In a recent online discussion, renowned author and actor Kirk Cameron expressed his concerns about Scholastic, a prominent children's book publishing company.
He accused the company of introducing books with "sexually explicit, morally disgusting, and dangerous" content into schools nationwide.
Cameron highlighted a 2022 Scholastic graphic novel titled 'Welcome to St. Hell,' authored by transgender writer and illustrator Lewis Hancox. The book, intended for middle school students, contains graphic depictions of cross-sex hormone ingestion, its effects on the female body, chest binders, and explicit sexual activities.
Cameron also drew attention to 'Melissa,' a book penned by Alex Gino. A quote from the book reads, "she immersed her body in the warm water and tried not to think about what was between her legs, but there it was [a penis], bobbing in front of her." Amazon recommends the book for children in grades three through seven, describing the protagonist as a girl named Melissa who is perceived as a boy named George.
Gino, a self-identified "queer person" and "fat femme," has also authored another Scholastic book titled 'Rick.' The book, suitable for children aged eight to twelve, narrates the story of a grandfather and grandchild who both come out as transgender. Gino has publicly advocated for defunding the police and for parents not to influence their children's reading choices, labeling such homes as "queerphobic."
Some of the content in these books has been deemed obscene by Facebook. An advertisement from Brave Books, highlighting sexual scenes in children's novels, was rejected for featuring "people in explicit or suggestive positions or images that show nudity or cleavage."
Richard Robinson, the former CEO of Scholastic, has openly stated that the company aims to promote LGBTQ+ literature. He proudly declared that Scholastic had published two of the eight most challenged books in America due to their LGBTQ+ content.
In 2023, Scholastic published a list encouraging librarians and teachers to diversify their bookshelves with LGBTQ+ representation. The list included books for various age groups, categorized under themes such as "LGBTQIA+ Family Member," Lesbian/Sapphic, Gay, Bi/Pan, Transgender, Nonbinary/Genderfluid, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, and Aro/Ace/Demi.
Cameron also criticized a book titled 'Julian Is a Mermaid,' which he claimed seemed to encourage a young boy to dress in drag.
In response to Scholastic's offerings, Cameron, known for his books promoting traditional values, has initiated the establishment of SkyTree Book Fairs. In an interview with Fox News, Cameron stated, "Its obvious that Scholastic is committed to indoctrinating our youth with harmful messages." He added, "They are not just the 1,000-pound gorilla in this space. They are the space. They are the ones publishing this material. We want to knock them out of the race."
Cameron serves on the advisory board of the non-profit organization, while Riley Lee, a former middle school teacher and mother from Texas, is SkyTree's president. Cameron revealed plans to introduce the book fairs in over 600 public and private schools that have shown interest in alternatives to the sexualized content promoted by Scholastic.
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