Controversial and challenged books in schools--PABBIS

Right here in Nitro City

- An assortment of Macademianuts
- Who's the fool?

Over the last two months a controversial book fight has been taking place in Nitro, WV. Shortly after school started this fall, some parents were "shocked" by the content in books used in Advanced Placement English class; books by author Pat Conroy, and they complained to the schools. Some school board members said they didn't want books that featured what they called "deviant behavior" or that were not age appropriate. The dispute is still underway, but so far it is unfolding per the usual script, which is going something like this:

1) A school system "language arts curriculum specialist" [LACS] begins the spin. The excerpts are out of context, we trust the professionals, teachers have the right to teach controversial books, parents do not have to read the books to know what is in them, can talk to other parents, look up things on the internet. PABBIS: Really? Is there a link on the county school website to the excerpts?

2) A local paper editor writes that he cannot defend the books in question or criticize them because he hasn't read them, and doesn't even intend to do so. Then he defends the books by saying that he doesn't need to read them to know what is right; that a teacher hired by the county schools thought the books were a suitable choice and that's good enough for him.

3) People start to write about how "book banners" are backwards, simple, ridiculous. They say that is what people look down on West Virginians for.

4) False statements are made that somehow these books are required, desired, recommended by the Advanced Placement program.

5) Book committee's are formed to read the books. They are always stacked by the system to decide in favor of status quo.

6) Students get involved as the school system encourages them to support the books.

7) The author gets involved. In this case Conroy wrote a letter to a local paper praising English teachers and area students. But he said the school board had disgraced themselves and called them "book banner" idiots. He joked he was working on his latest "filthy, vomit inducing" work. However he was very upfront in his letter that he always wrote about violence, rape, etc. Conroy added because "book banners" were idiots they "didn't know how the world works" but that writers and English teachers did.

7a) In a strange, over the top and weird statement in his letter, Conroy said about his two books: "two of my darlings, which I would place before the altar of God and say, 'Lord, this is how I found the world you made." PABBIS: Is that why someone had their brains beaten out with a religious statue [The Infant of Prague] in your book?

7b) A school board member fires back at Conroy calling him a fool for thinking that every English teacher or major is above reproach.

7c) Interestingly, in a separate news story about a new book called Rhett Butler's People, Conroy is mentioned. This book is a retelling of Gone with the Wind from Rhett's perspective. Conroy had been approached to write the novel and he thought it the book he had been born to write. Supposedly one of the reasons that it didn't work out was that he couldn't kill off Scarlett or write about miscegenation or homosexuality.

8) Students are "proud" that an author would get involved and write to them and the school uses it as a "teachable" moment.

9) Parents that want reading alternatives, and/ or a book rating system are countered by spin. The LACS talks about "maturity levels" rather than "age-appropriateness." Says it is different for everyone, if you don't want to read this book you aren't mature, most students in advanced class are "mature enough" to handle the graphicness. Some school board members and the LACS defend teachers right's to teach controversial books, they imply that that anything less would be a violation of their rights.

10) The book's teacher notes in a odd comment, that books are not the movie industry and that you can tell what's in a book by reading it. The teacher also lies and says that the book's graphic content can be found in newspapers everyday. He doesn't mention any of these newspapers by name.

11) The teacher, and others, mention how the books are age-appropriate according to the ALA, the NCTE, the West Virginia Library Commission - each bastions of book and all other morality. He says about those who don't approve of this book: "As long as we stay in a 1950s utopian mind-set, we're not going to get past the 20th century." Letters say people and school board members who don't approve of the book are shameful and perpetuate the myth of undereducated, ignorant, backward, hillbillies - you know, narrow-minded, West Virginia folks.

12) A book rating system continues to be spun as not a good idea; too much work on the teacher's part, parents can easily read the book.., a book rating system would be censorship and an "outrage." PABBIS: The teacher would actually have to write-up a few pages on the book they were using?!? Outrageous!

13) Students continue to work with teachers and the schools to support the books and rationalize their use saying it is nothing new to us [we see porn all the time argument], we are "mature", it's a violation of some [undefined] constitutional right, etc

14) A book rating supporter says, "I don't expect people to live by my morals, but then again, you can't expect me to live by yours." PABBIS: Sorry book rating supporter but they DO expect you to live by their morals. A letter writer chides, "I suppose we don't want to expose children to such outdated notions of character and morality."

Well, we will see how things go in Nitro City. PABBIS decided to take a closer look at one of the books in the dispute: The Prince of Tides. Despite Mr. Conroy's literary gravitas many would use unflattering terms to describe this novel. Terms like trash, garbage, smut, obscene, porn, crude, explicit, foul, graphic, twisted, and so on. Others might describe it as a beach or airplane novel at best. In any case it is easy to see why this book would create a huge controversy when used in high school English class with children. In some schools the focus seems to be on defending the use of lowest minimum acceptable books, instead of focusing on what is the most important literature. Some K-12 schools have de-evolved to a point where The Prince of Tides is now regarded as not only acceptable, but good. It's not smut, but rather it is fertilizer to promote student growth. Trust us. We're the professionals. And you are just ignorant West Virginia hillbillies.

The Prince of Tides is strewn with foul language and graphic and explicit violence and sex. More complete details are in the PABBIS Excerpts section. While the excerpts are foul and disgusting, it is important to let people know exactly how explicit this material is - children in Nitro, WV and elsewhere are being "educated" with it.

Who's the fool? The author may write explicit material but didn't decide to teach it. The teacher? Depends.... does he have supervision? Good luck Nitro. Outside forces pushing smut are converging on you, and they think some of you are idiots. Who's the fool?

With the addition of The Prince of Tides there are now 163 books in the PABBIS Excerpts section.

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Extract from the PABBIS website:

Unfortunately after wading through lots of obfuscation and double talk about book selection the school systems position will usually boil down to something like this:

We will use anything we feel like in teaching your children. There are no limits on what, if anything, is inappropriate. If and when you become aware of something you consider objectionable, you may retroactively challenge it.

We do not think the citizens of your county have provided the schools a mandate for extremely objectionable material to be used. We do not think there has been a mandate for a teacher to use any material they want or personally deem appropriate, leaving citizens only the recourse of retroactively challenging each individual usage/discussion in a tedious, bureaucratic process. The school system should be able to clearly state what their policies are on extremely controversial material. It not unreasonable that some citizens would regard this material as totally inappropriate, in any form whatsoever for their child. At an absolute minimum there should be a clear, upfront, informed disclosure from their schools that material like this is going to be used, before each time it is.

Informed parental consent prior to usage of potentially objectionable (controversial) material is what we need to prevent the undermining of our individual values, civil and parental rights.

Alice On Her Way, a book with oral sex, homosexuality, condoms and masturbation is still in Fox Mill ES (Principal Patricia Sheehy) and 6 middle schools; Franklin MS - Principal Sharon Eisenberg, Frost MS - Principal Marti Jackson, Glasgow MS - Principal Deirdre Lavery, Hughes MS - Principal Deborah Jackson, Key MS - Principal Penny Myers, and Stone MS - Principal Kenneth Gaudreault. See 6 June 2006 PABBIS News for more information on this book.

In 11 April 2006 PABBIS News we reported Looking for Alaska, just published in 2005 and containing oral sex, porn, 49 uses of s-word variants, 34 uses of f-word variants and other controversial language and material, was already in 16 Fairfax County schools including 3 middle schools (Frost - Principal Marti Jackson, Hughes - Principal Deborah Jackson, Key - Principal Penny Myers). Since then FCPS Superintendent Dale has acquired additional copies of this book and it is now in 27 Fairfax County schools including 5 middle schools. The new middle schools are Jackson - Principal Carol Robinson, and Poe - Principal Sonya Swansbrough.

The FCPS library catalog now states Looking for Alaska is a Virginia Readers' Choice nominee for High School. Virginia Readers' Choice books are selected by the VIRGINIA STATE READING ASSOCIATION (VSRA), an affiliate of the International Reading Association. The VSRA website says Virginia Readers' Choice books are recommended in association with THE VIRGINIA EDUCATIONAL MEDIA ASSOCIATION, THE VIRGINIA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION and THE LIBRARY OF VIRGINIA YOUTH SERVICES. The FCPS library catalog notes all VSRA Virginia Readers' Choice nominee books.

The VSRA has nine Virginia Readers' Choice 2006-2007 High School books in addition to Looking for Alaska. The VSRA annotation for Looking for Alaska doesn't mention the oral sex, porn, extensive foul language or anything at all about controversial material.

