Children's Books discussion
Banned Books: discussions, lists
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Discussion of censorship, equity, and other concerns.
In Orange County, CA, a majority of Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District Trustees want to decide what books get piloted by students — a move that some worry will open the door to book bans and strip the voice of educators in deciding curriculum material.District trustees at their Tuesday meeting voted 3-2 to introduce a revision to their book selection and evaluation policy that requires them to vote on books before they get tested with students and not a literature review committee – made up of educators and parents.
Trustee Todd Frazier, who called for the policy revision, and Trustee Leandra Blades have said the change will bring more transparency and accountability to the book selection process.
“There’s no oversight up till this point in the process. There has been none,” Blades said.
Some parents have raised concerns that the proposed policy change may lead to book bans while others are worried about the type of material and books being tested and used in classrooms.
....
It seems one book that has already been taught would not have received approval from one trustee.
Blades said she wouldn’t have allowed Internment to be piloted in the district. The fictional book is about Muslim Americans being sent to internment camps.
“I read it and I know other people were reading it and I wouldn’t want one of my kids to read it and it’s been in the classroom,” she said.
The book is already part of the language arts curriculum, Study Sync, for high schoolers and was approved through the current literature review process. The district is considering adding it to their core reading list for 11th graders.
Last month, Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood came under fire by Trustee Leandra Blades>/b> at the March 14 meeting expressed concern with some of the language used in the book towards women, which sparked fears of a book ban among some parents, students and another Trustee.
But some parents, like Brooke Harper, worry students will not get to read the book as part of the district’s curriculum.
“Two years ago, students came and asked them specifically to diversify the texts that we use in our district and they have done nothing in response,” Harper said in a Friday phone interview.
“We have this opportunity to bring this award-winning book by a person of color, by a person who experienced these things firsthand and it seems that they’re not going to approve this book.”
While some people in the district raise concerns of a book ban over Persepolis, some trustees are taking issue with that characterization.
Frazier said the word “ban” is being used as a political tool to silence opposition.
“People defining a vote on literature adoption for curriculum a ‘ban on books’ is grossly inaccurate. If that was true, any vote against literature, no matter what the book contained, would then be considered banning books,” Frazier wrote.
He said trustees should focus on the educational merit of the materials brought before them.
“My biggest concern about Persepolis is whether the style and content rise to the level of educational literature. It’s a ‘graphic novel’ which presents like a comic book. I believe we should challenge our students with the best we have to offer,” Frazier wrote.
Two students who were part of the pilot program for the Iranian revolution book previously told the Voice of OC the inclusion of a graphic novel to the curriculum brings variety to the type of material they have to read.
In a Friday email, Blades said a book ban is when kids can not access a certain book. At the March meeting she said she had no issues with the book being available in school libraries.
She also said the graphic novel does not provide clear context for students to understand the revolution.
“If a student hasn’t learned about Iran in history yet, I don’t think this will help their understanding the way a novel would. There is some tough language and derogatory statements towards women in the book. We’ve had many parents express concerns about content and language in books. My question is, can we do better?” she wrote in the Friday email.
Harper called the move a book challenge – which to her is “just as dangerous and as much of a slippery slope as a ban.”
Trustee Carrie Buck also worries that not approving Persepolis for High School international baccalaureate students is a slippery slope.
“What will be removed or not adopted in the future?” Buck said in a Friday email.
Buck also said the book is timely given what is happening in Iran right now.
“This novel provides an opportunity to talk about these current events with students. Reading this book can help increase empathy and understanding about personal freedoms and what it means to lose your rights,” Buck wrote.
https://voiceofoc.org/2023/04/an-oc-s...
https://voiceofoc.org/2023/04/iranian...
In summary, students asked for and received more inclusive books and the review committee might take those books away from the kids.
Good news Texas! Llano County library WILL stay open WITH LGBTQ+ books - for now anyway.The library will remain open while we try this in the courts, rather than through the news media," said Cunningham, who said the county has already spent more than $100,000 on legal costs and vowed to appeal the federal judge's decision.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/...
Indianola (Iowa) school board appoints new book review committee The board voted to appoint three school employees, three community members and two students to the committee.
They'll be in charge of reviewing challenges to books and learning materials in the district.
The school board has said it wants to keep politics out of the process.
https://www.kcci.com/article/indianol...
When Ted Cruz tried to ban Antiracist Baby it became an Amazon bestseller.https://www.rollingstone.com/product-...
I used to love Scholastic books but they've become controversial of late. First they cancel The Adventures of Ook and Gluk: Kung Fu Cavemen from the Future for being racist and now they canceled a statement on racism. Which is it? They can't have it both ways.The story:
"writer Maggie Tokuda-Hall was asked to revise an author’s note in her book about Japanese American incarceration during World War II. Tokuda-Hall spoke out against Scholastic’s request that she cut the words “virulent racism” from a sentence about the trauma caused by anti-Japanese American policies and that she eliminate a paragraph about racism’s broader legacy in America.
" Scholastic’s Education division was offering to license her picture book Love in the Library for a Rising Voices Library collection called Amplifying AANHPI (Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders). Rising Voices Library packages books with teaching materials for educators, as part of its stated mission to “provide students with high-interest texts that celebrate the stories of the historically underrepresented.”
Original publisher, Candlewick, (Boston, MA) ASKED her for the note.
Unfortunately for her, "Love in the Library, and in particular the author’s note, have drawn hateful messages and threats against diversity, equity, and inclusion. 'I do not report these emails to Candlewick, they die in my inbox,' Tokuda-Hall told PW via email. 'When the book was first published, I’d get about one a week. Now it’s down to about one every month, or even month and a half.'
In a message to Tokuda-Hall, provided to PW by Scholastic, Rising Voices Library’s lead editor wrote, “We love this book! And we want everyone in the schools we serve to read it. However, our audience is comprised of elementary school-aged children and there are some details in the Author’s Note that, although eloquently stated, are too strongly worded for what most teachers would expect to share with their students. This could lead to teachers declining to use the book, which would be a shame. To that end we are requesting make an adjustment to the Authors Note. Our suggested change is attached.”
In a tweet, Tokuda-Hall shared, “It is worth saying: I clarified that the offer was contingent upon this edit being accepted. The answer was yes, it is.” She later told PW, “I considered for a moment trying to seek compromise. But the elimination of the word ‘racism’ made it clear that none was to be had.”
