HUDSON, WI: Parents Say Books are Indoctrination, Not Age Appropriate!
Suzanne Gallagher Parent' Rights In Education, National
HUDSON, WISCONSIN, FEBRUARY 8, 2023:
If you read the January 29 Article, PARENTS SAY "NO" TO K-12 CLASSROOM SENSITIVE/PERSONAL GROUP DISCUSSIONS! you may remember there are nine (9) books selected for students in the 9th grade to read, including The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, The Hate U Give, The Glass Castle, Gym Candy, All American Boys, Shout, and Speak.
What are Parents Saying?
The books listed are sensitive and controversial, introducing students to subjects and risky behaviors, which in many cases students may not have known about until reading one of these books, participating in the group discussion, or reading the research-based, news-style articles produced by fellow 9th graders.
A local mom states, "How do these books help our children with self-discovery? It fills their minds with abhorrent, obscene, inappropriate ideas. I don't want my child discussing these issues in a classroom. I want to lead these discussions."
What is the objective here?
"None of these topics were necessary for us to get a good education, why are they necessary for our children? Who is deciding what is a 'teen' issue, and what's not?" stated Hudson High School, parent.
We thought our readers would like to know more about those books….
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
From the use of the term “retard” on page 4, to “faggot” on page 197, this book is filled with derogatory terms that go against community standards.
Mentions that the main character loves to masturbate and has magazines with nude photos. When he hugs an adult counselor, he gets an erection. Bawdy talk with friend about erections and masturbation, Banned for sexual reference, profanity, violence, sexual misconduct, underage drinking "p—y,” "retard", “f- k", "b---h,” “n--g--
pp. 24-25 "Most guys, no matter what age, get excited about curves and circles, but not me. Don’t get me wrong. I like girls and their curves. And I really like women and their curvier curves. I spend hours in the bathroom with a magazine that has one thousand pictures of naked movie stars: Yep, that’s right, I admit that I masturbate. I’m proud of it. I’m good at it. I’m ambidextrous. If there were a Professional Masturbators League, I’d get drafted number one and make millions of dollars. And maybe you’re thinking, “Well you really shouldn’t be talking about masturbation in public.” Well, tough, I’m going to talk about it because EVERYBODY does it. And EVERYBODY likes it. And if God hadn’t wanted us to masturbate, then God wouldn’t have given us thumbs. So I thank God for my thumbs. But, the thing is, no matter how much time my thumbs and I spend with the curve of imaginary women, I am much more in love with the right angles of buildings.”
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
About the Author: After 15 years of marriage to his wife he came out as Gay at the age of 54. Author wrote the book in support of boys and girls who want to come “out". Stonewall Book Award in 2013 - annually recognize "exceptional merit relating to the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender experience" in English-language books published in the U.S.
Lambda Literary Award winner for LGBT Children's/Young Adult (2013) - Lambda Literary Awards, also known as the "Lammys", are awarded yearly by Lambda Literary to recognize the crucial role LGBTQ writers play in shaping the world. The Lammys celebrate the very best in LGBTQ literature. ALA Rainbow List (2013) - The ALA Rainbow List is an annual list of "books with significant gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender content, and which are aimed at youth, birth through age 18."
The Amazon Summary says: “Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.”
A reader’s review state this: “I wanted to review this book for quite some time now, way before it won LAMBDA for children/young adults. I was just really worried that I won't be able to do it justice and I still worry about that even as I type my review. The only prerequisite for reading this book is that you have to like YA stories. It does not have sex scenes, but I would not call it kids' book, even though publisher's reading level is listed as Grade seven and up. I would say it is YA coming of age with a love story thrown in. Yes, even with Ari being so clueless for so long, I think love between these two boys is present on every page of the book.”
The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas
The Hate U Give was written, as Thomas says, "to bring light to the controversial issue of police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Features profanity and anti-police message. Multiple uses of “f—k’n," “bitch," "ho," '_ss, " "damn," "badass,' "hell," "butt," "piss."
"I look at books as being a form of activism. Sometimes they’ll show us a side of the world that we might not have known about...It is important for the white community to listen to the grievances of the Black Lives Matter movement.” Angie Thomas
The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls
Frequent profanity, alcoholism, and sexually explicit. It was awarded the Christopher Award which was established by The Christophers, a Christian organization. No age recommendation. Local parent argues this is a book for adults.
The Amazon book summary states: “The Glass Castle is a remarkable memoir of resilience and redemption, and a revelatory look into a family at once deeply dysfunctional and uniquely vibrant. When sober, Jeannette’s brilliant and charismatic father captured his children’s imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and how to embrace life fearlessly. But when he drank, he was dishonest and destructive. Her mother was a free spirit who abhorred the idea of domesticity and didn’t want the responsibility of raising a family.
The Walls children learned to take care of themselves. They fed, clothed, and protected one another, and eventually found their way to New York. Their parents followed them, choosing to be homeless even as their children prospered.
The Glass Castle is truly astonishing—a memoir permeated by the intense love of a peculiar but loyal family.
The memoir was also made into a major motion picture from Lionsgate in 2017 starring Brie Larson, Woody Harrelson, and Naomi Watts.”
Gym Candy, by Carl Deuker
Drug/Steroid use. There is heavy, addictive steroid use in this novel. Pills and injectables are used. “This novel explores the dark corners of the heart of a young football player as he struggles for success under the always glaring—and often unforgiving—stadium lights.” Nothing stands out about the author and no awards given for this book.
All American Boys, by Jason Reynolds
This book uses profanity, and features drug use, alcoholism, and promotes anti-police views and more. Strong language includes "Jesus," "a--hole," and several uses of "f--k,'
"If you are neutral in the situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the Oppressor." quoting Critical Race Theory
Features divisive language including, Systemic Racism, CRT, police brutality, social justice activism.
Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson
A girl is raped then traumatized by it. She cuts herself to make the pain go away.
Book quote: "I was on the ground and he was on top of me. My lips mumble something about leaving, about a friend who needs me, about my parents worrying. I can hear myself--I'm mumbling like a deranged drunk. His lips lock on mine and I can't say a thing. I twist my head away. He is so heavy. There is a boulder on me. I open my mouth to breathe, to scream, and his hand covers it. In my head, my voice is as clear as a bell: "NO I DON'T WANT TO!" But I can't spit it out. I'm trying to remember how we got on the ground and where the moon went and wham! shirt up, shorts down, and the ground smells wet and dark and NO!--I'm not really here, I'm definitely back at Rachel's...and he smells like beer, and mean, and he hurts me, hurts me, hurts me, and gets up.”
Parents’ Rights in Education encourages you to stand up for parental rights and age-appropriate books! The Hudson, WI School Board meets on Monday, February 13 at 6:00pm. Find more information HERE.