The “Twilight” series, first published in 2005, is featured by the American Library Association for Banned Books Week, which runs this year from Sept. 25 to Oct. 2.

One of the most popular fictional series of the past five years, “Twilight” has the keen distinction of also being one of the American Library Association’s Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2009. Writing about the supernatural is a surefire way to find your books banned. Fantasy, vampires magic, the supernatural and even science-fiction books are grouped in with Satanism, the occult and witchcraft by those who attempt to have the books removed from library shelves.

Vampires are easy targets for book banning, as the banning of the “Vampire Academy” in Texas proves. Even with its vast popularity and cross-marketing machine (from books to movies, game boards and school supplies), the “Twilight” series by Stephenie Meyer has been challenged and either banned or returned to school library bookshelves.

For similar reasons, Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein,” J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” and the Harry Potter series have all been banned or challenged at one time.

The “Twilight” series begins with a simple romantic premise as familiar as the tale of “Romeo and Juliet:” Two young teens with different backgrounds, who should not be together, fall in love. Make one the new girl in school and the other a vampire, add exploratory thoughts about death and sexual desire, tons of adjectives and adverbs and you have the new teen sensation.

The Twilight series has been challenged for being “unsuited to age group,” “sexually explicit” and because of its “religious viewpoint,” according to the ALA.

Specific challenges and bans include:

* In September 2008, the “Twilight” books were temporarily removed from and later returned to middle-school libraries in the Capistrano Unified School District in California. It was the district’s instructional materials specialist who initially “ordered” the books removed. (More information.)

* In May 2009, the series was challenged at Brockbank Junior High in Magna, Utah. A parent complained about the “over sexual content” in the novel “Breaking Dawn,” which is part of the series. (More information.)

* In September 2009, “Twilight” was banned from library at Santa Sabina College Strathfield in Australia for being “too racy,” according to Library and Information Science News. The “Twilight” series was removed from “schools because they believe the content is too sexual and goes against religious beliefs,” according to Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom in November 2009 (More information.)

The “Twilight” series has achieved popular, financial and critical success. The first book in the series hit The New York Times Best Seller list within a month of being released.

The first book in the series — also called “Twilight” — has sold 17 million copies worldwide and earned a number of awards, including The New York Times Editor’s choice. It is also included on these lists:

* Best Children’s Books of 2005 and “Best Book of the Year” by Publisher’s Weekly

* Best Books of 2005 by School Library Journal

* The Top Books of 2008 from USA Today

The rest of the books in the series continue to receive accolades and set sales records:

* “New Moon” (2006) received the Young Reader’s Choice Award in 2009.

* “Eclipse” (2007) sold more than 4.5 millions copies and was in a top-five selling book of 2008.

* “Breaking Dawn” (2008) broke a first-day sales record, selling 1.3 million copies in its first day, according to Hachette Book Group USA.

From Examiner.com

In celebration of its thirtieth anniversary, Variety reports, the Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA) has chosen thirty of the most significant independent films from the past thirty years, and Twilight received honorable mention.

Movies like Slumdog Millionaire, Juno, Dances With Wolves, and Summit Entertainment’s The Hurt Locker were chosen among the thirty films considered most significant from the independent film world, and Twilightwas among three to receive honorable mention (others included Bowling For Columbine and Memento).

Twilight is definitely categorized as an independent since it was produced and distributed by an independent film company, Summit Entertainment, and it was the fourth widest independent release of all time, according to Box Office Mojo.

Given the fact that Twilight has had such a significant impact on present-day popular culture, its successes as an independent film are well-documented and, it seems, being noticed.

Scientists, authors and education experts are meeting this weekend at Cambridge University to investigate how the teenage brain is affected or altered by reading the “Twilight” saga, the “Harry Potter” series and other books that invite fear and anxious emotional responses.

Edward Cullen altering the teen brain? This is one education conference that I would have enjoyed attending. (I have two teenage daughters.)

It turns out, according to the organizer of the interdisciplinary conference, called “The Emergent Adult — Adolescent Literature and Culture,” that fiction with dark themes does indeed alter teen brains in sometimes important ways.

read more here

Um… So I read through this and was at a loss. I mean really? I get that there are dark themes in both series but has this person ever heard of the Grim Fairytales? I was reading Kofka, Alice Walker, and Aldous Huxley by 16. If those aren’t dark I don’t know what is. All too often when I read things like this I can’t help but think people are missing the point: That a new generation has found a love of reading.

Am I lone in this?

Jill Etesse was hooked on the “Twilight” books the second she cracked the series opener. She ripped through the saga on paper and rented movie No. 1.