View her author's note on Publisher's Weekly. It is surely going to get her book banned in Florida and probably Texas, Missouri and everywhere else where they deny racism.
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/b...
Scholastic's actions sparked an immediate backlash on social media and an apology from the company.
Love in the Library
Texas is bound and determined to censor reading.Texas Senate passes school library bill meant to keep “harmful” materials off shelves
Senate Bill 13, from Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney, would let parents receive notice each time their children obtain school library materials, prohibit the acquisition or retention of “harmful” and indecent materials, and create local councils to help districts ensure “community values are reflected in each school library catalog in the district.” Members of the upper chamber approved the bill with a 18-12 vote. It now heads to the House.
Under the bill, school boards would have to approve all new library materials and publicly release lists of proposed library purchases 30 days ahead of acquiring new materials. Exceptions to that would include replacing damaged copies or buying additional copies of existing materials.
https://www.texastribune.org/2023/04/...
Bonkers censorship in SC at a book fair! SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. Spartan Chapel Middle School has removed an explicit book that was found at a middle school book fair Thursday.
The so-called "explicit" book? Heartstopper: Volume Two, an LGBTQ+ romance.
"A parent told 7NEWS the comic called Heartstoppers Two was on the shelves of a book fair at Florence Chapel Middle School.
The parents said the comic features a homosexual relationship and contain profanity and sexual language.
Spartanburg School District 5 Superintendent Randall Gary sent out an email Thursday afternoon that said an inappropriate book was removed and is under review by district leaders.
He added that the safety of students is their number one priority and that they promise to continue to work to ensure student safety and to protect the learning environment."
https://www.wspa.com/news/local-news/...
My 14 year-old middle school age niece loves this series. Her parents are very liberal in what they let her read but they don't let her read explicit books. To put that in context, her mom read Gender Queer but didn't share it yet.
The book series started as a web comic, is hugely popular and is
also a popular Netflix series.
The author slams "thriving" homophobia following the banning of her books in Florida
https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/03/2...
Scholastic has apologized to Maggie Tokuda-HallScholastic said that during the process it had failed to consult its "mentors" for the Rising Voices collection — authors and educators from Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities — and has since reached out to them to hear their concerns. "We must never do this again," Warwick wrote.
Scholastic, which had planned to feature Love in the Library as part of its "Rising Voices Library" collection highlighting AANHPI voices, said it hopes to restart the conversation with Tokuda-Hall with the aim of sharing the book with the author's note unchanged.
https://www.npr.org/2023/04/15/116984...
In Pioneer Valley in Western, Mass. librarians are addressing book banning head on. (The first book banning in Massachusetts happened in 1651 when Puritans banned The Meritorious Price of Our Redemption ).But at Springfield Technical Community College, a display called “The Periodic Table of Banned Books” serves as a permanent reminder that the threat to book access is real in all communities.
Librarians interviewed by The [Springfield] Republican say they want to raise awareness about a growing trend in efforts to ban or restrict access to library materials across the nation for political, moral or religious reasons.
According to the Library Bill of Rights, library leaders and governing bodies should recognize that only parents have the right to restrict their children’s access to library materials.
Although a few inquiries have been raised in the Amherst-Pelham Regional school districts, librarians on the front line have been able to work with families to quickly resolved issues, said Superintendent Michael Morris.
“Not many high-profile challenges have been made,” said Morris. “Our librarians are fabulous and we’re able to resolve the challenges at the parent-librarian level.”
....
While the Westfield Athenaeum hasn’t seen many attempts to challenge books, its collection policy strives for a wide range of books and topics of interest to the Westfield community, said Guy McLain executive director of the public library.
“The only reason to have a book on the shelf is that someone in the community might need it for informational purposes or for entertainment,” McLain said. “We also make sure that adult and children’s books are separated and in different sections of the library.”
https://www.masslive.com/news/2023/04...
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Scholastic said that during the process it had failed to consult its "mentors" for the Rising Voices collection — authors and educ..."
The apology only works if Scholastic does a major and total mea culpa and will let the author write about racism and not force her to cut scenes that mention racism.
Manybooks wrote: "The apology only works if Scholastic does a major and total mea culpa and will let the author write about racism and not force her to cut scenes that mention racism."It's not the scenes from the story, it's just the author's note. Scholastic got nervous that teachers wouldn't order the book for their classrooms because it's beyond the scope of what they feel comfortable teaching. Yes indeed, if the author's note stands as is, Florida schools will not be allowed to have the book, Virginia, Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Iowa, parts of Georgia, South Carolina, etc. etc. will follow citing "critical race theory."
Scholastic is being hypocritical because they previous cancelled The Adventures of Ook and Gluk: Kung Fu Cavemen from the Future for racism! They can't have it both ways. They also can't have this new line without mentioning racism so they either have to play it safe and cancel the line (to much backlash) or allow the authors to write what they want and risk losing sales.
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It's not th..."
Personally, I think Scholastic should allow authors to write what they want but losing sales would of course be an issue.
The Fremont, Kansas library board is considering banning This Book Is Gay. Alternately, they could move it to the adult section. Still censorship. Two people requested the book be removed but the library's director decided to keep it. Both people appealed that decision and now the book's fate at the library will be decided by the library board.
Sandra Murray was one of the people that requested the book be removed.
"Extreme stuff that nobody really wants their kids to learn about," she said. "Way beyond the pale of what you would ever tell a child."
https://www.ketv.com/article/fremont-...
My BFF and I just had a discussion about how sheltered we were growing up. These kinds of books didn't exist for ANYONE let alone gay kids. We are both finding books very informative in adulthood to teach us things we never learned as teens.
Kids aren't as sheltered anymore. They have the internet. They watch TikTok and I know even teens who attend Catholic schools know and use Tinder, apparently. There's a lot worse online. Let them read books and find SAFE spaces online instead of consulting Siri, Google or the grapevine.
In one corner we have Northern Idaho librarians. In the other we have the ultra Conservative Christians who haven't actually read the Constitution or any of the books they want to ban or even any they want to keep. Since when is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn a kids' book and a wholesome, family friendly book? Um the N-word anyone? It's a great book, but it needs to be read and discussed in context with a trained educator. See also Little House on the Prairie which is not to be confused with the wholesome Christian TV show of the same name which does not bear any resemblance to the books. The opposite is true for LGBTQ+ books. Most of the books aimed at children are perfectly wholesome.
