Parent forces school to halt sale of book about gay kid that is hit Netflix show
Following objections regarding the sale of a book series that features a gay boy as its main character, a school district has decided to tone back its annual book fair.
In order to appoint a special committee to review books offered at district fairs, Little Miami School District put a "pause" on book fairs. Silas Shelton, a parent, complained to the board last month that the book improperly pushed kids to "explore their sexuality."
In a ridiculous account, Silas claimed that parents "aren't allowed to talk about the health risks of kids being gay," saying, "I tell you, I got sick reading that stuff."
After reviewing the book, Silas said the content made him sick (FOX19 NOW)The Alice Oseman "Heartstopper" series of books, which have been made into a Netflix series, and which were offered for sale during a 10-day Scholastic Book Fair in August, are at the center of the issue.
The district issued a statement saying, "As always, we have a system in place to review it when we have a parent concern about a book." In response, a petition opposing stopping the book fairs appeared on Change.org and, as of Today, has more than 800 signatures.
Heartstopper fans in tears over heartbreaking scene in hit Netflix show
In an effort to ensure that kids have parental supervision while selecting books to buy, the district today announced that it would scale back its plan as a compromise.
Rather than allowing students to browse books during the school day as was previously the case, the fair will sadly only be open during two nights of parent-teacher conferences.
The Netflix adaptation of Heartstopper has been critically acclaimed (Amazon)The district's spokesman, Brad Underwood, acknowledged that shortening the book fair might result in fewer book sales, which would raise less money for the schools, but he said he wasn't sure by how much, if any.
While book bans in other school districts have grabbed attention this year, the situation in Little Miami is unique because the disputed book is not one that is required reading or even frequently kept in the school library.
Instead, the "Heartstopper" books are being sold as a part of a book fair that aims to give participating schools money and supplies for their educational programs. In Heartstopper, two boys' high school romance develops from their friendship in the classroom.
There are a few illustrations in the graphic novel that show kissing from the shoulders up, some explicit language, and some mild romantic gestures like holding hands and hugging.
The mother of a second-grader, Vanessa Srikantham, 39, expressed her shock at the entire incident. "Censorship and book banning: That's the best place you can possibly start if you want to get me riled up and cranky."
Vanessa claimed that after other parents highlighted the book as perhaps improper, she made it a point to read it. She praised the effort, calling it "amazing."
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
