Forgotten Favorites: Memoirs of A Bookbat by Kathryn Lasky; A Powerful YA Novel About Reading and Censorship

Forgotten Favorites: Memoirs of A Bookbat by Kathryn Lasky; A Powerful YA Novel About Reading and Censorship
By Julie Sara Porter,
Bookworm Reviews

A person who loves reading is usually called a bookworm. Not Harper Jessup. The young protagonist of Kathryn Lasky's powerful YA novel, Memoirs of A Bookbat prefers to call herself a bookbat."I am like a bat.... skimming across the treetops to find my way through the densest forest in the darkest night. I listen to the shining needlepoint of sound in every book I read."

When Harper began to read it was to escape the fear of living with a frequently unemployed alcoholic father, weak-willed mother, and life in a trailer park. But after her parents become Born Again Christians, it's to escape their ever-increasing rules.

While her parent's religion allows her father to stop drinking and receive recognition as a spokesperson for their religious parent's organization: FACE (Family Action For Christian Education), they limit Harper's education. They censor books, try to instill traditional American History lessons, and constantly move their children pulling them from one school to another across the U.S.

Most of the early chapters focus on the lessons Harper learns from the books that she reads and deals with her friends: She writes to (fictional) children's book author and illustrator, Rosemary Nearing and discovers that authors are regular people who like receiving feedback. She reads Br'er Rabbit stories and uses her "lippity-clip and her blickity-blick" to get past her parent's restrictions, such as putting smaller books inside school textbook covers or larger FACE-approved books. She uses Are You There God? It's Me Margaret to answer questions about her late development. Above all, she realizes her axiom: "Nothing I have ever read in a book has ever caused me to be really unhappy."

Harper Jessie is a memorable protagonist. While she possesses an independent mind from her parent's religious values, she doesn't outright rebel against them. In fact many of her schemes to read what she wants are to compromise, so she doesn't lose her parent's love. It is only when the family moves to California when her parent's lessons become more threatening that she outwardly challenges her upbringing.

Her parents befriend a White Supremacist family and her little sister's best friend could be the poster child for the alt-right.(Her idea if playing "office" is to write inflammatory anti-Semitic letters to authors like Judy Blume.)
Harper's parent's beliefs become dangerous as they encourage child recruitment and picket abortion clinics.

Harper finds herself at a crossroads between her parent's values and her desire for independence especially after she befriends Gray Willette, a free-thinking youth. Gray develops Harper's reading interests by introducing her to the works of the (fictional) horror author, Dolores Macuccho. He also encourages her to try different more challenging projects like creating a bridge of toothpicks called Apocalypse Bridge. Romance between the two 14-year-olds is refreshingly understated as Harper sees less of a boyfriend in Gray and more of a kindred spirit.

In fact Gray becomes instrumental in Harper's final battle against her parents. She realizes that she will not let her parent's restrictions affect her mind. While some may question her final decision, sometimes the only way for a person to truly be free to be themselves is to break away from where they came.