So what type of books do the VSRA and their affiliates select for Virginia Readers' Choice books? One of the VSRA Virginia Readers' Choice 2006-2007 High School book is Shattering Glass. Shattering Glass is in Carson MS (Principal August Frattali), Herndon MS (Principal Frank Jenkins), Hughes MS (Principal Deborah Jackson), Jackson MS (Principal Carol Robinson), Poe MS (Principal Sonya Swansbrough), Rocky Run MS (Principal Dan Parris) and Thoreau MS (Principal Mark Greenfelder). The VSRA annotation lets you know this book is about how a group of popular kids turn the class nerd into the most popular kid on campus. It doesn't say anything at all about how they beat him to death with a baseball bat in the gym. Not surprisingly Shattering Glass, like Looking for Alaska, was an ALA Best Book for Young Adults (2003).

Another VSRA Virginia Readers' Choice 2006-2007 High School book is Sandpiper by Ellen Wittlinger. The annotation on the VRSA website says the main character and her friends "have the foolproof method to become popular with the guys in eighth grade—through the zipper of their pants" and how the main character "has the reputation that matches a girl who goes through one boy a week." There are 3 reviews for this book on the FCPS library catalog. One says she "learned in the eighth grade that performing oral sex is a "foolproof method" to having a boyfriend." Another says she "is on a sexual power trip, engaging in brief hookups for fellatio." And the third says she "is known as the slut who does blow jobs." The three FCPS catalog subject terms for this book are: Dating (Social customs), Interpersonal relations, and Walking.

Sandpiper gets explicit right in the first few pages: ".. was never particularly attracted to him, but every time I saw him he'd tell me he thought I was hot. He'd come up behind me and rub his thigh against mine while I was getting stuff out of my locker. ....I knew why he wanted me to go home with him, and I was up for it right away. I usually am up for it. The thing is, I love the beginning stuff when the guy is so anxious and can hardly wait to be alone with me, can hardly wait to have me touch him. All that expectation is very exciting. And it makes me feel like I'm in control of the whole situation. He needs me so much. But it always ends up the same way. Eventually it's clear that what he really needs is for me to put my mouth around his d***. After a minute or two of this I become anonymous. To the guy and to myself. A. (or whoever) is lost inside himself, waiting to be shaken by his own little volcano, and I'm thinking, Who is this girl kneeling on the floor with some weird guy's b*** in her mouth?"

"M was the first one to figure out a foolproof method. A. and I were disgusted when she confessed to us why [he] was following her around like an imprinted duck. But after a few weeks of listening to M's detailed instructions, we both decided to give it a try. Who knew? Obviously, the way to an 8th grade boy's heart was through the zipper of his jeans. It probably wasn't the only way, but it was the only way we knew."

"T.P. was my slave for 2 months. He even took me to the Christmas dance that year. Some days I felt like a princess and some days I felt like a prostitute, but every day I felt popular. I went from T. to C. to E. And kept on going."

Again, not surprisingly Sandpiper is also an ALA Best Book for Young Adults (2006). Looking at ten different book reviews for Sandpiper we found 9 of them mentioned the oral sex. Half of the reviews recommended the book for high school age/grade children, 2 of the reviews recommend the book for middle school age/grade children and older, and 3 of the reviews, including the one that didn't mention the oral sex (Horn Book Guide, Spring 2006), took the most extreme anything-goes-at-any-age ALA party line and recommended it for age 12 (Grade 6) and up. Before being nominated as a VSRA Virginia Readers' Choice book Sandpiper, just published in 2005, was already in nine Fairfax County Public Schools. South County Secondary School (Grades 7-12) has six copies. Does Superintendent Dale now have more copies of this book on order?

There are 3 other books by Ellen Wittlinger, the author of Sandpiper, on the PABBIS List of Lists. In a May 2003 bulletin board posting she wrote, "I'm writing a book at the moment in which a 16-year-old girl gives oral sex to lots of guys..... I'm not sure any of us, authors or otherwise, know just where the line is drawn on having sexual scenes in YA books.... The problem for me is knowing that, although I might be writing with older teens in mind, there are ALWAYS 10, 11 and 12 year olds reading the books. I guess in the end I feel responsible for them and I back away from explicit scenes. It's giving me a headache in this new book too--we'll see if I can figure out how to deal with it!"

PABBIS: The oral sex started in 8th grade; well before the girl was 16. We wonder if Wittlinger has changed her mind about backing away from "explicit scenes" or if her definition of "explicit" is hard core.

FCPS Superintendent Dale On His Way even lower - Oral sex and more in a book in Fox Mill ES and six middle schools

Alice On Her Way - the latest book in the "Alice Series" - was published in 2005 and has been quickly introduced into Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS).

Alice is now almost 16-years old and is in 10th grade. This book, from the same series as Alice on the Outside (See PABBIS News 26 April 2005), is similarly mainly focused on sex and boys and has a very artificial feel, as if it is really sex instruction and education, intertwined within a weak, formula like plot and disguised or packaged as children’s fiction. In the only significant sub-plot to the main sex education plot, Alice is getting her license. A School Library Journal review indicates one of her friends “has oral sex with a boy she doesn't know well” and that homosexuality is given a "brief and accepting mention" in the book. A Booklist review (Hazel Rochman, copyright American Library Association) indicates in a church sexuality class Alice learns about condoms and how masturbation is “healthy...” The Booklist review also mentions a “blow job” and how the church sexuality class “discussion is fun” and that her “friends want to hear all about it” and that “readers will [also].” Not surprisingly both the American Library Association and School Library Journal review recommend this book for children as young as 7th grade.

The FCPS library catalog uses the innocuous subject terms High Schools, Schools, Stepmothers, and Family Life for this book. Interestingly the FCPS catalog from a few months ago only mentioned “making out” and the “sexuality class at church” but didn't mention oral sex, masturbation or condoms. The FCPS catalog has changed and now their review doesn't even let you know that. The only information it provides about the book is, "Alice is adjusting to her new stepmother, her brother's new apartment, her ex-boyfriend, and getting a driver's license."

- Alice On Her Way takes place in Montgomery County, Maryland. Recently there has been a big controversy about high school sex-ed classes in the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) with one of the issues involving students putting condoms on fruit. In this book Alice does exactly that in her church sex-ed class. It is clear the author is incorporating this actual current local event into the book and making a statement that this is a good thing for high school children to learn in a coed setting. This book should definitely be read by parents of children in MCPS that are involved in the sex-ed controversy.

In addition to Fox Mill ES (Principal Patricia Sheehy), Alice On Her Way, is already in 6 middle schools; Franklin MS - Principal RC Bosley, Frost MS - Principal Marti Jackson, Glasgow MS - Principal Deirdre Lavery, Hughes MS - Principal Deborah Jackson, Key MS - Principal Sharon Eisenberg, and Stone MS - Principal Kenneth Gaudreault; and in 4 high schools. Two of these high schools, Lake Braddock and South County, are secondary schools that have Grade 7-12 children.

Here are just two examples of the action and situations in this book:

- A and friends are going on multiple night trip to New York City. P’s cousin in NJ mails her a newspaper. “It’s the weekly paper of Greenwich Village. Anyone who’s cool, wild, and outrageous reads [it]. ..will tell us exactly where to go.. full-color photo double spread.. rows and rows of crouching women exposing their backsides.. TWO GIRL SPECIAL.. HOT TRANS SEX.. all with phone numbers.. wow! said E. we giggled.. A, this is you, said P.. LOCAL GIRLS GO WILD.. this is you! [A] said.. HOT NASTY GIRLS.. perfect one for E: OVER THE KNEE SPANKING AND MUCH MORE. We howled. ..got to get serious.. got to find some clubs.. Here’s one.. Shadow-dancing barkeep performs nude in sultan’s tent.. Mark it! [A] said.. $3 dollar cover.. rubfest.. gawk at funky hipster chicks dancing on well-stocked bars. ..Well-oiled studs do karaoke in the raw!.. Yes! L and A said.. And this! A said.. sip your drink under the stern tutelage of whip-bearing waiters..”

- Back in church class: “..had our infamous “putting a condom on a banana” lesson… too funny to be embarrassing.. guys seemed more embarrassed than the girls, but we were all good sports doing it. [instructors].. answering.. questions like What happens if a condom comes off inside a woman? So what do you do? L asked on the bus the next morning.. can fish it out with your fingers if you have to. Or the man could do it for you. It’s not like your some endless cave.. what else.. Whether condoms make a noise if they pop.. spent part of the class.. blowing them up like balloons.. popping them.. I don’t understand your church said L. when I go to mass everything I touch is revered-a rosary, a prayer book.. I guess you could say we revere life.. so do you. Sex is part of life, so my church isn’t so different, really.”

The values, attitudes and beliefs expressed about sex and sexuality in Alice On Her Way contradict the values, attitudes and beliefs of many parents. In making this sex/sexuality "education" fiction book available outside of the FLE curriculum, FCPS is circumventing a parent's rights.