Then the madness began.

“I joined the lines of teens for ‘New Moon,’” said the 38-year-old mom of two. “My husband is deathly embarrassed. Half my friends think I’m crazy.”

Etesse, from Leesburg, Va., won’t let her 8-year-old daughter anywhere near Team Edward OR Team Jacob, but did she take herself to “Eclipse” this summer? “Oh yeah.”

Is there something, um, icky about moms lusting after the boys of “Twilight” or other morsels of ripe screen candy? Heck no, said 54-year-old Toni Downey of Limerick, Pa. We’re not dead yet!

Downey’s more into Matt Bomer, 32, of TV’s “White Collar” at the moment, but “I’ve had impure thoughts about barely legal boys as well.” Strictly the celebrity look-don’t-touch variety, she notes.

Read full article.

There is a great article on Twilighters.org by Tracitalynne about some of the feminist interpretations of the Twilight Saga books. The pro- and anti-feminist arguments about the books have been igniting some debate since the publishing of the books and I personally find the subject quite interesting (and debatable).

Tell us in the comments – how (anti)feministic is the Saga? Is Bella a strong female character? We’ve talked about most of this before, but a new discussion is always welcome!

There’s this thing called The Bechdel Test, orginially started by a feminist and cartoonist named Alison Bechdel.  You can read more about it if you want, but essentially she made a comment on movies and how women are portrayed often as secondary or peripheral characters. To pass, a movie must pass the following criteria:

1. It has to have at least two women in it

2. Who talk to each other

3. About something besides a man

Guess which movies pass this test? Yup. All three Twilight Saga movies.

I totally get the feminist complaints against Twilight. They are not compelling enough for me, but I hear what they are saying. Why don’t other books get this kind of scrutiny? Is it because it’s marketed towards younger girls and some people get all, “think of the children”?

He sneaks into her room at night, which, sure, in real life, Ew. Stalker. Call the police, I don’t care how hot he is. I think everyone gets that, even the Impressionable Youth. (Note To Any Impressionable Men Reading This: seriously do not do this. In real life it’s creepy and also very illegal).  The thing that makes all of it okay is the mutual feelings they have for each other. They are both completely undone by each other. They are crazy and unhealthy and over the moon and oh yeah, also it’s a fantasy. Stupid real life gets in the way of stuff like that, but in a book it can happen.

Bella doesn’t change for Edward. THAT would be way more weird and icky to me. But she is just herself; she is quiet and bookish and clumsy, and Edward loves her. More than loves her, he is epically transformed by her. He does, in a very real way, “change” her, but then that is a whole other classic film and literature idea that entire books are written about, many of which I had to read for a 300 level college course about Female Voice in Cinema, and let’s not get into all that just now. Suffice it to say that is a Thing That Happens in Stories A Lot.

One of the ickiest moments is when Edward takes her car engine apart so she can’t leave.  Which is clearly abhorrent behavior, even if he is protecting her from werewolves. But here’s the thing: Bella calls him on it. Edward apologizes for the crazy behaviour, admits it was way overboard and pledges to not do anything like it again.  One of the compelling things for me is the way they both change and grow with each other, and because of each other.  Remember, Edward has no real experience with relationships; he is both a 17 year old boy and an eternal being who thought he was above it all in terms of love and sex. In short, he is wigging out a bit.

So, I see what some people are talking about, but I am just not buying it.  And I don’t think teenagers are, either.  Kids are way smarter than anybody gives them credit for, and often smarter than they act on the surface.  They will glean what they will from the books and other media they consume, just like everyone else; mostly they will pick up on the things that they are interested in and that they relate to the most.  The weirdness in the Twilight series mostly comes from supernatural situations and therefore does not relate to things the average person is likely to come up against.  Unless your kid falls in love with a 100 year old man that sparkles.  Then you will have to have some family talks, I guess.

Today The Hollywood Reporter posted an article, explaining how far the vampire crazyness has come in the past couple of years (aka since Twilight).

It’s funny how life is now divided into before and after Twilight!

The article is quite long, but it’s an interesting read.

By the numbers

Film: $3 billion

Publishing: $1.6 billion

Merchandising: $600 million

TV, DVDs: $1.2 billion

Other: $600 million

Hollywood has repeatedly peddled the apocalyptic threat from aliens, machines, comets, viruses and zombies, but who was watching the vampires?

Never exactly absent from the entertainment scene, those eternal bloodsuckers lately have infiltrated everything from big screens and little screens to bookstore shelves, clothing racks, download services, video games and video, record and jewelry stores.

