The book was removed from the shelves of the school library and the author’s visit was cancelled.

The Parents Action League did not want Rowell to visit with their children in any school sponsored event. Īs part of the celebration for the summer reading program the school district and the Anoka County Library arranged to have a visit from Rainbow Rowell. The parents brought it to the attention of the Parents Action League for the school district and asked for it to be removed from schools because they thought it was an obscene book because of the foul language and discussion about sex (BTW: they decided to wait). Parents of a freshmen student did not agree with having the book in the library or on the suggested reading list. In the Anoka-Hennepin school district in Minnesota, Eleanor & Park was on the optional summer reading list for high school students. The story addresses bullying at school and home in a heart wrenching way. Eleanor’s family, on the other hand, is poor and she has a scary, abusive step-father. Park comes from a stable, loving household. Park and Eleanor are forced to sit next to each other on the school bus and slowly, silently form a friendship that develops into more over the course of a few months. The story, set in 1986, follows an unlikely pair of teenagers who are falling in love for the first time. Much to my dismay, I recently discovered that Eleanor & Park is being challenged and banned. It is now a book I recommend that everyone read. But recently, Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell did just that. Not many books bring on peals of laughter and move me to cry big, fat tears.

Eleanor and park