With the addition of Alice On Her Way there are now 151 books in the PABBIS Excerpts section. See the Alice On Her Way excerpts for a more complete description of the controversial content.

More and more pro-homosexual indoctrination books for very young children are entering school classrooms, school libraries and public libraries. In some school districts they are even being incorporated into the curriculum.

Just this week in Estabrook Elementary School in Lexington, Massachusetts a 2nd-grade teacher read her class a short picture book, King & King, in which a prince "marries" another prince. There is a picture of them kissing on the last page. According to the ALA, King & King was the 8th most frequently challenged book of 2004. "My son is only 7 years old," a parent said to The Boston Globe. "By presenting this kind of issue at such a young age, they're trying to indoctrinate our children. They're intentionally presenting this as a norm, and it's not a value that our family supports." The library catalog Fairfax County Public School (FCPS), Virginia says that King & King is for Ages 4-8. One of the subject terms is: Homosexuality. Two copies of King & King are in Greenbriar West elementary school in Fairfax County (Principal - Lori Cleveland) but the catalog indicates this book is being transferred between libraries.

According to the Article 8 Alliance, the Estabrook school principal (Joni Jay) said parents cannot opt out, there will be no parental notification (despite state law), and "I will not guarantee that something like this won't happen again".

Lexington Superintendent of Schools Paul Ash supported the principal and told The Boston Globe. "Lexington is committed to teaching children about the world they live in, and in Massachusetts same-sex marriage is legal." Helen Cohen, the School Board Chair also supported the principal.

This incident happened at the same school where last year a 6-year old boy brought home the homosexual advocacy picture book, Who's In A Family. See 2 May 2005 PABBIS News. This book is still in Crossfield elementary school (Principal- Jerome Kovalcik) in Fairfax County. The FCPS library catalog says that Who's In A Family is for Ages 3-7.

According to the Article 8 Alliance the parent involved in last years incident has reported that Who's In A Family is now in his "son's [1st grade] classroom for all the kids to read -- along with a similarly homosexual-themed book: Molly's Family." About the latest incident with King & King he said, "This incident proves that they are intentionally exposing young children to positive portrayals of homosexual attraction and marriage for purposes of coercive indoctrination - beyond the parents' reach, without notification or opt-out, and against the will of parents. The school administration has clearly demonstrated that they want young children to affirm and embrace homosexuality and gay unions in the compulsory setting of our public schools. God only knows how often this is occurring in our schools and they refuse to let parents know. This is the most insidious of trespassing upon parental rights and the innocence of young children."

Molly's Family, another short picture book was just copyrighted in 2004. The FCPS library catalog uses the subject term: Lesbian mothers. The author of Molly's Family is a well known homosexual author of many homosexual advocacy/theme books for young adults. It looks as if she is now targeting an even younger audience. The FCPS library catalog says that Molly's Family is for Ages 4-8.

Perhaps the most infamous pro-homosexual indoctrination book for children is It’s Perfectly Normal. In addition to being pro-homosexual it has also been challenged for other things. According to the ALA It’s Perfectly Normal was the most frequently challenged book of 2005 and the 13th most frequently challenged book of the 1990’s. According to the ALA it was challenged in 2005 for references to homosexuality, nudity, sex education, religious viewpoint, abortion, and being unsuited for young age groups. One of the subject terms for this book in the FCPS library catalog is: Sex instruction for children. The FCPS review used to say It’s Perfectly Normal was for Grades 4 - 8 and called the book a "sex manual." A new review no longer uses the term "sex manual" and now indicates Age 10-14. It’s Perfectly Normal contains cartoon drawings of adults having sex. There is one with a man on top and one with a woman on top. There are also cartoon drawings of teenagers masturbating - one of a boy and one of a girl.

For information from Article 8 Alliance on the content of King & King click here.

For information from Article 8 Alliance on the content of Who's in a family? click here. This also notes two other pro-homosexual indoctrination books that are being used in Estabrook Elementary School:

- First Grade: Best, Best Colors. A boy's two lesbian mamas help him realize that he does not have to have a best, best color.

- Fifth Grade: My Two Uncles. Elly's grandfather has trouble accepting the fact his son is gay. Suggested activities for families:
1) Pretend you were the niece or nephew of Uncle Ned. Write a response to Uncle Ned's letter.
2) At the party, Elly's grandfather made a speech and Elly's parents cried. Why do you think they cried?
3) Do you think Elly's two uncles will be invited to the next family gathering? Why or why not?
4) Do you think Elly's two uncles should be invited to the next family function? Why or why not?

With the addition of King & King and Who's in a family? there are now 150 books in the PABBIS Excerpts section. Additional information about It's Perfectly Normal has also been added.

Parents, do you know what books are in your child's classrooms and libraries? You might be very surprised.

Looking for an Explanation from FCPS Superintendent Dale - How low will you go?

Looking for Alaska was only published in 2005 but it has been quickly introduced into Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS).

The FCPS library catalog uses the innocuous subject terms Interpersonal Relations, Boarding schools, Schools, and Death for this book. Looking for Alaska is about a 16-year old boy with no friends who goes off to boarding school. He is obsessed with people’s last words. At boarding school he becomes friends with his roommate and a girl named Alaska. He thinks Alaska is the “the hottest girl in all of human history."

The FCPS library catalog review describes Alaska in the following manner: "Other than her occasional hollow, feminist diatribes, Alaska is mostly male fantasy-a curvy babe who loves sex and can drink guys under the table." While driving drunk Alaska dies in a wreck. The boy and his roommate try to figure out if the wreck was an accident or if it really was a suicide. The FCPS review says, "Theological questions from their religion class add some introspective gloss. But the novel's chief appeal lies in [the main character's] well-articulated lust and his initial excitement about being on his own for the first time."

Looking for Alaska is not a very long book but it is littered with foul language including 11 references to oral sex, 49 uses of s-word variants, 34 uses of f-word variants, 20 uses of ba****d or bi**h, 20 uses of sex, and so on. See the PABBIS Excerpts section for a more complete and disgusting list.

Here are some examples of the action and situations in this book:

- The main character starts smoking cigarettes and drinking at school. His friends are very heavy smokers and drinkers. Acquiring cigarettes and booze, and hiding their smoking and drinking from the school administrator is a large part of the book.

- The main character watches a porn movie with Alaska called "The Bi**hes of Madison County" in which a man gives woman oral sex. Later there is more sex in the porn movie [much more explicitly described in the book] in which the "guy knelt behind her." The main character "couldn't help but take mental notes." He can't deny to Alaska that "this doesn't turn [him] on."

- The main character receives oral sex from a girl in the school but they can't do it "right" until Alaska shows them how by demonstrating on "a tube of toothpaste, and showed us. In detail. Never have I so wanted to be Crest Complete." They go back to the girl's room to try again after this demonstration and the book describes his "first orgasm with a girl."

- After Alaska dies the main character dreams about her flying naked into his room: "Her breasts, which I had only felt very briefly and in the dark, are luminously full as they hang down from her body. She hovers inches above me.. Hi, I say. I’ve missed you. You look good.... So do you. I’m so naked, she says and laughs. How did I get so naked. I just want you to stay, I say. No.. her weight falls dead on me, crushing my chest.. cold and wet.. Her head is split in half and a pink-gray sludge oozes from the fracture in her skull and drips onto my face, and she stinks of formaldehyde and rotting meat. I gag and push her off me, terrified."

- After Alaska dies there is a class prank in which they get a male stripper to pretend to be a "preeminent scholar of deviant sexuality in adolescents." The main character’s dad helps them fool the administrator into getting this fake scholar invited to talk as junior class speaker on Speaker Day. During the speech they get a girl to stand up and say, "You’re so hot! I’d weesh you’d shut up and take off your clothes." The fake speaker talks to her and she says, "I’m not keeding! Take off your clothes.. the fake speaker says, All right, then.. This one’s for Alaska. As the fast pumping bass of Prince’s Get Off started.. [he stripped down to his] black leather [briefs]."

Looking for Alaska is already in 16 Fairfax County schools including 3 middle schools (Frost - Principal Marti Jackson, Hughes - Principal Deborah Jackson, Key - Principal Sharon Eisenberg)!

Not surprisingly Looking for Alaska is a 2006 American Library Association (ALA) Top 10 Best Books for Young Adults winner. The ALA considers "young adults" to be 12 - 18 years old. It is always interesting to see what type of book content the ALA thinks is, not only acceptable for children as young as 12-years old, but in the minds of the ALA is the "Best" literature for them. To the ALA their "Young Adult" books are a very good way to push smutty, explicit and graphic material to children. It is sad to see Superintendent Dale and the FCPS system working hand-in-hand with them.