The story:
"Voters have two clear sets of options in the upcoming Community Library Network Board of Trustees election.
Incumbents Judy Meyer and Regina McCrae say the library district is on the right course and that library board members shouldn’t be in the business of restricting access to books. Parents should decide what their kids can check out, they say, and librarians should decide what belongs on the shelves.
“The library cannot censor viewpoints or discriminate against people of any classification,” McCrea said.
Challengers Tim Plass and Tom Hanley say library board members need to do more to keep sexually explicit books out of the hands of kids.
“I’m running because I care about my grandchildren and all the other children in the county and I see there’s totally inappropriate materials in the library,” Plass said. “I’m not going to let little Johnnies wandering around the library look at them.”
Kootenai and Shoshone county voters on May 16 will elect two representatives for the Community Library Network Board of Trustees. The Community Library Network provides library services to all of Kootenai County, with the exception of Coeur d’Alene, as well as parts of Shoshone County. Trustees serve six-year terms."
"Meyer, who has served on the library board for more than 30 years, said she believes the board has come up with a solution that addresses community concerns about age-appropriate content.
The board recently created a new policy that gives parents the ability to decide which categories of books their kids can check out. The library district has three tiers of library cards: One for kids under 12, one for kids aged 12-15 and one for everyone else.
“We think it’s reasonable. It’s always a balancing act,” Meyer said. “I do not know of any books that the resounding majority of the public says we don’t want.”
The Community Library Network hasn’t removed any books in recent years, Meyer said. She said the district is reviewing some books and may relocate them to different library sections.
Meyer said she believes libraries should be apolitical. Library boards shouldn’t be trying to legislate morality, she said."
McCrea, an attorney who became a library trustee in 2016, agrees the new library card rules adequately address community concerns.
“My personal opinions should not play a role in my duties as a trustee,” McCrae said. “You should not know what my personal opinions are or my religious beliefs. It does not matter. The library is there to serve everyone, regardless of faith or lack thereof.”
Meyer and McCrea also stressed that they’d focus on hiring a new library director if re-elected.
“My job is to be sure and choose a good director,” Meyer said. “It’s their job to then line up qualified staff and educate the staff to listen to all sides of the public.”
Hanley and Plass, both of whom have the endorsement of the Kootenai County GOP, say they’d make significant changes to the library district if elected. The Kootenai County GOP did not respond to a request for comment.
Plass, who worked as an electrical engineer before retiring, said he doesn’t believe the new library card policy goes far enough.
He said his campaign platform is “remove, restore and restrain.”
Plass said he wants to physically change the location of books so kids can’t get to them. He said he wants to place any book that contains any descriptions of (view spoiler) “behind the counter.”
“I’m going to put them behind the counter, and an adult with an over-18 card can ask to check it out.
Plass said he would want to prevent kids from accessing any books that include explicit content, regardless of type. He said he would want to restrict access to books if he believes keeping them in the library violates Idaho law.
“If there is such a thing as a LGBT book that is wholesome and doesn’t talk about any of this, I’ll leave it alone,” he said.
In response to a Kootenai County GOP survey, Plass said he believes the library board should follow guidance from the Bible when making decisions.
Plass wrote he hopes to clear out “immoral books and materials that promote vice.”
“Kootenai County libraries can simply follow the unchanging morality established by the Ten Commandments that has been our basis of morality since the USA was founded,” Plass wrote. “If some families want a different morality basis, they can go over to libraries in Washington.”
Plass said he couldn’t provide examples of specific books he wants to restrict access to and declined to share his opinions on individual books. He also said he hasn’t read any of the books that he objects to.
“I’ve looked at the passages that were pointed out and that’s enough for me,” he said.
In addition to saying he wants to restrict access to certain books, Plass said he wants to return those that have been removed.
“I want to bring back traditional, classic, family books that are good for children,” Plass said.
He used “Huckleberry Finn” and “Little House on the Prairie” as examples.
Both of those books already are in circulation within the Community Library Network, according to the network’s online catalog.
Hanley, who did not agree to an interview but provided emailed responses, said the current Community Library Network board has failed to take action on the “demonic” issue of sexually explicit material.
He also told the GOP that his faith would guide his decision making.
“I am a God-believing Christian; a Catholic, in particular,” Hanley wrote. “I will not abandon my personal beliefs and faith in the execution of any CLN trustee duties. This is a non-negotiable tenet upon which I will execute my office. I believe in historically traditional family values.”
...
McCrae said she fears that if Hanley and Plass are elected, they’ll establish policies that get the library district sued.
Plass acknowledged that’s a possibility.
“There’s probably going to be a legal case brought,” he said, “and we’re going to make headlines in the nation.”
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/202...
Egregious and unConstitutional news of the day from EveryLibrary"Tennessee would make it a felony- a felony- for publishers to provide books to schools that the state does not approve of. Utah would force publishers to pass a review every time they update educational material.
And nationally, Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene and George Santos have introduced legislation that will punish publishers with $500,000 fines or YEARS of jail time if they publish a book that Congress does not approve of.
They will claim that this is about obscenity, but they've purposefully left obscenity go undefined and used this excuse to allow them to ban over 2,000 books including books about seahorses, Anne Frank, Johnny Appleseed, and even hurricanes."
TN Bills Targeting Library Book Publishers Advance
"Legislation that would change police oversight boards and attempt to block publishers from sending “obscene” books to school libraries is getting closer to passage.
“We are spending a lot of resources and time on things that are not of the utmost importannce right now,” said Former President of the Tennessee Library Association Erika Long.
On Monday, the Tennessee Senate passed a bill that would charge book publishers with a felony if they, “distribute obscene matter to a public school serving any of the grades kindergarten
through twelve.”
“The book gets into the library some way or another so we are going after the seller that provides it?” asked Rep. Bud Hulsey (R—Kingsport), with agreement from bill sponsor Rep. Susan Lynn (R—Mt. Juliet).
Lynn said the definition of “obscene” is already in Tennessee law but Long still felt the word was unclear.
“It lacks what the understanding of how you might define obscenity,” Long said. “It’s not like they are just pushing books out to us, giving them away like Halloween candy or anything like that.”
