“See Dick.
“See Jane.
“See Spot.
“See Spot run.
“Run, Spot, run!”
For many Americans of a certain age—of which this author is one—those words instantly trigger memories of kindergarten or first grade. Now, compare them to the first words in a far more recent book:
“This is Ruthie.
“She’s a transgender girl.”
Elementary School Activists
The second quotation comes from the book It Feels Good to Be Yourself: A Book About Gender Identity. Amazon uses the following language to describe it:
“A picture book that introduces the concept of gender identity to the youngest reader. Some people are boys. Some people are girls. Some people are both, neither, or somewhere in between.”
Some elementary school teachers may read those lines to students. It is a worst-case scenario for any parent interested in preserving their children’s innocence. Can any child grasp, much less argue against, such propaganda?
It Feels Good to Be Yourself is a typical selection from a growing children’s book genre invading the classroom.
Book Fairs with Agendas
Scholastic publishing is a good example of what is happening in this field. It represents a privileged place in student reading materials because of its unique marketing plan. For over a half-century, it promoted its books by distributing fliers in schools. Students took the fliers home and asked their parents to order those books that caught their fancy.
In the days before online retailing, this was the only way that many students purchased books of their own.
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More recently, Scholastic prefers school “book fairs.” For weeks, teachers create excitement among students. When the big day arrives, students ask parents for money and select their books. The publisher rewards the school by “donating” books to the library.
“Gender Equity” for Little Ones
At first glance, Scholastic’s website isn’t threatening. It takes some diligence to locate the “Diversity” section. However, a little searching reveals that Scholastic has adopted the so-called gender equity standards of the “woke” movement. For instance, consider this description of Families, Families, Families!, a book targeting grades pre-K—3.
“No matter your size, shape, or pedigree-if you love each other, you are a family!
“Moms, dads, sisters, brothers—and even Great Aunt Sue—appear in dozens of combinations, demonstrating all kinds of nontraditional families! Silly animals are cleverly depicted in framed portraits, and offer a warm celebration of family love.”
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One page shows two roosters in a nest with three chicks with the caption, “Some children have two dads.”
“National Standards”
Lest any readers think this exposure to “gender equity” to be an extreme case, consider this statement from the so-called National Sex Education Standards.
“By the end of the 2nd grade, students should be able to explain why it is important to show respect for different kinds of families (e.g., nuclear, single parent, blended, intergenerational, cohabiting, adoptive, foster, same-gender, interracial).”
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No school that adopts such a standard would have trouble with a first-grade teacher reading Families, Families, Families! in class or placing it in their library. Nor would the school object to Scholastic putting it in the “book fair” for any child to purchase.
Even More Explicit Offerings for Middle School
In the higher grades, Scholastic’s offerings get even more explicit. One book, intended for grades four through seven, is a tribute to lesbian photographer Alice Austin (1866-1952). Recently, Miss Austin’s long-time home became a museum.
The book’s title is Alice Austin Lived Here. Scholastic describes the two main characters, complete with “preferred pronouns.”
“Sam is very in touch with their own queer identity. They’re non-binary, and their best friend, TJ, is non-binary as well. Sam’s family is very cool with it . . . as long as Sam remembers that non-binary kids are also required to clean their rooms, do their homework, and try not to antagonize their teachers too much.”
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The message is unambiguous. “Non-binary” is just another way of being normal. Any family that cannot accept that is not “cool.” If parents don’t embrace the “rich queer history that Sam’s a part of,” it is their problem, not the child’s.
Nor is this a “one-off” situation. Scholastic also offers Rick, in which the title character has just discovered his middle school’s “Rainbow Spectrum club, where kids of many genders and identities congregate.” There is also One True Way, in which the main characters are Allie and Sam. “Allie and Sam are friends. Allie and Sam are girls. Allie and Sam are falling for each other.”
A High School “Drag Queen”
For high school readers, the picture is even bleaker.
Drag Queen’s main character, “JT feels like his life’s hit a dead end. It looks like he’ll always be stuck in Florida. His parents are anti-supportive. And his boyfriend, Seth, seems to be moving toward a bright future a long way from home.
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“Scholarship money is nonexistent. After-school work will only get JT so far. There’s only one shot for him-to become the next Miss Drag Teen in New York City.”
Not all Scholastic book fairs feature such materials. Diligent school administrators can request that they be absent from a particular school’s fair. However, their presence in Scholastic’s catalog indicates that the company is more than willing to make them available to any child.
Tragically, Scholastic is not the only publisher making such “literature” available. Visiting online booksellers or chain bookstores reveals many similar offerings.
Fighting the Trend
Conservative journalist and author Matt Walsh recently released a book to counter this trend. In several interviews, Mr. Walsh says that he designed his children’s book Johnny the Walrus to give children some defense against the propaganda.
In the book, Johnny puts two wooden spoons in his mouth and socks over his hands. Proudly, he goes into the kitchen and tells his mother that he is a walrus. Concerned, Johnny’s mother turns to the Internet for advice. Someone tells her that Johnny’s true identity is that of a walrus. A loving mother should facilitate his new identity. She applies gray makeup, feeds him worms, and takes him to a doctor who promises to turn Johnny’s feet into flippers. The book shows the horrible consequences of claiming to be what one is not. Johnny’s mother eventually realizes her error, and all returns to normal.
The book is enormously successful. According to The Blaze, it reached number three on the Amazon Best Sellers list—a fantastic accomplishment for any book. Then, Amazon said that the book was unavailable, leading to speculation that it had been “canceled.” However, Johnny the Walrus later reappeared.
Inoculating Children
Mr. Walsh hopes that parents “inoculate” their children by reading Johnny the Walrus to them. Hopefully, such children will recognize “gender identity” as absurd and even dangerous. They could then reject these notions when their teachers tell them boys can be girls and vice versa. While the plot is ridiculous, it is not unimaginable.
However, the best weapon is parental diligence. Parents should make sure that school administrators know that they are looking for such materials and are willing to make any infractions very public. Thus, concerned parents should examine library books and book fair purchases very closely. Their children’s innocence might depend upon it.
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