With the addition of Looking for Alaska there are now 148 books in the PABBIS Excerpts section. See the Looking for Alaska excerpts for a more complete description of the controversial content.

Thanks to SafeLibraries.org for their detailed information about the language in this book! Click Here for more information from their website on how the ALA and their shills are pushing Looking for Alaska on children.

Over a year ago, PABBIS sent an open letter (22 February 2005 PABBIS News) to Superintendent Dale expressing concern about a book being used in numerous county elementary schools. At that time the book, The Moves Make The Man, was in 46 elementary schools. PABBIS has never received a response from Superintendent Dale.

The Moves Make The Man contains extensive use of racial epithets/slurs such as nigger, jigaboo, cracker, niggertown, jig, wolly-headed niggers, little black Sambo, coon, nigger lover, cocky nigger, wild country jig, country nigger, and jiveass.

In addition to these foul racial epithets/slurs, The Moves Make The Man also has about 10 uses of s-word variations, a few a##'s and a##holes, and suicide attempts by a mother who cuts herself with a knife (while naked), punches her hand through a window and rubs her arm over the glass. She has also attempted suicide with sleeping pills.

Since the open letter, The Moves Make The Man has been removed from the following 25 elementary schools:

Belle View
Belvedere
Bonnie Brae
Bren Mar Park
Bucknell
Bull Run
Camelot
Colvin Run
Crossfield
Fort Hunt
Glen Forest
Great Falls
Hollin Meadows
Hunt Valley
Hutchison
Kings Glen
Lees Corner
Oakton
Sangster
Shrevewood
Silverbrook
Sunrise Valley
Westlawn
Willow Springs
Woodlawn

THANKS TO THE PRINCIPALS AND LIBRARIANS IN ALL THESE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS!

Sadly, The Moves Make The Man is still in 21 elementary schools:

Brookfield - Principal Kim Brown
Bush Hill - Principal Jack Pitzer
Cardinal Forest - Principal Linda Montecalvo
Centre Ridge - Principal James Baldwin
Centreville - Principal James Latt
Forestville - Principal Matt Harris
Freedom Hill - Principal Anita Lynch
Hunters Woods - Principal Olivia Toatley
Lake Anne - Principal Laura Shibles
Laurel Ridge - Principal Linda Domina
Lemon Road - Principal Carolyn Carter Miller
Mantua - Principal Jan-Marie Fernandez
Navy - Principal Katie Hand
North Springfield - Principal Alice Alexander
Orange Hunt - Principal Judy Ryan
Providence - Principal Joy Hanbury
Sleepy Hollow - Principal Craig Rowland
Terraset - Principal Michele Sims
Waples Mill - Principal Dale Brooks
Washington Mill - Principal Tish Howard
Waynewood - Principal James Meier

Since the open letter, the book has also been placed in two additional elementary schools:

Forestdale - Principal Terri Cavender
Island Creek - Principal Susan Owner

With The Moves Make The Man still in so many elementary schools, FCPS Superintendent Dale and FCPS have made a clear statement that:

1) Extensive racial epithets are acceptable Fairfax County elementary schools - Many parents and citizens question exactly how this is useful in promoting tolerance, respect and harmonious race relations. Most elementary school children haven't even heard of these racial slurs. Why should FCPS introduce children to this language in an elementary school book?

2) Use of the s-word (numerous times) is acceptable in Fairfax County elementary school reading.

Superintendent Dale has ignored our request to let parents and the public know why he thinks this type material is acceptable for elementary school children. We can only conclude that Superintendent Dale has no standards of decency and thinks anything-goes-at-any-age.

Related to FCPS and Superintendent Dale's lack of decency, we have learned that books with oral sex and other controversial and explicit material are now showing up again in middle schools. The next two PABBIS News stories will look at FCPS books with extensive controversial material, including oral sex, one book that is even in an elementary school.

The American Library Association (ALA) Successfully Pushes Smut On Your Children
- Why Do They Do It?
- How Do They Do It?

This is not about what might happen. This is about what already has happened and will get worse.

The ALA power structure, system and methods are established. Their permanent funding through their dues on taxpayer paid public employees is established.

Their power and influence is dangerous. They have a clear agenda and most scary of all it involves America's children.

The illusion of the local community being in control of their own schools and libraries is just a good facade for the ALA to present to the public. The ALA really thinks they're in charge.... and they usually are.

The un-American ALA has taken the American constitutional right of freedom of speech and has perverted it into their right to push graphic and explicit smut on children. ALA and ALA affiliate brown boot bullies are constantly working to implement their weird social marxist agenda. What started, purportedly, as a professional union-like organization for librarians has morphed into a powerful, dangerous, leftist, extremist organization.

The ALA issues numerous, all leftist, "positions" on many matters beyond library issues. World affairs, hunger, global warming, etc. - there is nothing the ALA feels they, as a powerful librarian association, don't need to issue a position on. Their self-perceived importance is laughable but definitely sends a clear message about their arrogance and far reaching agenda. In addition to shaping your child through smut, the pompous ALA would also like to shape them to think "correctly" about many, many things.

Click Here for more information on the leftist views of the ALA.

In schools and libraries you are seeing and will continue to see increasing use of graphic and explicit books. The ALA and ALA affiliates will continue to promote the vulgarization and sexualization of children - or even better in their view - the homosexualization.

Recent activist leftist judicial decisions regarding homosexuality and the "right" of public schools to teach whatever "they want" to children is synergistic, supportive and timely to the ALA agenda. It encourages the ALA to hear that children are merely creatures of the state and that they need to be "trained" to have "correct" thoughts about homosexuality, pornography, masturbation and numerous other things. The ALA believes they know what this "correct thought" is, and knows getting schools and libraries to use smutty books will help promote their agenda.

The ALA believes "anything-goes-at-any-age" and that there is no difference between children and adults. ALA and ALA affiliates decide what books your children should read. They push smut in both public and school libraries. They decide what is read in English class. Their vision of what is best for your child doesn't include traditional classic literature. Smut filled, "culturally-diverse", easy reading books are being pushed instead.

Homosexual poet Allen Ginsberg said, "We'll get you through your children." The ALA is doing it.

So, how does the ALA push its agenda on your children? They do it through a network of like minded affiliates, distortion and propaganda, threats of legal action, intimidation and bullying of parents and citizens who don't agree with them, constant intervention in local issues, and indoctrination, intimidation and control of English teachers, school administrators and librarians. After studying this issue for over five years, PABBIS is now well aware of ALA tactics, methods and affiliates.

Future librarians and English teachers are trained to promote, select, acquire, use and defend smutty books by their college professors, who are even more leftist and social marxist than average college professors, who in turn are more leftist and social marxist than typical Americans. These "properly thinking" and "trained" students graduate, and become English teachers and librarians and ALA and National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) members. Their salaries are almost always paid with money from taxes levied on the local community and their jobs give them near total control of all books used in schools and libraries.

While public school teachers and public and school librarians formerly acted as public servants, that is no longer the case. They have become public masters. Many of them, deluded in their self-perceived "professional" knowledge and importance, think they know what is best for all of society including you and your children. The ALA believes their idea of what is appropriate for children trumps any thoughts, ideas, values or beliefs that you might have. They have worked for years to get the power to enforce their ideology on children, parents, local communities and the public. They now have this power almost everywhere and are working hard to increase it further and to marginalize any librarians or English teachers who don't subscribe to their twisted views.

To see how the ALA and ALA Affiliate Bullies push smut on your children click here.

The ALA has the system, people and processes in place to overpower nearly all school boards, parents, or local communities that don't agree with their agenda. While more and more people have become aware of exactly what the ALA is doing and are fighting back, it is a losing battle in many schools and school districts.

Unless more parents, taxpayers and local communities wake up and fight back, the ALA will soon have absolute power in deciding what is appropriate in English class and the libraries for all America's children. Soon the ALA agenda will be 100 percent implemented in every public school and library. This news story is written as a wake up call to all. The wall fell in Europe almost 20 years ago but today in America social marxists are close to fully realizing their agenda for American children.

It boils down to this: The ALA, a leftist Non-Government Organization (NGO), is assuming total control of standards of decency and the educational agenda for about 50 million American K-12 children. In a majority of American schools, school districts, and libraries the parents and the local community are no longer in charge - the ALA and their powerful affiliates are. Their tentacles are now everywhere - even reaching down into small local school districts in conservative rural America.

To PABBIS it appears that the ALA is successfully running a huge racketeering or terrorist operation for the political indoctrination and moral corruption of children.

A very small insular group of powerful like minded leftists has control of the ALA. Just as college English and library professors are to the left of typical leftist college professors, the ALA leadership is to the left of a typical leftist ALA member. ALA leadership is a small group of very (usually aging) leftist, social marxist, pro-sexualization, pro-homosexualization, pro-atheist, pro-"multi-culturalism", pro-"world government", pro-world tax, anti (especially Christian) religion, pro-porn, America bashing, America blaming people. All, repeat all, are way to the left of middle America.

