Last year, the American Library Association used The Lord of the Rings for their teen read week with the theme “Make Reading a Hobbit” and nice posters and bookmarks with both Frodo and Arwen holding books and actually reading. A short time later, a new set comes out to include Gandalf, who was holding an absolutely huge volume and encouraging those kids to pick up a book and read. But this summer it looks as though ALA has changed tactics with a new poster featuring the nine Ring Wraiths fleeing from the flood-waters called up by Arwen at the Ford. Wowsers! Are they trying to tell us that if we don’t read, the Ring Wraiths will get us? Maybe insinuating that the Ring Wraiths are all wet for not spending quality time at their local library? You decide– go to ALA then go to the fantasy/science fiction collection.

Actually, many local public libraries carry videos and DVDs now, right along with the print materials they’ve always carried. So this poster isn’t inappropriate but struck me as funny. It’s also intersting that Darth Vadar is the only other ‘evil’ charactor to earn a poster at ALA at this time.” Thanks to Asarina for that.

[Well, I can only wonder what would happen if we encouraged teenagers to think that reading was rebellious and bad….Tehanu]