School Library Journal (SLJ) – a resource for school librarians – pushed a summer reading list that includes recommendations for books about gender identity for children as young as three to five years old by a project dubbed, “We Are Kid Lit Collective 2024.”
SLJ, self-described as “the premiere publication for librarians and information specialists who work with children and teens,” shared the release of We Are Kid Lit Collective’s recommendations for their yearly summer reading book list in a post on the Facebook Thursday.
“School Library Journal has proudly partnered with We Are Kid Lit Collective to share and promote the group’s 10th annual summer reading recommendations,” the publication said. “In the next couple of weeks, SLJ will publish individual posts featuring their recommendations for picture books, transitional books, middle grade, and young adult titles. …Kicking things off ’21 Inclusive Picture Books to Jump-Start Summer Reading.'”
While many books receive positive recommendations from reviewers like SLJ, parents in Georgia can challenge the availability of school library books they find controversial, which the American Library Association considers censorship.
In a recent post on X, the Southern Poverty Law Center condemned Cobb County School District (CCSD) for announcing the removal of four books containing explicit content from school media centers in a Board of Education meeting in mid-April.
“Every student deserves to be heard and to see themselves reflected in stories and curriculum at school! @CobbSchools continued book banning not only silences diversity but also continues the district’s pattern of stifling inclusion.”
However, CCSD Board Chair Randy Scamihorn said in a Facebook post last week, “Our staff are educators, not the lifestyle police.”
Scamihorn added, “In Cobb, families keep the authority to make choices that are best for their families.”
On the CCSD website, Scamihorn specifically addressed concerns about banning books.
“[L]et me say simply: we have not ‘banned’ a single book,” he noted, “We have removed age-inappropriate, sexually explicit content for minors.”
“The School Board doesn’t have the authority to decide what you and your family read, and the majority of us believe those are choices you should make at home. On the other hand, the Board is responsible for doing everything we can to keep your children safe,” Scamihorn wrote.
Two children’s picture books featured in the “Jump-Start Summer Reading” series promote gender identity.
Téo’s Tutu, according to publisher Penguin Random House, is a picture book about the “story of a boy’s first ballet recital” that “celebrates gender-creativity.” The book description states that Téo “loves the way his tutu makes him feel, inside and out.” The book is considered appropriate for children three to five years old.
My Rainbow is recommended for children four to eight years old and tells the story of a mother who “creates the perfect rainbow-colored wig for her transgender daughter.”
Parental rights group Moms for Liberty’s library book database is available to learn more about books. Téo’s Tutu and My Rainbow have Universal Book Content (UBC) ratings of 1 and “might have minor issues for young readers.”
A statement on SLJ’s website says that the journal “evaluate[s] a broad range of resources, from books and digital content to databases, in 6000+ reviews published annually” and “is the premiere publication for librarians and information specialists who work with children and teens.”
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Debra McClure is a reporter at The Georgia Star News and The Star News Network. Follow Debra on X / Twitter.
Photo “Grade Schoolers Reading” by Government of Prince Edward’s Island CCNC2.0.