It would/should be very interesting to investigate in detail the names, demographics, contacts, associations and politics of the leadership of the ALA and ALA Affiliates. PABBIS wonders how many children they have in K-12 schools?

The following PABBIS News stories contain additional information on the ALA:

18 July 2005
11 July 2005
14 June 2004
29 June 2003
26 June 2003
2 January 2003
18 October 2002

"If they do not go with us, it does not matter. We already have their children"

Adolf Hitler

"I am convinced that the battle for humankind's future must be waged and won in the public school classroom by teachers who correctly perceive their role as the proselytizers of a new faith: a religion of humanity that recognizes the spark of what theologians call divinity in every human being. There teachers must embody the same selfless dedication of the most rabid fundamentalist preacher, for they will be ministers of another sort, utilizing a classroom instead of a pulpit to convey humanist values in whatever subject they teach, regardless of the educational level -- preschool, daycare, or large state university. The classroom must and will become an arena of conflict between the old and the new -- the rotting corpse of Christianity, together with all its adjacent evils and misery, and the new faith of humanism, resplendent in its promise of a world in which the never-realized Christian ideal of 'love thy neighbor' will finally be achieved."

John Dunphy, "A Religion for A New Age", The Humanist magazine - Jan/Feb 1983

PABBIS was formed with three purposes:

1) TO RAISE AWARENESS - To inform people about the issue of controversial books in schools
2) TO SHOW BOOK CONTENT - To let people know exactly what material is in the books
3) TO HELP PROTECT PARENTAL RIGHTS - To let people know what they can do about it

Once again this has been a very encouraging and exciting year. We have made great progress towards all three of these objectives. This year PABBIS made thousands and thousands of more people aware of controversial books in schools throughout the country. We continue to work to let people know about this important issue and what they can do about it. We are in contact with, and exchanging information about controversial books with more people and organizations all over the country. We have and will continue to place particular emphasis on Fairfax County Public Schools until they respond to our requests for:

1) Book Selection Standards of Decency - PABBIS believes that “not legally obscene” is much too low of a benchmark for school literature standards. Despite what "anything goes - at any age" extremists might think, children are not just short adults.

2) Upfront Informed Parental Consent on books with controversial content - This would respect the diversity of viewpoints held by students’ families. The continued reluctance to do this that we have seen in Fairfax County is very troubling. Educators say that parents have a right to oversee what their children are reading, yet will not disclose specific controversial content. To date their attitude has been arrogant and assumes “we know what’s best for your child.” PABBIS believes parents have a right to determine what material is inappropriate for their children, before they are exposed to it in school. None of this extreme content is necessary to meet learning objectives.

We now have information on the excerpts from 147 books on our website to let parents know exactly what the controversial material is. You might find some of the material from these books quite offensive to read, but that is the point. Our children are reading this in school. We will not hide from the truth of exactly what is in these books. We will continue to let more people know. The book excerpts are very useful in cutting through the fog of jargon and academianut doublespeak used by some teachers, librarians and school administrators to defend the use of explicit and graphic material. We do not regard books with graphic descriptions of rape, incest, oral sex, bestiality, homosexuality, pedophilia, explicit violence, sex associated with violence, torture, vulgarity, anti-religious material and other extreme content with an everything's fine, leave it to the "educators" attitude.

We are on track with our goals for growth and will continue to work to get more people aware and informed on this issue. PABBIS will continue to fight against books in school that undermine family values and beliefs. PABBIS will continue to fight for parental rights and for age-appropriate book selection standards of decency. PABBIS will continue to fight for Upfront Informed Parental Consent on books with controversial content.

Thanks for letting others know about PABBIS and making them aware of this important issue. Thanks for the many emails of support, encouragement, appreciation, and offers of help. And finally, a special thanks to all the parents and teachers who give us information about what is happening in their schools, especially those in Fairfax County, Virginia.

Cracking India - A Typical International Baccalaureate Program Book, A Typical Curriculum Book Challenge

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Program is now in over 500 schools in the United States. On average it costs taxpayers about $200,000 per year over regular school expenses to have the IB program in a school. This is more than twice the cost of having an Advanced Placement (AP) program. The IB program is run by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) in Geneva.

The IB program was started in the 1960's and in the 1990's UNESCO got involved with the "aim of testing the feasibility of creating an international education system" according to the September 1999 issue of its Educational Innovation and Information newsletter titled "A Culture of Peace." In a statement called "The Road to Peace," UNESCO said: "Let it be a school of values, of attitudes, above all of practical action..." [Information from The Washington Times, January 18, 2004 article by George Archibald]

Thomas Sowell discussed the IB program in a February 26, 2004 column in The Washington Times and said the IB program was "one of the endless series of fad programs that distract American public schools from real education in real subjects" and it had "a left-wing hidden agenda." He quoted a parent critical of the program as saying it, "promotes socialism, disarmament, radical environmentalism and moral relativism, while attempting to undermine Christian religious values and national sovereignty."

A June 30, 2004 article in EdWatch (www.edwatch.org), by Allen Quist said "IB themes taken together constitute a worldview--an overall philosophy of life. According to UNESCO, the worldview taught by IB includes the promotion of the Earth Charter (a religious/pantheistic document), the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (which views human rights the same way Communist countries view human rights) and multiculturalism (which is based on the ideology of Italian Marxist, Antonio Gramsci)." Quist also says that, "America's foundational principles of national sovereignty, natural law and inalienable rights are at odds with the IB curriculum and are not taught." and that "IB is a transformational system of education which exists to promote internationalism. It is structured to change the attitudes, values, beliefs and behavior of its students to conform to the world government system." [Bold emphasis - PABBIS]

The IB program is nearly always introduced into schools at the initiative of the school system, rather than at the request of parents. The IB program almost always pushes out the AP classes and the IB program has much less focus on advanced science and math classes. IB classes and tests result in students receiving little or no college course credit compared to what they would obtain for AP classes and tests.

In addition to all the above concerns, PABBIS receives a greatly disproportionate number of complaints about books from parents of children in the IB program. Some parents have not entered or have withdrawn from the IB program just to avoid running the gauntlet of controversial IB program books. Some of the previous PABBIS News on books used in the Fairfax County, VA IB program is at the end of this article.

Shortly after school started this fall, the parent of an 11th grade IB program student in Florida got upset about a book, Cracking India, that her child was (supposedly) required to read. This book had explicit language, a description of a 9-year old girl's encounter with her teenage cousin's genitilia and being propositioned by him for oral sex, and the girl later having sexual fantasies. The book was being used for the first time this year. The parent started her interaction with the teacher and school which went like this:

1) The parent requested another book for her child. The teacher refused and threatened the parent that her child would have to read the book or withdraw from the class and IB program. This threat/lie is common in the IB program when parents want an alternative book for their child.

2) The Principal said the teacher used Cracking India since it was recommended in the IB training the teacher had attended. This type of "training" is one reason why IB is more expensive. PABBIS wonders where this training was conducted. In Fairfax County training for AP teachers occurs locally. IB teacher training occurs all around the country and world. In 2002 a Fairfax County IB coordinator traveled to Bangkok to deliver a speech entitled "The Community of Caring."

3) The Principal said the student had to read specific books in IB and not doing so could cause the student to have "problems in the future." Quote from September 13, 2005 article by Linda Trimble [http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/WestVolusia/03WVolWEST01091305.htm]

3) The Principal eventually offered the parent an alternative book. The IB program allows other books to be used and the parent should have been told this in the first place instead of being lied to and threatened. Note that even with the alternative book the parent and student are still under the vague threat of "problems in the future."

4) The parent challenged the book. The parent expressed concern that the parents of the other children in the class didn't know what was in the book.

5) The Principal made statements about everything being in the open and how parents knew what was coming, how nothing is hidden, how parents were warned and signed and returned a letter saying they agreed. Statements like these are often made but the truth is different. The parents simply received a list of books that said there was college level material in the class. This is very typical - the school does not inform parents about specifics of controversial content in the books. When parents find out they get upset. The parents begin to not trust the school because they are surprised by the graphic nature of the material. The schools distort the truth saying things like the principal did in this case and that makes parents distrust the schools even more. It is ironic that in the IB program, which is very big on multi-culturalism and values, that there is no respect for parents and students whose culture and values don't include graphic and explicit material.

6) Various people from inside and outside the school system say things like the parent shouldn't be able to challenge the book because an alternative is allowed.

