CBS News
Book called “Ban This Book” is now banned in Florida. Its author has this to say about the irony.
Alan Gratz’s children’s book “Ban This Book” was published in 2017. Seven years later, his novel for kids ages 8 and older is at the center of a debate over book banning after a Florida school district last month took took the title literally and banned the book.
The Florida school district of Indian River County, home to the city of Vero Beach, last month voted to remove “Ban This Book” from its shelves. In removing the book, the school board overruled its own review committee, which had recommended that the school district retain the novel.
“Ban This Book” is about a schoolgirl who tries to check out her favorite book from her school library, E.L. Konigsburg’s “From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler,” only to find it’s been removed due to a ban. She rebels by starting a secret banned book library — an aspect of the novel that the Florida school board objected to, with one member saying he believed the book’s message was about how to “overtly subvert school boards.”
“The thing they took objection to was calling out [school officials] in banning books. Now irony is dead.” Gratz told CBS MoneyWatch in a phone call. He added wryly, “I guess if you call a book ‘Ban This Book,’ you are kind of asking for it.”
Indian River County School District didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Impact of book bans
Despite the ban, the incident is sparking renewed interest in his novel, Gratz said, although he won’t know the ban’s impact on sales until he receives a royalty statement later this year. Book bans typically harm sales, he added, and deters some schools from inviting authors to discuss their work with students.
“In a select few cases, it’s true that a banned book equals more sales,” Gratz said. “But for most authors that have books banned or challenged, their books disappear.”
It’s an issue that’s impacting more books and authors, with the American Library Association (ALA) finding that the number of books targeted for censorship surged 65% in 2023 compared with a year earlier, reaching the highest number of titles ever documented by the group.
In all, about 4,240 books were targets of censorship efforts last year, with about half of those books written by or including people of color and those from LGBTQ+ communities, the ALA found.
Gratz said that when “Ban This Book” was published, the most frequently banned books were works from series such as “Harry Potter” or “Captain Underpants,” with some critics objecting to the descriptions of witchcraft or attitudes toward authority.
Children’s book authors often support themselves by visiting schools, which pay for travel and provide an honorarium to speak with students, Gratz said. But a ban can cause school officials to shy away from inviting authors onto school grounds for fear that they’ll get into hot water or even lose their jobs.
“If their book isn’t on the shelf at all, they aren’t getting invited,” Gratz said. “When authors of color and those who identify as LGBTQ+ aren’t making money off their books, they have to stop writing and make money from other jobs, so we lose those voices.”
Gratz noted that some of his other books — he’s written 20 in all — have faced bans, but none have gotten the same amount of attention as “Ban This Book.”
“The big theme of ‘Ban This Book’ is that nobody has a right to tell you what book you can or cannot read, except your parents,” he said. “If the book is removed, then I can’t let my daughter read that book — you’ve already chosen for me that my kid can’t read it.”
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Williams Sonoma
If you’re seeking restaurant-style nugget ice or just a way to make ice quickly for parties, a countertop ice maker may be right for you and your kitchen. They’re a great option if your refrigerator doesn’t have a built-in ice maker.
When shopping for a countertop ice maker, consider how much ice it can make per day, plus what types of ice it makes. When it comes to technology, some ice makers keep it simple, while others can be controlled through your smartphone. And consider how you would like to refill your ice maker. Some ice makers must be manually refilled while others come with an inlet hose.
Ahead we’ve rounded up the best countertop ice makers from GE, Frigidaire, Igloo and more brands. Say goodbye to smelly, freezer-burned ice from your ice cube tray with one of the appliances ahead. They make fresh ice much faster than your standard ice tray in the freezer.
Best ice makers of 2024
All of the options below have a 4.0 or higher review score.
Most popular ice maker: Silonn countertop ice maker
Amazon
This No. 1 bestseller on Amazon takes just six minutes to make nine bullet-shaped ice cubes and can make 26 pounds of fresh ice in just 24 hours. The Silonn countertop ice maker has more than 27,000 reviews and a 4.4-star rating.
This countertop ice maker is self-cleaning and comes with an ice scoop. It can make two sizes of bullet ice. Find the Silonn countertop ice maker in eight colors at varying prices.