Long says this bill won’t impact the publisher-librarian relationship too much but will mainly scare and worry librarians and make them question their professional judgment.
“Honestly, I feel like a lot of the legislation that comes out or has come out regarding censorship lacks an understanding of what librarianship looks like,” she said.
The bill has passed the Senate and will be up for consideration on the House floor on April 17.
https://www.wkrn.com/news/tennessee-p...
George Santos and Marjorie Taylor Greene cosponsor federal book ban billThe Trump supporters have cosponsored a bill that could be used to ban books by LGBTQ+ authors in schools.
The bill, H.R. 863, was filed last week by Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL), who said that it will “end the sexualization of children in schools.”
... its purpose is “to amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit a publishing house from knowingly furnishing sexually explicit material to a school or an educational agency, to prohibit Federal funds from being provided to a school that obtains or an educational agency that distributes sexually explicit material, and for other purposes.”
Schools are not distributing pornography to students and publishers are not selling porn magazines to schools to stock in their libraries. The mention of “sexually explicit material” likely refers to books that discuss LGBTQ+ people. Many on the right refer to any discussion of LGBTQ+ people in the presence of children as the “sexualization of children.”
The bill also dovetails with right-wing fear about “pornography” in schools. Many right-wing activists over the past several years have called any book that discusses sexuality at all “pornography,” including books that discuss non-heterosexual family structures. The language has been used to raise the stakes as conservative parents try to get books by LGBTQ+ authors banned from school districts.
For example, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) shared a fake news article that claimed the left wants to be “teaching pr0n” to children in schools.
The extreme rhetoric resulted in the police being called on the Republican Massachusetts secretary of state candidate Rayla Campbell last year. Campbell waved a book by an asexual and non-binary author that she claimed was “child pr0n” and said that it should be banned from schools. Since she effectively admitted to being in possession of child pornography, someone called the police. An officer looked through the book and determined that it was not child pornography and she was not arrested.
“The battlefield for the future of our society is being fought within the classrooms of American schools,” Mills said in a statement about H.R. 863. “This bill targets the Left’s efforts to sexualize children in schools across the U.S.”
“From school board meetings to new representation in local, state, and federal levels, Americans are waking up to the grim reality of woke indoctrination guised as a normal education. No more.”
Only seven of Mills’s colleagues have cosponsored the bill so far, including Santos and Greene.
https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2023/02/g...
(both of whom have proven they have a political agenda and will stop at nothing to achieve it, including overturning the Constitution)
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"Tennessee would make it a felony- a felony- for publishers to provide books to schools that the state does not approve of. Utah wo..."
The NSA -- The Nazi States of America!! And I am sorry, but it certainly is beginning to feel and to look that way.
More censorship news and none of it good.Gender Queer: A Memoir may be permanently removed from Galesburg-Augusta High School in Kalamazoo County, MI
https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/...
Several stories from ArkansasLibrary under attack: Saline County Quorum Court approves strict policies, residents threaten defunding
The Saline County Quorum Court discussed a hot-button topic on Monday to remove certain books from the children's section in the county public library. The Justice of the Peace members had a meeting that went more than two hours.
A total of 53 people signed up to speak, and they each had a limit of three minutes to get their point across. Some quorum members pushed back, but this story ends with an approval from the court to essentially relocate the children’s books — there was also a dash of dramatic threats from residents to defund the county library.
The resolution up for debate was drafted by Justice of the Peace Jim Whitley. He described it as a step toward making libraries a safe space for children, who are already inundated daily with sexual content. Specifically, the resolution will relocate books with “sexual content or imagery” out of the children’s section.
The resolution doesn’t defund libraries, and it doesn’t remove books with sexual content from the library as a whole, Whitley said.
But the move made Monday looks a lot like the first steps to defunding the county library, those in opposition to the resolution said.
The books are discuss LGBTQ+ people and discuss racism. None meet the legal definition of obscene.
The Saline County Republican Women are up in arms about “explicit and woke books” in the children’s area of the county’s library. They argue that these books have “no plot,” “indoctrinate children” and “normalize deviant behavior.” The Saline County Quorum Court at 6:30 p.m. on Monday is expected to discuss a resolution requesting that the county library “relocate materials that are not subject matter or age appropriate for children, due to their sexual content or imagery, to an area that is not accessible to children.”
On March 13, the Saline County Quorum Court heard from Angela Gray, who said the county’s librarians live in a “make believe world where if they deem this material is acceptable, then it is regardless of the views of the community.”
The book banners are citing God in their argument.
Sen. “Book ban” Dan Sullivan (R-Jonesboro) made the 160-mile journey down to Benton to, if nothing else, be in the room when the resolution passed. The Jonesboro area recently voted to defund its own libraries. Sullivan sat buddied up with Rep. Mary Bentley (R-Perryville) in the silent viewing area of the courtroom.
Resident Stephanie Duke is sorry the town donated land to the library. Duke also said that she "struggles to find books in the library that aren’t anti-Christian, anti-white or gay. She said to expect her back with books she wants to challenge in a few months."
The battle for those against the resolution was well-fought. A handful of librarians vouched for the actual practices in place for children in the library. It didn’t matter. Former educators, parents of various walks of life and young people hoping to sway the court gave it their best shot.
Edith Baker, a 22-year-old librarian, said that the resolution was opening the door for people in power to push their political beliefs and censor marginalized communities.
“I am a queer woman, and if I was old enough to experience homophobia, then children should be old enough to read about it,” Baker said. “This is a systematic approach to taking away individual freedom, in the name of freedom.”
A Saline County Public Library employee said they invite the community to look at the books they have on display. She urged everyone to look at where the children's section is versus where the young adult section is.
According to quorum court members, their resolution parallels ACT 372 which was recently passed into law. Part of the new legislation states it's an act to amend the law concerning libraries and obscene materials made available to minors; to amend the law concerning the possession, sale, distribution, or furnishing of obscene materials. It goes on to state the offense of furnishing a harmful item to a minor; to amend the criminal code in relation to obscene materials loaned by a library.
The majority of the court voted to pass the resolution from the children's section. The law will be enacted as of July 1st. The court's resolution could go into effect immediately.
Critics among the members of the Quorum Court noted that there was no communication with the library during the resolution’s drafting process. Members voiced that they could not support it without involving the key players. A separate pitfall of the resolution is that the court didn’t determine who would have the responsibility of subjectively determining what or wasn’t appropriate for young kids.