Just this week, the Fox/New Regency “Twilight” parody “Vampires Suck” grossed $20 million, and 5 million regular viewers are rabidly following HBO’s newest hit, “True Blood,” as it swoops toward its season 3 finale Sept. 12. Meanwhile, Justin Cronin’s “The Passage,” Stephenie Meyer’s “Breaking Dawn” and Charlaine Harris’ “Dead and Gone” hover on best-seller lists.

These charming, deadly immortals are everywhere. And as a result, they’re spilling as much green as red — about $7 billion since the “Twilight” film franchise bowed less than two years ago, according to THR estimates.

What started with some ancient, hysterical myths and a pair of spooky 19th century tales — John Polidori’s “The Vampyre” (1819) and Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” (1897) — has bloomed into an entire inexhaustible industry. (Find out which vampire movies we’d like to see remade — and who should star — at the end of this article.)

“By starting with one simple mythological creature that’s been part of our literary universe for centuries, you can create a story that has it all: romance, horror, action, special effects, sex, epic love, wish fulfillment, romantic leading men, delicious bad-boy villains, female badasses, damsels in distress, death, monsters and, ultimately, the perfectly flawed hero who would give it all up if it meant they wouldn’t have to spend eternity alone,” says Julie Plec, writer and exec producer of the CW series “The Vampire Diaries.” It doesn’t get more universal than that.

That gets to the bloody heart of it. Because they’re not specific to genre, vampires have the freedom to roam not just across mediums but from romance to horror to political commentary to humor. Their versatility is endless, swinging from chaste innocence to sexy violence, so the potential audience is everyone.

No other subject has sunk its teeth into pop culture quite so pervasively.

Let’s start with the current king. Globally, the three “Twilight” films, released in 2008, 2009 and 2010, have a $1.76 billion cume at the global boxoffice. The first two each has grossed another $160 million or so in home video sales (the third hits Blu-ray/DVD in September). That’s more than $2 billion right there.

If the coming two installments of “Breaking Dawn” — which Summit will release in November 2011 and November 2012 — do similar business in theaters and the home-entertainment market, that would add another $1.7 billion to the coffers.

And that’s just from the movie versions of Meyer’s colossally successful book series.

**UPDATE**

Drum Roll Please!!! And the winner is… Cindy Gehling! 

Love Bites the Unofficial Saga of Twilight is a Twilighter essential. With beautiful full color pages, this book takes you from the beginnings of Stephenie Meyer to the future release of Breaking Dawn on the big screen. Bottom line, if it is Twilight it is in this book.

Author Liv Spencer goes above and beyond with this guide. The book includes bios and pictures of EVERY actor of the saga thus far. It also gives detailed behind the scenes information for each movie. Taking time to address the movie directors, filming locations and pairing movie soundtrack songs to the scene it was showcased. These extras make this book stand out from the rest of the movie companions out there.

I think it is safe to say that the Twilight Saga books are the Twilighter’s bible, and Love Bites is the study guide.

Here is your chance to own a copy of Love Bites the Unofficial Saga of Twilight. Just visit the Love Bites site and check out the link to the excerpt from the book. Come back here and post your thoughts in the comments. The winner will be drawn on September 10^th. Good Luck!

So while I was reading the latest articles on Peter Facinelli and was struck by this thought: “He’s Jennie’s Edward.”

I pondered this thought for the next few days and came up with this: There are “Edwards” all around us we just have to be willing to see them.

Some of you might think “How can this be? Edward was perfect?” I Hate to be the one to tell you this but no he wasn’t. Now before you grab those pitch forks and torches, hear me out. What mattered is that Bella thought he was perfect for her.

These two people were willing to take the time to work through their differences. To me, in the end, what makes a love great is not heart palpitations nor chiseled bodies, It’s the willingness to put another’s needs before your own. This is something I think our beloved couple learns well into their journey.

Let’s appreciate those Edwards in our lives. If you have any of “Your Edward” stories we would love to hear them!

**Spoilers**

First off let me start by pointing out that I would have not gone to see this movie if it were not for a friend inviting me to the premiere here in Arizona. Not because I love Twilight so much and I am over protective of my favorite characters. On the contrary, I love watching the parodies on YouTube. I was more afraid that all of the funny scenes were shown in the trailers. This fear though was not shared by many of my fellow Twilighters who were out full force tonight in Twilight gear and dressed up as the characters.