This 4.4-star-rated ice maker is currently on sale at Amazon with an instant coupon.
Best splurge ice maker: GE Profile Opal 2.0 nugget ice maker with Wi-Fi
Williams Sonoma
There’s ice and then there’s nugget ice. Nugget ice is the soft, easy-to-crunch ice that’s used in some of your favorite fast food drinks. Because there’s trapped air, nugget ice lasts longer in drinks. Its softer texture, meanwhile, makes it ideal for use in summery blended drinks.
This splurge-worthy ice maker from GE is available in two colors, with the more budget-friendly option being stainless steel. You can request fresh ice from your smartphone, Alexa or Google Assistant and have it ready in 20 minutes. It makes up to 24 pounds of ice a day and comes with a scoop.
It’s rated 4.3 stars and currently on sale for $480 at Williams Somnoma.
Best budget ice maker: Countertop ice maker
Amazon
This bullet ice maker with a handle is your most affordable option and still makes up to 26 pounds of ice in 24 hours. It can make nine ice cubes in as little as six minutes. This budget-friendly ice maker has won the hearts of many reviewers, with a 4.5-star rating on Amazon.
We like that this model is self-cleaning. It comes with an ice scoop. Choose between five color options.
This 4.5-star-rated ice maker is currently on sale for $80 with an instant coupon.
Best value ice maker: Frigidaire ice maker
Amazon
This more affordable Frigidaire ice maker makes two sizes of ice. It can produce up to 26 pounds of ice per day, with the first batch ready in as little as six minutes.
“It’s cool because if you just need some ice for a small party, you can make enough within about 20 minutes,” an Amazon reviewer says. “[This machine is] also very beautiful.”
Find this ice maker in four colors. It comes with a scoop and is rated 4.5 stars.
Best ice maker for bullet ice: Kissair countertop ice maker
Walmart
This affordable ice maker with a handle makes up to 26 pounds of bullet-shaped ice. It can have nine bullet-shaped ice cubes ready in as little as six minutes.
This portable ice maker is self-cleaning and comes with an ice scoop. Its handle makes it easy to transport. It’s rated 4.5 stars, comes in five colors and is currently discounted $72 at Walmart.
Most stylish ice maker: Igloo automatic ice maker
Amazon
This Igloo ice maker comes in fun colors, as well as classic colors like white and stainless steel. It makes up to 26 pounds of ice in 24 hours or nine ice cubes in as little as seven minutes.
This ice maker produces two ice cube sizes and is equipped with a self-cleaning feature. It also includes a convenient ice scoop and has received a 4.1-star rating.
Starting next week, the price of a “Forever” stamp will increase by a nickel to 73 cents, the second time the United States Postal Service has raised the cost of postage this year.
The price of a Forever stamp has steadily climbed since they cost 41 cents when the USPS introduced them in 2007, most recently in January when the agency raised the price from 66 cents to 68 cents.
Other postage rates are also set to jump. Mailing a postcard domestically will cost 56 cents, a 3-cent increase, while the price of mailing postcards and letters internationally are both rising by a dime to $1.65. Overall, postage costs are rising 7.8% increase, USPS said in a statement in April.
“These price adjustments are needed to achieve the financial stability sought by the organization’s Delivering for America 10-year plan,” the agency said at the time.
The new postage rates take effect on July 14.
By contrast, the price of renting a Post Office Box is not going up, and USPS will reduce the cost of postal insurance 10% when mailing an item, according to the agency.
Postage prices may be rising, but customers also have more Forever options to choose from. USPS in June began offering two new Forever stamps — one that depicts baseball legend Hank Aaron and another that pays homage to Canadian-American game show host Alex Trebek.
Aaron held professional baseball’s home-run record for three decades until it was broken in 2007, while Trebek hosted Jeopardy until he died of pancreatic cancer in November 2020.
The USPS this year has also launched Forever stamps honoring former First Lady Betty Ford, University of California Los Angeles men’s basketball coach John Wooden and some of the conductors of the Underground Railroad.
Still, the postage increases are hurting mail volume as well as the USPS’ bottom line, some critics says. The agency in November reported a $6.5 billion loss for fiscal 2023 and is projecting a $6.3 billion deficit in 2024, according to Keep US Posted, a nonprofit advocacy group.