7) The school system and/or media get some outside expert (normally ALA, ACLU, NCTE and their affiliates) to make a statement on why the challenge is flawed. One of the statements that showed up in this case was by Pat Scales, who is the author of (surprise!) Teaching Banned Books. She often shows up in the press on book challenges making statements about how no parent has the right pick books for a child other than their child. She never says how this really means challenges to books should not even be allowed. She never says how the school is picking books for children other than theirs.

8) The school system and/or media get the author of the book to make a comment on the challenge. The author nearly always makes a statement (surprise!) against the challenge. In this case the author said the controversial material was "just high jinks" and implied somehow it was different because the 9-year old didn't provide the oral sex. The author said the oral sex encounter was "very innocent." [Author quotes from September 13, 2005 Orlando Sentinel article by Erika Hobbs.]

9) The school system forms a book challenge committee with membership designed, as usual, to achieve the desired pre-determined outcome: School right, parent wrong.

10 The committee decided the book was fine and recommended the challenge not be approved. During deliberations and in discussions after, constant note was made of the fact that the parent had the "option" of an alternative book. The committee's recommendation was sent to the Superintendent. Hmmm, wonder what the Superintendent will decide? Parent right, school wrong, committee wrong? - NOT!

11) The district's reading and language-arts specialist (Sue Schilsky) said, "They [students] have to be exposed to things that are not necessarily comfortable" and "The decision we make today is far-reaching." [District specialist quotes from November, 2005 Orlando Sentinel article by Ken Ma. Bold emphasis - PABBIS]. Schilsky sounds a little confused - according to everything decided the parent and student can select an alternative book and not "be exposed." However, Schilsky's comment is very revealing in that it shows she (and many others) really want to MAKE your child read the book.

And so it goes, and without respect for parental rights and Upfront Informed Parental Consent it will continue to go like this. Why won't schools provide parents the specifics of controversial material in books BEFORE students read them? Are they embarrassed of the content? Do they have some hidden agenda? Do they really want to MAKE your child read the book?

A September 13, 2005 article on WESH.com about Cracking India quoted the Principal as saying, "International Baccalaureate not only featured it, they had their top person for IB North America leading this week-long in-depth study."

More and more parents are becoming aware what the IB program is about and what is in IB program books.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Previous PABBIS News on books used in the Fairfax County, VA IB program

One Hundred Years of Solitude - required reading for rising IB 11th graders (17 July 2003 and 29 June 2004 PABBIS News). The author of this book, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, an aging socialist, is an ardent supporter of the Cuban Government. The two main themes of this dreamlike book, from the so-called "magical realism" genre, are solitude and incest. One review said this book "has a lot of violence, much incestuous sex, and plenty of anti-capitalism and anti-clericism." Another said there is "enough incest to keep those with even the shortest attention spans turning pages." Raping your sister, sex with another sister, sex with your aunt, a "zoological brothel" where dog gives stud services to be fed, a child with a "raw back" whose grandmother makes her service 70 men a night for 20 cents each, a male prostitute with a huge sexual organ, balancing beer on his "inconceivable maleness," are some of the controversial material. See PABBIS Excerpts for more controversial material.

Bless Me Ultima - required reading for rising IB 9th graders (17 July 2003 PABBIS News). See PABBIS Excerpts for controversial material.

The House of Spirits - required reading for IB 11th graders (8 March 2001 PABBIS News). Contains graphic details of sexual acts, rape, physical abuse, torture and killing of animals and people, bestiality, child molestation, drug use, prostitution, and necrophilia. Vulgar and perverted content is pervasive throughout the book. Among the numerous sexual and violent passages in this book is a detailed description of a man in a sexual/strangulation scene with a 6-year-old girl. Elsewhere in this book, a child watches a man kiss her sister's naked corpse (intestines already removed) on the lips, the neck, the breasts and between the legs. See PABBIS Excerpts for more controversial material.

The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea - required reading for IB 11th graders (8 March 2001 PABBIS News). This book is about a 12-year old Japanese boy who is able to spy into his widowed mother's bedroom through a hole in the wall. He is able to see her having sex with her sailor boyfriend. The mother makes plans to marry the sailor. The boy and his friends discuss how much they hate "fathers" and they plot to kill the sailor. They experiment on a kitten, torturing and mutilating it. By the end of the book, they have drugged the sailor, brandished a knife and are donning rubber gloves to kill him. The book is full of graphic and vulgar descriptions of sexual acts and violence. See PABBIS Excerpts for more controversial material.

Chronicle of a Death Foretold - required reading for IB 11th graders (8 March 2001 PABBIS News). See PABBIS Excerpts for controversial material.

Town Hall on Book Selection (16 May 2002 PABBIS News) - A speaker said, "My children sought alternate books. This was a very emotionally painful experience for my children. Often friendly teachers would turn cold towards them, and some were openly hostile. We were very grateful to those few teachers who were tolerant of a differing opinion of a book. Both of my daughters had to pull out of IB English courses and switch to regular level courses to facilitate these changes in reading material."

For Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) high school children anything goes for their reading assignment this summer. No more standard FCPS Summer Reading Lists. Anything goes for smut also. FCPS points to other organizations' websites, such as the American Library Association (ALA) for "help" in finding a book for summer reading. The FCPS recommended websites have numerous books with graphic and explicit material.

FCPS requirements are very easy for your child to meet. Only extremely general FCPS summer reading requirements exist such as (depending on their grade), "Read a novel or memoir by an author from a country other than the United States of America" or "Read a book by an American author."

The Fidel Castro loving, internet porn loving, anything-goes-at-any-age ALA's website offers lists of books littered with racy, smutty easy reads for teens. What is especially telling is the ALA "Outstanding Literature and Language Arts Books for the College Bound" List. Only two books over 10 years old but many with rape, sex, homosexuality, pedophilia and other controversial content. Guess classic literature is kaput in the ALA reinvention of what is important for a college bound teen. None of books on this list have ever been on the AP Literature Test - yet. But the ALA is probably working on that right now.

19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East by Naomi Shihab Nye is on the ALA list. The ALA describes the book as "Another world, another culture -- poems that personalize the conflicts and people, deepening understanding of the impact of September 11th." A political agenda perhaps? Couldn't they find a Poems of New York City book?

The impact on the county and the country of the radical, well resourced ALA in dictating what is the "best" literature, the literature that taxpayer funds purchase and taxpayer funded teachers use to teach children, is very troubling. A small, out of the mainstream circle of people in the ALA have a huge impact on the education of millions of children and in the expenditure of billions of dollars as they define and implement their new and strange ideology in K-12 education and reading programs.

The extreme political and social leftist intelligenstia in control of the ALA controls millions of dollars in annual ALA dues and exercises total control of all ALA policies. Spending millions to fight internet porn filters in public libraries -- not a problem, rather a priority for the ALA. See 23 and 29 June 2003 PABBIS News to see what type book content the ALA thinks is, not only acceptable for children as young as 12-years old, but in the minds of the ALA is the "Best" literature for them.

Another website FCPS sends you to for "help" also has the usual racy teen book authors. Read their interviews. Read their extreme, homosexuality advocating, Anti - USA, Anti-(Most) Religion comments, slant and biased viewpoints.

To PABBIS the most shocking website FCPS points one towards is the Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) website. FCPL reading lists recommend numerous graphic and explicit books, many of which are already in the PABBIS Excerpts section. It was surprising to see just how many graphic and explicit books the FCPL recommends. Just like a good ALA satellite site. Maybe they should just save themselves the trouble of doing lists at all and simply point to ALA book lists. If this approach is good enough for FCPS, shouldn't it be good enough for FCPL?

FCPS states the elimination of high school summer reading lists was done ".. at the request of teachers, parents, librarians, administrators, and students. FCPS is migrating from a list of specific titles to a genre-based assignment in which students at each grade level may choose their own selections within a framework based on the English Program of Studies."

To us this is baloney crafted in educratease language. Why did FCPS ignore 1,500 voting age citizens who petitioned for standards of decency a few years back? Does this mean the FCPS English Program of Studies will now include more explicit and graphic material? Will everyone's summer reading be discussed in next years English classes?

The parents of about 50,000 high school children in Fairfax County deserve better. That's 50,000 times about $10,000 per student per year. Thousands of librarians, administrators and English teachers on FCPS payroll and this is what we get? Is maintaining high school summer reading lists too difficult for FCPS Superintendent Dale, or is the whole "standards" thing the real problem?

Last week in Massachusetts a parent was arrested for trespassing at his son's elementary school. He had refused to leave a meeting until the school granted his request to exclude his 6-year old son from material, discussions and activities related to homosexual subjects. His son had brought home a picture book from school entitled Who's In A Family, and he had learned of school plans to increase discussions of "gay-headed households and same-sex unions." At a school "anti-bias" meeting the boy's parents had been told books with homosexual issues/families were going to be placed in every classroom in the school.