It is easy to think that this movie may only appeal to teenagers, college students and Twilight haters but it was designed for people that have seen the Twilight Saga films. If you have never seen Twilight or New Moon most of the movies humor would not make any sense to you. Everybody from teens to grandma (yep grandma’s had a night out tonight with Vampires Suck!) seemed to be enjoying themselves by the sound of the constant laughing in the theater. So many hilarious senses but just to name a few, Edward riding a Segway instead of running, Bella throwing a temper tantrum when Edward leaves and Jacob acting like a dog the whole time. It was a ton of fun to watch. The only issue I had with the movie is that it was on the cusp of being rated R, so I most diffidently would not take your kids to see it unless you are ok with a lot of sexual content and cussing.

Here is the bottom line if you have ever made fun of a Twilight movie in any way shape or form, then I think you will be able to enjoy Vampires Suck. Besides this is your boyfriend/husbands payback for dragging him to three Twilight Saga films.

Even though the end is a few years away we still know it is coming. I thought this was a great read on what might take its place.

Richelle Mead doesn’t think she is much like Rose Hathaway, the tough, sarcasti 17-year-old heroine of “Vampire Academy.”

“I’ve certainly never been in a fight,” says the 33-year-ol author of the popular book series, describing herself as a cautious person who hesitate before jumping to conclusion

But Mead didn’t have any doubts about creating a stron character like Rose.

“There was never any question that was how she was going to be,” she says. “I’m so surprised when people bring that up. ‘Wow, Rose is so strong.’ ‘Wow, a strong female character.’”

Mead, who’s originally from Kalamazoo and now lives in Seattle, isn’t as famous as Stephenie Meyer, who wrote the “Twilight” series. But in the world of books for teens, her success is apparent.

“Richelle Mead’s ‘Vampire Academy’ is the obvious heir to the ‘Twilight’ throne,” declared the Daily Beast Web site last year.

The “Vampire Academy” series, published by Razorbill, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group, has more than 3.5 million books in print and has been translated into about 30 languages.

The fifth book in the series, “Spirit Bound,” debuted in May at No. 1 on the USA Today list of the top 150 best-sellers. The conclusion to the series, “Last Sacrifice,” is scheduled to hit stores in December. Mead is planning to write a spin-off set in the same world as the “Vampire Academy” series, only it will give minor characters the major roles and weave a new story line.

A graphic-novel version of “Vampire Academy” is coming out in August 2011.

Read full article.

Those who dream of driving off into the “Twilight” with Edward the vampire can get at least a little closer to that fantasy Saturday in Lacey.

The city is wrapping up its summer entertainment series with a double feature of the movies that have turned Forks into a travel destination and terrifying monsters into glowing supermen.

But the screenings of “Twilight” and “New Moon” are just a jumping off point for a whole array of related fun on Saturday evening, said Jeannette Sieler, Lacey’s recreation supervisor and herself a fan of Stephenie Meyer’s teen romances.

There also will be costume and trivia contests, photo opportunities and a concert by Puyallup’s Konzelman Brothers.

“We’re going to have Edward’s car there,” she said. “It’s a Volvo like they use in the movies.

“I’ve been trying to get Bella’s truck,” she added, “but that’s difficult. It’s a ’53 or ’63 Chevy pickup, and those are not so readily available.”

While Edward himself obviously won’t be present, there will be a couple of stand-ins for the undead heartthrob.

“We have Edward’s and Jacob’s cut-outs,” Sieler said. “This will be for real ‘Twilight’ fans.”

Also doing heartthrob duty will be the Konzelman Brothers, a quintet of Puyallup brothers who play rock and bluegrass originals and covers.

“I was looking for a band that would appeal to the young girls,” Sieler said. “I don’t know of a vampire band, and the Konzelmans are totally the opposite of that, but they are a band of brothers.”

And like the Cullens in “Twilight,” these singing and dancing brothers are supernaturally attractive. But while the musicians range in age from early teens to 20s, fans of the books and films are not all so young.

“The moms have been saying: ‘That’s my night. That’s my guilty pleasure,’” Sieler said. “I think our crowd will be teen girls up through 40ish or 50ish ladies. I don’t think we’ll have as many guys except for the ones the girls drag along.”

The Konzelmans will open the evening, followed by the contests – with “Twilight” prizes – and then the two films.

The whole thing is likely to last until about 2 in the morning.

“We used to do an all-nighter with three movies,” Sieler said. “They would get done at 4 or 5, and there would be a few diehards who would stay all night. It was hard on my staff. So last year we came up with the idea of offering a double feature.”

While the extra large night of films is a tradition, this year’s selections have generated an unusually high level of excitement.

“This is my fourth summer,” Sieler said, “and this is the one I’ve heard the most excitement about. I’m very excited myself.”

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