Bathe the Cat (picture book featuring diverse characters, family with two dads)
A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo (LGBTQ picture book)
Leo's Lavender Skirt (boy likes to wear a skirt, is bullied, his dad explains to Leo that many men and boys around the world wear skirts as part of their culture. His mom also teaches him that women were once not allowed to wear pants).
Worm Loves Worm (seen as LGBTQ but worms are both genders... and worms)
The Talk (picture book about racism against Black boys and men).
https://tinyurl.com/Salinebooks
https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/20...
https://katv.com/news/local/saline-co...
The list in Texas is growing.Conroe ISD will decide whether to remove novel Ramona Blue from library shelves during Tuesday hearing.
The hearing on “Ramona Blue” by Julie Murphy comes three months after the board upheld a decision by the district’s book reconsideration committee to keep the coming-of-age novel "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" on high school library shelves but agreed to pull the book from classroom curriculum.
The board of trustees has remained split on whether it is the district’s responsibility to remove or ban books or if that should be left to parents.
“I’m not sure we are the ones to decide what is right or wrong for somebody’s family,” Trustee Theresa Wagaman said during the board’s January discussion on “The Perks of Being a Wallflower."
Also under review Sunny Side Up
https://www.yourconroenews.com/neighb...
Graphic Novels Bear Brunt of New Library Wars Over Access to BooksOne of America's richest art forms suffers for seeming realer than other literature. But the war against "graphic imagery" is really a war against certain truths.
"Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry issued an official document earlier this year in which he straight-up advised citizens to bother local library boards to remove any material considered "sexually explicit" if in a children's collection (and to alert parents if any such material is available digitally), and to ask local authorities above them to order libraries to do so if that doesn't work.
Landry helpfully offered templates to help citizens gin up complaints about books to librarians and local and state officials. He even called on Louisianans to lobby the legislature to pass laws codifying his complaints about "sexually explicit materials." He's using his authority "to try to recruit citizens to change the law to give him more power to control speech."
Rather than being a mere executive branch official enforcing laws, Landry has made his office a lobbying machine to change laws and to encourage citizens to harass librarians over books they find objectionable—even naming nine books he wants them to complain about.
In Virginia, In a plaintiff's filings in the case of Gender Queer: A Memoir, he tried to revive old discredited psychology articles from the original 1940s anti-comics scare that implied that comics were inherently more psychologically damaging to children than prose books.
"Back in the '40s and '50s, the primary concern was that comics were turning kids into juvenile delinquents," says Jeff Trexler, interim director of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. "Now, it's avoiding trauma, preventing addiction, and keeping kids from suffering other psychological harm. A particularly telling example of this: when Leander, Texas school officials decided to place restrictions on certain books until students had access to a sufficient number of staff counselors."
...
As Moni Barrette, president of the ALA's Graphic Novels and Comics Roundtable, explains in an email, some of the current war on comics is rooted in often silly category errors like believing that the term "graphic" in "graphic novel" just inherently means inappropriately intense sexual images, or that all comics are inherently meant for kids, even ones like Gender Queer which she stresses no competent librarian would have put in a children's section. (Surely the notion that nothing meant for adults should be in a library that also has sections for children is self-evidently absurd.)
But beyond confusion or prejudice about comics in general, these days "Comics written by or about LGBTQIA+ (often labeled 'sexually explicit' even if it's literally 2 queer characters existing in the background of a story) and BIPOC populations (incorrectly lauded as pushing critical race theory) and teaching students how to exercise their own political or bodily rights," Barrette says, are the ones most targeted. "Once you understand the much higher likelihood of any books being banned for including these topics, you start to see the full agenda behind the bans."
https://reason.com/2023/04/18/graphic...
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Conroe ISD will decide whether to remove novel Ramona Blue from library shelves during Tuesday hearing.
The hearing on “Ramona Blue” by Julie Murphy ..."
I guess children had drug abuse happen in their families should simply keep their mouths shut and not have their stories told in books because that is what banning Sunny Side Up would be stating.
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https://goodereader.com/blog/booksell...
I avoided reading the news yesterday as it was my birthday but that means tons of bad news today. I sent so many stories to share, I don't have time to share them all so I'll just post headlines and sources.Yes the cops have been called to look at so-called pr0n books and deemed them to be fine. It's al a political stunt to distract from the real issues.
Gender Queer Gender Queer: A Memoirchallenged at Deckerville, FL Library even though it's been on the shelves 3 years."“There were 10 requests for reconsideration submitted at the meeting, but the library did not receive any official documents or requests prior to this,” she said.
Kisbany said she wants to clear any misunderstanding about the book. During the meeting, Kisbany said some members of the public claimed the book was located in the children’s section and should not be there. However, Kisbany said that is simply incorrect.
“The book has been shelved in our adult graphic novel section since it was added to our collection,” Kisbany said.
The requests for reconsideration will be reviewed by the Deckerville Library Board. Further action or discussion regarding the book have not been set.
There are three options on the reconsideration requests from Deckerville Library. People can ask for the library to not lend a book to their own child, to withdraw the book from all patrons or to send the book back to the staff selection office for re-evaluation. All 10 of the reconsideration requests from the April 6 meeting call for the library to withdraw the book from all patrons.
The excuses:
"It has no quality in any way. Some claim it to be of adult nature, but it's clearly geared to attract children and teens."
"The book and ones similar to it do not belong in public libraries. They can be found elsewhere."
"Something I don't believe in is being shoved down my throat."
"(The theme) is to indoctrinate children into sexual acts."
"This material is harmful to children. We need to fill their hearts and minds with love and happy thoughts; of being helpful and kind to others."
https://www.thetimesherald.com/story/...
Montana Senate passes "obscenity bill""The Montana Senate approved a bill Tuesday that seeks to revise state laws governing the dissemination of sexually explicit or obscene material to minors, passing the proposal back to the House for further consideration.
House Bill 234, more commonly known as the 2023 Legislature’s “obscenity bill,” has become a flashpoint in the broader debate over public education. Supporters argued that the bill was necessary to protect students from exposure to material they view as inappropriate for people under 18 years old. They often cited the presence of specific LGBTQ-themed books in school libraries to make their case — books that have been used to bolster similar policy efforts in other states. "
The usual arguments ensue.
https://montanafreepress.org/2023/04/...
