An eleven-year-old student in Raymond, Maine, recently discovered a book called ‘Nick and Charlie’ on a stand in his middle school library. The content in the book made him feel uncomfortable, so he checked out the book to show his dad.
The librarian also offered the student books that were similar and asked if he would be interested in reading the graphic novel version.
The student, Knox Zajac, brought this to the attention of the RSU-14 School Board at a meeting, where he read aloud a passage that was deemed as “pornographic.”
In this story, two teens steal wine from their parents and begin to s**ually experiment with one another.
The footage, which was emblazoned with the words ’11-Year-Old SILENCES School Board As He Reads From DISTURBING Book Found In School Library,’ has been viewed 2.3 million times and has over 19,400 comments.
“Doesn’t Need To Be At Our Schools”
Knox’s father also spoke in the video, telling the others at the board meeting that these kinds of books openly available to check out in the schools don’t need to be in middle school libraries.
The father said that the parents know what’s best for their children, “not the schools,” and that he is “more than happy” to focus his time and effort on the security of the children in the school, describing himself as a “thorn in their sides.”
Why The Student Spoke Out About The Controversial Book
In this video, Zajac tells us the reason for speaking out. On skimming the book, the boy felt “so uncomfortable” by its contents, so he wanted to make sure that people knew about it and potentially get it removed from schools.
Sixth-grader Knox Zajac tells @WGME why he read from the controversial book "Nick and Charlie" during a recent school board meeting in Maine. pic.twitter.com/JlGPgBOedy
— Crisis in the Classroom (@CITClassroom) March 1, 2023
Appropriate for Public Schools?
The case has sparked much debate on social media, with users responding to the video and sharing their support for the father and son.
One user received more than 8,600 likes for their comment. “What have we come to as a country when an eleven-year-old has to stand up and ask for appropriate books?”
“Having his son read this was absolutely needed so they can actually hear what kids are reading in their library,” said another with 7,600 likes.
“The schools are actively trying to desensitize kids to the idea of s**, and it is disgusting,” one person said with more than 2,900 likes.
“The fact that an 11-year-old had access to such pornography and was asked if he wanted a graphic (picture) version is beyond disturbing and disgusting,” one person who received 3,000 likes said. “That librarian should be fired and have their certifications stripped away. Hearing that kid’s story brought me to tears.
What are your thoughts about this book? Should it be made available to middle school children?
This article 11-Year-Old Student Speaks Out About Controversial Novel in School Library was syndicated and produced by TPR Teaching. The article does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of TPR Teaching.
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