 So when I first saw Blober on the list, I of course, as a lot of us here have been doing with some of these books, questioned why it was challenged, why is Judy Bloom being challenged. I read all of the books when I was a kid. And so as I read it, or as I looked it up and I read why it was being challenged, so first, because it deals with bullying that wasn't being punished. And second, because students can relate to it, but adults don't like it. I would say that one more time. Because students can relate to it, but adults don't like it. Actually, it's so mind-blowing, because this happens every single day. Bullying happens every day, and students are not advocating for it. And this doesn't happen just in schools. I'm 21 years old and still being bullied by people. This is something that never ends in our society. But I think it's really troublesome that it's something our society pretends like if we just ban it, then no one will notice the difference, and it will just go away. And that's not the message that we should be sending to students. And so that's part of the reason why I feel it's so important for us to be talking about bullying and reading about it, but also determining solutions to it. So for those of you who have read this book, Linda, the young student in this, is also called Blubber, and she's made fun of and then later on in the book, one of her tormentors becomes the subject of torment, and there's this whole little like threesome of everyone making fun of each other and being good at it against each other, and it's awful. It sounds like everything that I have in middle school. And I was rereading it again and I was like, oh my God, I'm so happy I'm not in middle school anymore. But it's unfortunate because it's something that we all kind of do, because most of us have been bullied at one time in our life or another. So here's what I'm going to read from a few of the girls are eating lunch. At lunchtime, Wendy and Caroline traded sandwiches. Wendy loves salami, and Caroline's favorite is tuna. I have my usual peanut butter. Don't you get sick of the same old thing day after day, Wendy asked? Nope. Doesn't it stick to the roof of your mouth, Caroline asked? If it does, I just work it off with my tongue. It's good you're so skinny, Caroline told me. Peanut butter is fattening. Middle school girls. Okay? Jill doesn't have to worry, Wendy said. Not like some people. We all look over at Linda, Blubber. She had her lunch spread out on her desk. Two pieces of celery, one slice of yellow cheese, and a package of salty crackers. Hey, I said, Blubber's on a diet. Again, middle school. Is that right, Wendy asked? Yes, Wendy said. I'm going to lose 10 pounds, and then you won't be able to call me that name anymore. What name, Wendy said, and we all giggle? You know. Say it. No. I don't have to. Wendy got up and went over to Linda's desk. She made a fist at her. Say it, Linda said very low. Louder. Blubber, she said, in her regular voice. Caroline was laughing like a hyena. I've never heard a hyena laugh, but I just knew it would sound like Caroline. I think she's really stupid sometimes. Now say, my name will always be Blubber, Wendy told Linda. No, because it won't. Say it. Wendy told her, and she didn't look like she was holding around anymore. I sat on the edge of my seat, not moving. My name will always be Blubber, Linda said. There were tears in her eyes. And don't you forget it, Wendy said. Because even if you weigh 50 pounds, you'll still be a smelly whale. And now I'm going to end it there. And I see a lot of people going, oh God, that's so sad. It is sad, and it's not okay. But this, in all reality, is something that is still happening every single day. In middle school, in high school, in college, in the tabloids, on the news. There are literally people who criticize Hillary Clinton for having cankles. An incredibly powerful woman politician who is doing incredible things for the world, no matter your political views. And people criticize her for having cankles. And that starts in middle school. That starts in elementary school, and that starts with people being called Blubber. And I understand that this is all of us here talking and celebrating books. And yes, it's wonderful to celebrate books, and I'm happy that we're here. But it also should be something bigger. This should be a call to action. And this should be us talking about books and talking about why these books are banned. But furthermore, envisioning a society in which we don't have to ban these books, but we can rather learn from them. And we can envision a society in which we're learning from books like this, and talking about things like this happening in our schools, and not focusing on things like blurred minds, and not focusing on the weight, or the looks, or the suit of really powerful women in this nation. And again, not to say that it only happens to women. So with that, this is your call to action to start talking about and uplifting people using literature.