Texas too because it's not enough to have a list sanctioned by the governor and school districts.Texas House passes bill that aims to keep sexually explicit materials out of school libraries
Legal experts, librarians and some parents say House Bill 900’s language is so vague and broad that it could ensnare books that are not inappropriate.
https://www.texastribune.org/2023/04/...
Michigan county eyed criminal ordinance for books. Librarians fought backCass County was poised to consider a book ordinance that could put librarians in legal jeopardy
But the proposal was pulled from the county commissioner’s agenda after public pushback led by librarians
The ordinance, if passed, would be the first of its kind in Michigan
https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-gov...
In Florida, Don't Say Gay has been extended to all K-12 education and they have also banned drag performances in front of minors, in spite of undercover agents saying nothing untoward occurred during drag story time.https://www.local10.com/news/local/20...
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/calle...
There is some good news from FL though
The Bluest Eye can remain at the Pinellas County high school libraries for optional reading.
"The group decided that when in a library, where students have the freedom to select or pass by any book, the novel should be available without restrictions for grades 9-12. It’s a tough read, they said, but one that teens have the ability to pick for themselves.
When part of a class assignment, it found that teachers should have to go through the district’s “controversial materials” policy. That includes review with the principal, consultation with parents and an offer of alternative readings. The rationale: It could be considered a requirement at that point, so providing options would make it clear students or parents could decline."
https://www.tampabay.com/news/educati...
SALINE COUNTY, Ark. – The Saline County Library is responding to the controversial resolution that passed Monday night in the Saline County Quorum Court meeting.The resolution addresses books in the library said to be too ‘obscene’ for children because of sexual content or imagery. It calls on the library to ensure that “materials contained within the children’s section of the library are subject matter and age appropriate.”
Saline County Library Director Patty Hector said the decision represents much more than a potential relocation of books.
Hector, along with others concerned, said this feels like an attack on the library for allowing books to be loaned that do not align with a certain political agenda. Those against the resolution pointed to books that deal with race or LGBTQ+ matters as examples.
The quorum court’s decision Monday night comes just weeks after a bill in the legislative session passed, now known as Act 372. It amends the state code for endangering the welfare of a minor to include sexual material, and it removes the protection for library employees.
Bill sponsor Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Jonesboro) said it will create a specific process for parents to keep books they think could be harmful out of their kid’s reach.
“You go to the librarian, you go to the library board, and now you can go to the quorum court,” Sullivan said. “Only a local prosecutor can determine if its obscene and take it to court.”
https://www.kark.com/news/local-news/...
https://www.thv11.com/article/news/lo...
Better news from Texas"Little Banned Library" featuring books removed from schools opening in Houston’s Heights neighborhood
A variation of the popular Little Free Library concept, the forthcoming installation in the Heights was designed to resemble a prison cell and feature books that have been banned by public schools in Texas.
However, the owner is still censoring and won't put out Gender Queer: A Memoir or Flamer because he wants it to be geared towards teens and tweens and it will be in a high traffic area where unsupervised children can find it.
STILL CENSORSHIP!
https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/ar...
Love in the Library author Maggie Tokuda-Hall had declined Scholastic's conditional offer to license her book. She refuses to remove the passage about racism in her author's note. Author Kelly Yang supports her fellow Asian author 100% and urges Scholastic to be brave.
https://www.themarysue.com/scholastic...
Pen America has released their report on banned books 2022-2023 school year. It's chilling and worth a read.https://pen.org/report/banned-in-the-...
The list has been updated 1,648 books on the list!
https://pen.org/index-of-school-book-...
A case study featured in The New Yorker"When the Culture Wars Came for the Public Library"
https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispat...
In Iowa, the Republican party is pushing their own version of "don't say gay" which would ban LGBTQ books and sex ed books as well as any books that contain depictions of sex acts, health books mentioning AIDS, and classic works of literature. The Bible is exempt from their obscenity clause.The most chilling part of this law is they want ZERO input from students on what THEY want.
The bill prohibits students from serving on the committee to decide if materials should be removed from a school library.
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/sto...
It's not just the U.S.The Guardian UK reports one third of UK librarians have been asked to censor or remove books, research reveals
A survey by Cilip shows members of the public using increasingly threatening behaviour about the removal of books on empire, race and LGBTQ+ themes
"We’ve even had a round table with some librarians who’ve received personal threats of violence around their work on decolonising collections, or balancing that historical perspective in their collections. Part of our job is to maintain book stock that tells the whole of that story and to be unafraid in telling that story,” he added. “No librarian should ever be in fear of their wellbeing or safety as a result of doing their job for the public.”
oole said the other big area where librarians had received requests for removals was books with LGBTQ+ themes or characters. Isobel Hunter, chief executive of Libraries Connected, said that while some library managers have told the group they have had very few requests for the removal of titles, they have been receiving a large number of freedom of information requests, primarily from media organisations.
The result, she said, is that librarians are having to take time away from their primary job to answer these requests. “There is no such thing as censorship in public libraries,” said Hunter. “We don’t know of any libraries that have trigger warnings.”
Lucy Banks, reading development manager at Libraries Unlimited, a charity that manages libraries in Devon and Torbay, said: “We don’t censor, and we’re pleased to have that role within society as a hub of trusted information.
“We’re not getting the complaints but we are aware of those wider conversations, and indeed, they do sometimes crop up in the library,” she added. “We’re really supportive of everyone’s rights, regardless of background, lifestyle, gender or age – we see it as our fundamental job to make our libraries as warm and welcoming for as many people as possible.”
https://www.theguardian.com/books/202...
And the good news is...Saline Co. (Kansas) public library director, Patty Hector, says they will not follow resolution to remove books
According to Hector, they updated their policy to that of ACT 372. She also said they do not have any obscene materials in the children's area and that they have no plans on removing any books. Hector said her concern if books are removed from the children's section is a lawsuit could be filed. Hector told KATV such an action could infringe on freedom of speech.
An official with Saline County said the library will not be punished if they do not follow the resolution.
https://katv.com/news/local/saline-co...
Texas has gone way too far. What happened to parental rights in education? How come only Christian parents get rights? That's not the way it works. Texas Senate approves bills requiring 10 Commandments in K-12 classrooms, Bible time in school
https://news.yahoo.com/texas-senate-a...