The school principal, the city Director of Education, and the Superintendent of Schools all denied the father's request to exclude his son and they called in police to arrest him when he wouldn't leave. The Boston Globe reported that a School Committee Chairman said, "We don't view telling a child that there is a family out there with two mommies as teaching about homosexuality, heterosexuality, or any kind of sexuality. We are teaching about the realities of where different children come from."

Who's In A Family was challenged about 8 years ago in an Oregon school with concerns expressed about the book being a "subtle way of introducing homosexuality to preschoolers." Actually the introduction is not subtle at all. The FCPS library catalog review for this book says it is for ages 3-7 and that the book "..catalogues multicultural contemporary family units, including... lesbian and gay parents.." Interestingly the library catalog subject terms for the book do not include "homosexuality."

Who's In A Family has pictures of children in households with same-sex partners and talks about a child's "two moms" and another child's "dad" and "dad's partner." Homosexuality is presented simply as another equal lifestyle.

The arrested dad said in an email to the school, "The real question is - do parents have the right to exclude/shield their children from these contrary values being pushed upon young children in elementary school." The boy's parents complained the school was infringing on their beliefs and parental rights and that the school shouldn't be teaching their child values and morals, and that teaching values and morals was a "parent's sacred responsibility." The Boston Globe reported the boy's mom said, "We're not giving unfettered access to the psyche of our son when he enters the school."

Could this happen in Fairfax County schools? Just across the river in Montgomery County, Maryland radical sex education changes including more homosexual advocacy are currently being introduced. Many titles and copies of homosexual themed books are already in FCPS. PABBIS has done news stories on some of these titles, including explicit books in elementary and middle school. New homosexual fiction and advocacy books are being acquired each year. In addition to acquiring new homosexual fiction, FCPS is also acquiring more copies of the homosexual fiction titles they already have.

Who's In A Family is in Crossfield elementary school (Principal Jerome Kovalcik) in Fairfax County. The parents of K-6 school children in Crossfield ES clearly do not have the right to exclude their children from the homosexual advocacy material in Who's In A Family. Even if they had checked the FCPS library catalog for books in Crossfield ES with Homosexuality they would not have discovered this book. Of additional concern is that many county classrooms have their own classroom libraries and these books are not in the library catalog.

Homosexual advocacy is already happening in Fairfax County schools. It's just less pervasive and heavy-handed than in Massachusetts. If the question raised by the Massachusetts parent - "Do parents have the right to exclude/shield their children from these contrary values being pushed upon young children in elementary school?" - was asked in Fairfax County, PABBIS wonders what would Superintendent Dale answer? Superintendent Dale still hasn't answered the questions asked about racial epithets/slurs and the s-word in elementary school books (See 22 February PABBIS News).

Alice on the Outside is the 11th book in the "Alice" book series. Alice is now a 13-year old and in 8th grade. This book is mainly focused on sex and boys but has two other significant subplots. One is about a lesbian friend and homosexual advocacy/acceptance in general. The other subplot is about a “Consciousness-Raising Week” training session in school. The whole school is divided into different groups with different privileges, to “learn” about prejudice and “fear of difference.” Alice on the Outside has a very artificial feel, as if it is really sex instruction and formal consciousness training lessons, weakly tied together and disguised or packaged as children’s fiction.

Alice on the Outside takes place in Montgomery County, Maryland where several radical sex ed changes are currently being discussed. These include more homosexual advocacy and defining anything other than intercourse as not really sex.

One of the subject terms the FCPS Library catalog uses for this book is "Erotic Stories." The FCPS library catalog reviews says, "Issues of sexuality.. are dealt with candidly." FCPS Family Life Education (FLE) Regulations say homosexuality and masturbation may not be included as part of elementary school FLE instruction. Despite significant homosexuality and masturbation content, Alice on the Outside is still in two elementary schools (Camelot ES - Principal Melaney Mackin and Colvin Run ES - Principal Sandra Furick).

Alice wants to know what sexual intercourse "really, really feels like" She asks her older cousin (like an aunt) who talks to her about things including the number of times an average woman has sexual intercourse, how the first time doesn't hurt as often or much since girls using tampons have stretched themselves, and what are "other ways" such as with "his hands.. lips.." Explicit sexual terms are used such as "both come at the same time," "orgasm," and "climax."

From her brother Alice learns about his nocturnal emissions, wet dreams and ejaculating while sleeping. She asks him, "When a guy ejaculates, how much semen comes out?"

A significant subplot is about Alice's lesbian friend and views on homosexuality. In one scene Alice snaps at her friend who said, ".. being homosexual isn’t a sin, because people can’t help the way they are, but making homosexual love is." Alice derides her friends point of view as the same as "..telling someone it isn’t a sin to be hungry, but it is if you eat."

The values, attitudes and beliefs expressed about sex and sexuality in Alice on the Outside contradict the values, attitudes and beliefs of many parents. In making this sex/sexuality "education" fiction book available outside of the FLE curriculum, FCPS is circumventing a parent's rights.

Alice on the Outside is also in ten middle schools (Glasgow - Principal Deirdre Lavery , Herndon - Principal Frank Jenkins, Hughes - Principal Deborah Jackson, Irving - Principal Danny Little, Key - Principal Sharon Eisenberg, Liberty - Principal Audra Sydnor, Longfellow - Principal Vince Lynch, Poe - Principal June Monterio, Sandburg - Principal Donna Pasteur, Thoreau - Principal Mark Greenfelder).

Alice on the Outside has been added to the PABBIS website. There are now 87 books in the PABBIS excerpts section. See the excerpts for more controversial content.

Dear Superintendent Dale,

This letter is to express concern about the Fairfax County elementary school book The Moves Make The Man. This book contains extensive use of racial epithets/slurs and other controversial material.

This book is in 46 elementary schools. Racial epithets/slurs include nigger, jigaboo, cracker, niggertown, jig, wolly-headed niggers, little black Sambo, coon, nigger lover, cocky nigger, wild country jig, country nigger, and jiveass.

The Moves Make The Man is in the following elementary schools:

Bonnie Brae
Bush Hill
Brookfield
Belvedere
Bren Mar Park
Bucknell
Bull Run
Belle View
Camelot
Cardinal Forest
Centre Ridge
Centreville
Colvin Run
Crossfield
Freedom Hill
Forestville
Fort Hunt
Great Falls
Glen Forest
Hollin Meadows
Hutchison
Hunt Valley
Hunters Woods
Kings Glen
Lake Anne
Lemon Road
Lees Corner
Laurel Ridge
Mantua
Navy
North Springfield
Oakton
Orange Hunt
Providence
Shrevewood
Sangster
Sleepy Hollow
Silverbrook
Sunrise Valley
Terraset
Waples Mill
Washington Mill
Willow Springs
Westlawn
Waynewood
Woodlawn

Since The Moves Make The Man is in so many elementary schools, you and FCPS are making a clear statement that:

1) Extensive racial epithets are acceptable in an elementary school book - Many parents and citizens would question exactly how this is useful in promoting tolerance, respect and harmonious race relations. Most elementary school children haven't even heard of some of these racial slurs. Why should children be introduced to this language in a elementary school book?

2) Use of the s-word (numerous times) is acceptable for elementary school reading.

We request that you look into this matter and either take action to have this book removed from elementary school or let parents and the public know why you think this type material is acceptable for these elementary school children.

For your information The Moves Make The Man is also in most middle schools.

Thank you. We look forward to hearing your opinion on this matter.

PABBIS was formed with three purposes:

Once again this has been a very encouraging and exciting year. We have made great progress towards all three of these objectives. This year PABBIS made thousands and thousands of people aware of controversial books in schools - in Fairfax County, VA and throughout the country. We continue to work to let people know about this important issue and what they can do about it. We are in contact with, and exchanging information about controversial books with people and organizations all over the country. We have and will continue to place particular emphasis on Fairfax County Public Schools until they respond to our requests for:

We now have the excerpts from 86 books on our website to let parents know exactly what the controversial material is. You might find some of the material from these books quite offensive to read, but that is the point. Our children are reading this in school. We will not hide from the truth of exactly what is in these books. We will continue to let more people know. The book excerpts are very useful in cutting through the fog of jargon and academianut doublespeak used by some teachers, librarians and school administrators to defend the use of explicit and graphic material. We do not regard books with graphic descriptions of rape, incest, oral sex, bestiality, homosexuality, pedophilia, explicit violence, sex associated with violence, torture, vulgarity, anti-religious material and other extreme content with an everything's fine, leave it to the "educators" attitude.

On 14 June 2004 we reported how 33 Snowfish, just copyrighted in 2003, was already in four schools - McLean HS (Principal Donald Weinheimer), Mount Vernon HS (Principal Cathy Crocker - 2 copies), Robinson HS (Principal Dan Meier), and Stuart HS (Principal Mel Riddile). Now 33 Snowfish is in two more schools - Centreville HS (Principal Peter Noonan) and West Potomac HS (Principal Rima Vesilind).

