Into the River
by Ted DawePublished on 2012
Pages: 279
"When Te Arepa Santos is dragged into the river by a giant eel, something happens that will change the course of his whole life. The boy who struggles to the bank is not the same one who plunged in, moments earlier. He has brushed against the spirit world, and there is a price to be paid; an utu to be exacted. Years later, far from the protection of whanau and ancestral land he finds new enemies. This time, with no-one to save him, there is a decision to be made.. he can wait on the bank, or leap forward into the river"
Happy Banned Books Week! I’m teaming up again with Sheila at Book Journey to celebrate books that have been banned. The book I chose this year is currently in the midst of a legal battle in New Zealand.
If you go to the author’s webpage there is this warning.
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From Wikipedia:
“In 2013 New Zealand’s Film and Literature Board of Review, or appeal from New Zealand’s classification office (which had given the book an unrestricted M rating) restricted Into the River to readers aged 14 years and over.[4] This was the first time in New Zealand’s history this classification was used.[5] Auckland Libraries applied to have this decision reconsidered in 2015. One of the reasons given for the appeal was “the impact that the restriction has had on the value of the book as a teaching resource, and the significance of the book as an aid to countering issues in New Zealand about bullying”.[4][5] The conservative Christian lobby group Family First appealed this decision, and applied for an interim restriction order, which was granted by the President of the Board of Review. The interim restriction order under New Zealand’s Films, Videos and Publications Classification Act 1993, bans it completely from being sold or supplied in New Zealand.[3][6] This was the first time a book had been subject to an interim restriction order in New Zealand in 22 years and was reported by several foreign news media.”
Doesn’t that just make you want to read it? It seems to be having that effect a lot. I would have probably never heard of it if not for the banning.
I was able to get a copy of the book from Amazon and I’m giving it away because New Zealand isn’t the boss of me. 
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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I’ve read over half of the banned books listed. My most favorite book is on the list: A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeline L’Engle. Parents can say what their children can read but they better not try to remove them from libraries. My button I wear this week says: I read Banned Books!
Nothing like banning a book to have more people read it than they probably would if it wasn’t banned.
Thanks for the contest.
slehan at juno dot com
Wow, this does pique my curiosity!
Ok, it’s bad enough that people were keeping it out of the library, but to deny people the right to spend their money to buy it is just wrong. Period.
The banning of this book has caused tremendous outrage in New Zealand and has opened up the whole issue of banned books which really has been a non event previously, the awareness that we can be dictated to in our reading choices has been an eye opener, fabulous discussion and bookshop displays have resulted.
Thanks Heather! New title to me 🙂
That is wild, I wasn’t familiar with New Zealand enough to know that a government body could do such a thing! 🙁