This is illegal. The U.S. Supreme Court first ruled government-sponsored prayer in the public schools unconstitutional in 1962. Thirty years later, in a case handled by the RI ACLU, the Supreme Court also ruled unconstitutional the recitation of prayers at public school graduation ceremonies.
https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/j...
Florida's "Don't Say Gay" expansion is predicted to lead to a flood of book bans.A legislative proposal filed this year by the Florida GOP would expand the existing law’s age restrictions and extend the ability to challenge learning materials in Florida schools to all individuals, regardless of whether they have children in the public school system.
Opponents of the bill have voiced concerns that the 20-page measure’s at-times broad language may allow even persons outside of Florida to challenge books in state schools.
The law would allow people to challenge any book that (view spoiler) and require school districts to approve requests made by parents to read passages from challenged materials in their children’s schools. If a request is denied, the school district must immediately “discontinue the use of the material,” according to the bill.
Parents under the proposed law would also be entitled to request that the state Education Commissioner appoint a special magistrate to step in if the parent disagrees with the school board’s determination on a book challenge.
parents, are already taking several weeks to complete, said Brandon Wolf, the press secretary for the LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Florida.
A tidal wave of book challenges is likely to crash over Florida schools if the legislature’s proposal passes into law, Wolf said, overwhelming school officials and creating a backlog of complaints lodged against library books that could strip shelves bare for months at a time.
Florida Republicans have argued that books will not be banned, only temporarily pulled from circulation.
But although the measure does not ban books outright, it “effectively creates a process where that’s what happens,” said Kirk Bailey, the political director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Florida affiliate.
The expansion’s impacts are likely to reverberate for years to come, and the “bigger picture” is the chilling effect it is likely to have on school librarians and media specialists responsible for purchasing books, Kasey Meehan, the director of the free speech group PEN America’s Freedom to Read Project, told The Hill.
“There’s lots of layers to this,” Meehan said.
The proposal has also drawn some criticism from Republicans, who say its passage could lead to a back-and-forth where both sides of the political spectrum go after books as a power play to rile up the other side.
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-wa...
Great! We can all challenge the rest of the books the censors DO like.
In Tennessee, apparently they don't want their kids to learn anything at all. I would have reported math and science but not English and Social studies! Hearing that kids died from gun violence in my state would make me sad. Hearing about book bans would make me sad. Tennessee GOP bill tells students to report learning anything that makes them sad.
A bill that made its way through the Tennessee legislature aims to strengthen rules for colleges passed last year that can change how schools approach teaching many kinds of lessons in social justice, racial inequity, political science, social work, psychology and many other fields.
As for what Tennessee lawmakers consider to be "divisive concepts," it's quite the hodgepodge, but it mostly boils down to mentioning racism or sexism in any way that might make a Tennessee Republican school or university student sad. WBIR gives a rundown of banned concepts, and the definition sandwiches no-brainer violations like teaching "that one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex" with other, much weirder prohibitions like:
• That a person, by virtue of their race or sex, bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex
• That a person should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish or another form of psychological distress because of their race or sex
• That a meritocracy is inherently racist, sexist or designed by a particular race or sex to oppress members of another race or sex
• That Tennessee or the U.S. is fundamentally or irredeemably racist or sexist
• Promoting or advocating the violent overthrow of the U.S. government
• Promoting division between, or resentment of, a race, sex, religion, creed, nonviolent political affiliation, social class or class of people
• Ascribing character traits, values, moral or ethical codes, privileges or beliefs to a race or sex, or to a person because of their race or sex
• That the rule of law does not exist but instead is a series of power relationships and struggles among racial or other groups
https://www.wbir.com/article/news/edu...
opinion piece
Tennessee GOP bill tells students to report learning anything that makes them sad
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023...
In Anderson County, Tenn. the mayor has asked the sheriff to investigate whether a handful of books contain "obscene" material. One library director said they're receiving threats.That started to change as a battle over books began brewing in public meetings. Fifteen people spoke during an Anderson County Commission public comment period on Feb. 21.
"Books in our taxpayer-funded libraries make the jobs of human and child traffickers easier," one woman said. "They say it's not a church, yet they preach their gender-bending immoral schmuck in the name of freedom."
She and one other person spoke against a handful of books found in public libraries. The other 13 spoke in favor of the current review process, which lets library boards make their own decisions and reviews.
"While the Anderson County library system has a procedure for how to address questionable content, there is no clear guidance regarding how to proceed if one perceives a violation of obscenity statutes has occurred," she wrote. "Regarding the materials that have been brought to light by the citizen(s), we are requesting that the Sheriff's Department please investigate the materials for obscenity violations."
The Clinton Library doesn't carry the main book in question, "Let's Talk About It" by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan. It has, however, received four formal complaints about four separate books.
Let's Talk About It: The Teen's Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human (not even IN the library)
"The three books that have already went all the way through the process, the board voted to retain, they're on the shelves," Webb said. "The fourth book that we just had go through the subcommittee process, the subcommittee voted to move it to the young adult section. The age range was really close on that one."
Grandad's Camper
(a sweet story about a child listening to their grandfather's happy memories of traveling with his partner in their RV).Families Like Mine
Families Like Mine" by Marie-Therese Miller.
("This one talks about different kinds of families... some families may have many children and these families can be noisy, some families have one child and they can be quiet," Webb said. "There are families with two dads and families with a dad and a mom.")
It Feels Good to Be Yourself: A Book About Gender Identity
It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health
The fourth, which was moved to the young adult section, is "It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex and Sexual Health" by Robie Harris and illustrator Michael Emberley.
"It's a sex-ed book," Webb said. "Our collection is here to support all kinds of people in different phases and stages of their life. I've guided parents to that book before to help their children."
https://www.wbir.com/article/news/loc...
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey orders 'woke' resource book removed from pre-K instruction, changes leadershipThe book is a pre-K educator resource book called the National Association for the Education of Young Children Developmentally Appropriate Practice Book, 4th Edition.
The creator of the text describes it like this: “The fourth edition of this classic, influential text addresses developmentally appropriate practice within the context of the ever-changing and evolving world of early childhood education. With a strong focus on equity and teaching and supporting all children, it underscores the importance of social, cultural, and historical contexts of development.”
