When I was talking to my co-author Karol Markowicz about a book project we wanted to write, which would eventually become our best-seller “Stolen Youth” (buy it here!), we originally envisioned calling it “Child Soldiers.” We didn’t want to confuse people about actual child soldiers, so we let our brilliant literary agent help us out with a better title. We wanted to call it Child Soldiers because we saw the Left trying to turn our children (not just theirs, but ours) into foot soldiers for their cause. They’re trying to foment a revolution, and since they’re not having kids of their own, they need ours.
Being in my line of work, I get a lot of press releases. I delete almost all of them (and probably also accidentally delete real emails with bad subject lines in the process). But I got an interesting one that proves the thesis of my book, and also explains what we’re doing here.
The subject line reads: Banned Books Primer Seeks to Fortify New Generation of Young Rebels Before Kindergarten
The email reads:
Hi Bethany,
In light of yesterday's lawsuit brought against a Florida school district and board by PEN America and Penguin Random House in response to the district's book bans, I'm writing to follow up on my email introducing children’s book publisher Mudpuppy’s upcoming book BABY'S FIRST BOOK OF BANNED BOOKS [July 11, 2023 | $9.99 paper over board], which was created to introduce children to the core themes in many of the books removed from the library shelves before they even enter the school system. I’m reaching out with an offer of an advance review copy (PDF or print) in consideration of coverage, ideally in early-to-mid July to coincide with the book launch.
Baby’s First Book of Banned Books is a clever and innovative way to introduce young readers to the themes and ideas found in banned books. Inside, young readers will find the core lessons introduced in the titles that have disappeared from classrooms and library shelves, including The Diary of Anne Frank, The Giving Tree, and The Kite Runner, among others. At a time when censorship and the suppression of diverse voices are becoming more prevalent in schools, the book provides a valuable tool for parents to engage their children in important conversations about freedom of expression and intellect while nurturing a new generation of young rebels yet untouched by the suffocating weight of hypocrisy and censorship in the classroom.
Coverage angles you might consider include:
How parents and caregivers can use the book as a tool for discussing important and difficult topics with their kids
How we can ensure that young readers are exposed to a wide range of ideas and perspectives, despite censorship efforts
The danger of censorship in schools and libraries
Why it’s important to introduce kids to controversial topics at such a young age
How parents and caregivers can balance their desire to protect their kids from harmful content with the need to expose them to diverse viewpoints and perspectives
Why exposing children to books that celebrate nonconformity, diversity, and social justice develops their critical thinking skills and makes them agents of change
By turning young readers into early rebels, Mudpuppy hopes to contribute to fostering a generation of critical thinkers, problem solvers, and empathetic leaders who will shape the future in positive ways, challenge entrenched power structures, and demand a more just and equitable society.
Mudpuppy is no stranger to controversy in the children’s publishing category. They, He, She: Words for You and Me Board Book introduces the youngest readers to inclusive pronouns, while the publisher’s Love in the Wild board book for young readers highlights the different types of love that can be found in the animal kingdom — including that of the two lions on the cover with rainbow-colored manes. Bye Bye, Binary will hit bookstore shelves on May 24 and will be the perfect tool to encourage children to love what they love while refusing to conform to the gender binary.
Please let me know if you’d be interested in receiving a PDF or hard copy of the book. You can reach me via email or at (NYC number redacted).
Thank you for your consideration; I look forward to working with you,
Most Americans aren’t aware of how PR companies often feed story ideas, along with the coverage angles, to lazy and overworked journalists. That’s an interesting story, but not one to be told today.
The story today is that the Left is trying to indoctrinate our kids aggressively through children’s literature. They’re trying to turn young readers into “rebels” through books. You’ll see these books on display in your local library come June, you’ll see them prominently displayed on Scholastic’s website, and at your local bookstore. That’s how the market incentivizes this content: with our tax dollars, they bulk purchase these books for public libraries and schools. They claim we’re the book banners, but you won’t see anything but rainbows on display until the 4th of July.
That’s why we’re here: To offer you an alternative. I hope you’ll join us as a subscriber.
Send us the books you see displayed, forward us the emails you get from your local library. If you work in the publishing or library industry, please consider getting in touch and contribute your voice to our work (anonymously if necessary).