One of the subject terms for this book in the FCPS library catalog is "child sexual abuse" and the review says:

"On top of everything else, Boobie's got the clap," begins [this] dark tale about three runaways who understand hatred and violence better than love. Custis, an orphan, is fleeing from his "owner," a producer of pornography and snuff films. Custis is accompanied by Curl, a child prostitute, and her boyfriend, Boobie, who has just murdered his parents and kidnapped his baby brother to sell on the streets. Drawn together more by desperation than friendship, they roam from one town to the next, stealing and scavenging.

This excerpt from early in the book is especially disgusting:

"..made like four films together. The best one was called Girl Eats Boy, where Bob Motley puts this black pillow case over his head and pretends like he's cutting me with the electric saw. Then he grinds up my legs in a hamburger maker and feeds me to this little girl who lives under the kitchen sink. The little girl's name was Wendy Sue. She was like seven or some sh_t. I think she belonged to one of Bob Motley's boys, but I ain't sure. One night I pulled her shirt up and stared at her body. She didn't even know it cuz she was sleeping."

By the end of the book two of these runaways will be dead. In addition to extensive other vulgarity the word "sh_t" is used over 163 times in this 179 page book. The word "n_gger" is used approximately 55 times.

Why do some FCPS librarians rush out to acquire "literature" like this with our tax money?

Centreville HS Librarians:
Lelah Sullivan - Head Librarian
Bonnie Prouty - Librarian
Janet Joynson - Administrative Assistant

McLean HS Librarians:
Susan Burch
Leland Neville
Judy Parente
Sue Schumann

Mt Vernon HS Librarians:
Harry Sprouse - Head Librarian
John Landis - Media Director
Peggy Pearsall - Secretary
Al Johnson - Instructional Assistant

Robinson Secondary School Librarians:
Monica Adams - Media Coordinator
Wanda Baldridge - Media Specialist
Cathy Boyer- Media Specialist
Laurie Redfern - Media Specialist
Barry Gorodnick - Media Technical Specialist
Kathy Bull - Media Assistant
Donna Webster - Media Assistant
Beth Winstead - Media Assistant

Stuart HS Librarians:
Julia Ardoin - Head Library Media Specialist
Amy Will - Library Media Specialist
Ronnie O'Connor - Administrative Assistant

West Potomac HS Librarians:
Sabrina Buckley - Librarian
Adriana Meeks - Librarian
Joan Coolidge - Assistant
Jenny Dandar - Assistant

The old FCPS library catalog review said Smack was for Grade 10 and up. The new review says it's for age 14 and up. Despite this, Smack is in three Fairfax County middle schools. The library catalog uses the subject terms "Runaways--Fiction" and Heroin--Fiction" and "Drug Abuse--Fiction" for this book.

Smack, by Melvin Burgess, is about two 14-year old runaways. The runaways take up with a young couple addicted to heroin and soon become addicts themselves - first smoking heroin and later shooting it up. The old FCPS catalog review said "Heroin is the main character" and the book "is filled with punk culture, sex, drugs, and life on the edge. As repugnant and horrifying as the journey, the fascination of the feel-good, live-fast, die-young mentality has a sickly sweet lure."

The new FCPS catalog review mentions "the girls turning to prostitution and the boys to drug dealing." It doesn't mention that in the book one of the boys also turns to prostitution "selling sex to homos in the public toilets."

Smack has 10-20 uses each of b###h, b#####d, and variations of s### and f###. In this book your middle school child reads about:

- Their first sex and "borrowed anarchist condoms"
- Shoplifting food and booze
- Getting stoned, more getting stoned, hash cookies, joints, booze, more joints, valium, speed, shooting up gin and vodka, and constant smoking and shooting heroin
- Drug dealing, more drug dealing and breaking and entering a liquor store
- Why legal drugs are no different than illegal drugs
- Heroin binges and coming down
- How easy prostitution is and how it's done. "[Less] demeaning as going out to work five days a week.. who's the sucker?" "..no worse than any other job.. just something you do with your body.."
- Selling heroin to 12 and 13-year old children who take it to escape. Some are prostitutes for men who want young girls
- Finding two of their friends dead from an overdose with needles stuck in their arms. Taking their ounce of heroin and joking how it's "dead pure."
- Getting pregnant. "..ought to have an abortion.. for the sake of your baby.. baby is a junkie.. full of junk.."
- "..injects into the veins between her breasts.. baby on the breast.. Nice fat veins when your t#ts are big and milky.."
- How a "trick" beats one of the girls
- Their massage parlour prostitution
- How a "trick" beats, strangles with her tights and rapes one of the girls
- Rubbing "a few grains [of heroin] on [the baby's] gums.. He's a junkie.. junkie before he was even born."
- The alcoholic counselor who used to "eat his own sick in the morning, so's not to waste the booze.. catch it in his hands and drink it back down.."
- The alcoholic father who beats him and his mom. In one scene the father falls asleep in a work meeting and wakes up having urinated - "drips coming off the edge of the chair onto the carpet... great wet patch.."

At the end of this disgusting book the runaways have separated and he sees her only because of their baby. He has a new girlfriend and is on 5 mils of methadone a day. He doesn't tell his new girlfriend that he still sometimes uses heroin.

Smack is in Liberty MS (Principal Audra Sydnor), Longfellow MS (Principal Vince Lynch), and Sandburg MS (Principal Donna Pasteur).

Smack is also in many county high schools. Westfield and Lee HS each have 3 copies of Smack. Bryant HS has 6 copies! Why do these schools need so many copies of this book?

Smack has been added to the PABBIS website. There are now 85 books in the PABBIS excerpts section.

Hughes Middle School - Pedophilia in a book and Another Homosexual Pedophile Teacher

Last year (PABBIS News 10 February 2003) we reported about a former teacher at Langston Hughes MS who entered an Alford plea of guilt to crimes against nature - consensual sodomy. This FCPS teacher initiated a pedophile homosexual relationship with an 8th grade girl while she was the girl's teacher at Hughes MS. This teacher continued the relationship with the young girl the next year at South Lakes HS, where she was the girl's basketball coach.

Last week a longtime FCPS teacher, the band director at Langston Hughes MS since 2001, was charged with the production of child pornography. He was caught videotaping young boys undressing in a county recreation center locker room. The Washington Post reported that he admitted he had done so in several other recreation centers over the past year.

A challenge to the book When I was Puerto Rican was made at Hughes MS in 2002. Hughes MS Principal Deborah Jackson thought that this book was acceptable for her middle school students. This book has three instances of molestation/pedophilia. In the first the young girl has a perverted piano teacher who is also her school principal. He keeps rubbing against her and trying to see her breasts. The girl tells her mom about this incident. Another time the young girl is pinched on her breast by an adult relative and paid a dollar to not tell anyone about it. Although humiliated she doesn't tell her mom, or anyone else, about this - she buys an ice cream with the money. In a third instance the young girl watches a man from her window who, in a graphically described scene, is masturbating while looking at her. Although her mom is in the same room, the girl doesn't even tell her. In fact the girl goes back to the window and stares and smiles at the man.

Principal Jackson and FCPS just don't get it. When the challengers to When I was Puerto Rican met with Principal Jackson, they were provided with a review of the book taken from School Library Journal. The review of this book was taken from a February 1994 article on multiple books titled Adult Books For Young Adults, written by a FCPS employee - Pam Spencer. The review for When I was Puerto Rican, like every other book review in the article, was written by FCPS employees - the one for this book by Ginny Ryder. Pam Spencer's article did not indicate if she considered pre-teen children “young adults.” But Principal Jackson and the Hughes MS librarian obviously do.

When I was Puerto Rican is also at Holmes (Principal Roberto Pamas; 6-8th grade), Glasgow (Principal Deirdre Lavery; 6-8th grade), Herndon (Principal Frank Jenkins), Lanier (Principal Rodney Moore), and Thoreau (Principal Mark Greenfelder) middle schools. Herndon and Hughes middle school each have two copies of this book. It is in the Franklin and Key MS library "professional" sections.

An adult is 18 years old. Most 6th grade children are 11-years old. Why does FCPS think 11-13 year old children are young adults? Why does FCPS think 11-year olds should read about pedophilia and masturbation? Why do homosexual pedophiles keep showing up at Langston Hughes MS? How many pedophiles will it take at Hughes MS before Principal Jackson removes a book that has children not telling adults about pedophiles and even seemingly enjoying them?

Major Update to the PABBIS List of Lists
Extensive Supplemental Material Also Added

PABBIS Overview List of Lists