In a Friday news release, Ivey’s office said “the book invokes ideas for teachers that there are ‘larger systemic forces that perpetuate systems of White privilege’ or that ‘the United States is built on systemic and structural racism.’
“Also included for 4-year-olds to learn is that ‘LGBTQIA+ need to hear and see messages that promote equality, dignity and worth.’
Ivey learned of the book last week and directed Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education Dr. Barbara Cooper to disavow and stop using it.
She also accepted Cooper’s immediate resignation. Dr. Jan Hume has been appointed as interim secretary of the department.
“The education of Alabama’s children is my top priority as governor, and there is absolutely no room to distract or take away from this mission. Let me be crystal clear: Woke concepts that have zero to do with a proper education and that are divisive at the core have no place in Alabama classrooms at any age level, let alone with our youngest learners. We want our children to be focused on the fundamentals, such as reading and math."
Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth Through Age 8
https://www.waaytv.com/news/gov-kay-i...
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Texas Senate approves bills requiring 10 Comman..."
If I were a student I would if asked to recite the the commandments simply screw up the wording deliberately. Like I would say Thou Shall Commit Adultery. And so on and so on, ha, ha, ha ...
The slightly goodish news of the day is, Hillsborough Schools (Tampa. Florida) pause in tackling library booksPressure continues from conservative organizations, but the district wants to wait for the Legislative session to end June 27.
Gender Queer: A Memoir
Flamer
The conservative news platform The Florida Standard earlier this month quoted a member of a conservative citizen’s organization as saying that Superintendent Addison Davis has “quarantined” dozens of books as the district reviews their content.
District spokesperson Tanya Arja said this week that there is no quarantine, and no books have been taken off the shelves.
“District staff is reviewing a list of books to determine their age appropriateness and content,” Arja said in an email to the Florida Standard that she shared with the Times.
But she said the current list consists of only four books, including “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe and “Flamer” by Mike Curato, which Gov. Ron DeSantis flagged at a news conference in March. The Kite Runner, Normal People and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
When the topic first surfaced in Hillsborough, School Board Chairperson Nadia Combs spoke out strongly against the book critics, saying children are in much more danger from materials and websites that they can access on their smartphones.
Combs has since moderated her position. “I want to make sure that everybody is being heard,” including parents, she said this week.
Combs was in the minority on March 28 when she voted against removing “This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson, from all of the district’s middle schools. But Combs said she voted the way she did because she did not like the way the matter was handled. The board had been told it would vote on whether to remove the book from Pierce, the only middle school where it was in circulation. But Davis broadened the motion shortly before the meeting.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/educati...
Some good news from Florida, Broward County (Miami) Seeks to Become Book Sanctuary following strict laws banning books in Florida, USFORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - The library system wants to be a safe space for curious minds in search of titles that are becoming harder and harder to find.
The Broward County Public Library plans to become a book sanctuary.
“We are highlighting books that have been banned or challenged, not only here in Florida, but throughout the entire United States,” said Allison Grubbs, director of the Broward County Library.
More that 2,000 such sanctuaries already exist across the country.
The move comes in time for the celebration of National Library Week, which starts Sunday.
“Providing an area where people have the freedom to read, the freedom to access different ideas is really critical to civic engagement,” Grubbs said.
The American Library Association came out with a review last fall that found attempted book bannings and restrictions reached a high not seen in decades, last year, with Florida ranked second by Pen America, a First Amendment organization that focuses on access to works of literature. Their banned book index found six titles were removed from Broward school libraries last year, most of which features LGBTQ characters prominently.
The Broward County Library sees this as a public service.
“We are protectors of the freedom of speech and the freedom to read, the freedom to think and engage and learn more,” Grubbs said.
The Broward County Library also plans on hosting special book sanctuary events at libraries throughout the year, which features banned and challenged material.
https://wsvn.com/news/local/broward/b...
Manybooks wrote: "If I were a student I would if asked to recite the the commandments simply screw up the wording deliberately. Like I would say Thou Shall Commit Adultery.."
You would probably get suspended. A much better idea would be to do what Jessica Ahlquist in RI did and sue. She asked the school to remove a prayer banner and was threatened and harassed by members of the community including the Catholic Bishop who called her a "nasty girl". "Nevertheless, she persisted!"
" Jessica is an atheist who indicated that the prayer mural made her feel “ostracized and out of place,” the court ruled that she had standing to challenge the display, despite attempts by the school district to argue she was not really harmed by it in any way.
Although some school officials sought to minimize the display’s clear religious message, instead calling it “historic” and “artistic,” the judge made clear that the school committee’s decision to maintain the prayer “endorsed the position of those who believe that it is acceptable to use Christian prayer to instill values in public schoolchildren.”
https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/j...
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FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - The library system wants to be ..."
Good story, but it is so so so sad and infuriating that book sanctuaries are so badly needed in the USA.
And sorry, but far too many US states are not democratic at all and that Texas is becoming a theocracy akin to Saudi Arabia is vile.
A retired naval officer is fighting book bans. “I didn’t sacrifice 21 years of my life to stand idly by while religious fanatics and other fanatics try to impose fascism on my country.”
He argues that he spent years of his life after 9/11 fighting for freedom, fighting people who take away freedom. If something goes against his beliefs, he won't do it but he doesn't have the right to tell anyone else what not to do. If he doesn't want his son to read a particular book, he should be the one to restrict his son's reading. He goes on to explain how his life was saved by reading. Growing up poor with a single mother in a rural South Carolina trailer park, he read books, starting with the encyclopedia at 4. His parents trusted his teachers and librarians and they nudged him in the right direction all the way to high scores on the SATs and a scholarship to college!
https://www.thedailybeast.com/retired...
Children's Books
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Out of the Blue (other topics)The Princess in Black and the Prince in Pink (other topics)
My Rainbow (other topics)
Butt or Face? Volume 3: Super Gross Butts (other topics)
The Day the Books Disappeared (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Jodi Picoult (other topics)Sarah J. Maas (other topics)
Ellen Hopkins (other topics)
Jodi Picoult (other topics)
Scott Stuart (other topics)
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New dad Jack Beresford took his son Patrick to a drag queen story time reading so the 3-year-old could be happy with who he was and accepting of others.
Psychotherapist Dr. Joe Kort told Newsweek said he did not see any adverse effects on children attending a drag queen story hour.
https://www.newsweek.com/drag-story-t...