The American Library Association’s list of Book and Media Awards winners was recently proclaimed at the Newbery Caldecott Wilder banquet, creating quite a commotion in children’s lit circles.
As a homeschooler twenty-five years ago, I was interested to see the new Caldecott selections assuming that they would live up to very high standards of 65 years ago. My book-loving friends and I didn’t question the American Library Association (ALA) “experts”. We were almost too busy to see the sharp decline in wholesome adventure and mental food to inspire a young heart to courageous living.
I trusted them and their yardstick for judging children’s literature – but not anymore.
Before I get started, this is now currently underway in many public libraries. It may or may not be in your town’s, but it is worth being aware of.
Anyway, what’s bad is not for me to determine. It is for me to increase awareness so conscientious parents can make wise choices.
Now back to this post…
ALA Agenda
The ALA does not exist simply to provide quality, wholesome literature to children. It’s quite the opposite, in fact. The ALA is a liberal organization that relentlessly pursues a homosexual agenda, and it relies heavily on “authentic literature” to drive that agenda. (source)
‘Authenticity’ in Caldecott and YA (Young Adult) Books
The ALA has utilized the term “authentic literature” to describe books they feel have “literary merit.” It sounds pretty harmless, but in actuality, it’s a shrewd term misused by the liberal ALA to promote numerous books like This One Summer, a “graphic novel” (aka comic book) written and illustrated by cousins Tamaki. According to them, it’s “quality”…a book they chose to give the highest citation in the literary world, a Caldecott honor.
The ALCS gives the Caldecott Medal “to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children (age 14 and under).”
For Instance
Go here to see an example of the artwork they are elevating to award status geared for our children under 14! To see ten consecutive pages, go here. Pay particular attention to page 27 (eating what looks like a baby’s foot).
In 2008, another book, written by the same cousins, won these awards – given by “experts.” It’s about a depressed, Wicca-worshiping, homosexual high school girl, and according to the ALA, it’s good literature – it’s “authentic literature.”
Outwardly, this book looks totally innocent. With TWO shiny medals on the cover it’s easy to be fooled!
I will spare you the mental images, but suffice it to say that I would need to use a lot of fill-in-the-blank asterisks (*s) in order to be able to write the sampling of words contained.
Caldecott & Graphic Content
How many of us well-meaning parents know why these shiny, prestigious medallions were placed on a book’s cover? Would the same parents think highly of these award-winners if they were in on the content taken directly from their amazingly graphic pages?
Steve Baldwin, a former Chairman of the California Legislature’s Education Committee, wasn’t fooled by the ALA’s word games. In his article Baldwin wrote, “The authentic literature books are rife with profanity and are dominated by themes of death, crime, drug addiction, occultism, rapes, gang beatings, weird sex, homosexual encounters, and so on. Shockingly, many of them violate state obscenity laws and even school district age appropriate regulations. I collected excerpts from hundreds of such books that are not only common in school libraries but are often assigned by teachers as mandatory reading assignments.”
Caldecott & Newbery Winners, Too…
Not only are YA books are becoming progressively permeated with sexual, brooding, occult, or adult themes, but so are categories for children ages 9-13. (And don’t think younger children aren’t reading these books; they are).
The middle-grade (5-8th) Newbery winners of the past fifty years, like this one, this one, this one, and this one, have garnered their own share of praise simply for blazing the trail in literary edginess. In order to ‘keep the children reading’, they’re offering something ‘bold’ and ‘up-to-date’ in tween literature. There is talk of witchcraft, specifics of private parts, and so much more.
Increasingly, this smutty literature is replacing the traditional literature classics, which, in general, promoted mainstream American values or at least didn’t undermine them.
Literary beauty and innocence such as that of Laura Ingalls Wilder and the gloriously-detailed, winsome imagery of Hollings Clancy Hollings or are long forgotten in awards circles.
“No book is really worth reading, which does not either impart valuable knowledge; or set before us some ideal of beauty, strength, or nobility of character. There are enough great books to occupy us during all our short and busy years. If we are wise, we will resolutely avoid all but the richest and the best.” ~J.R. Miller
Ways To Evaluate Any Book
Please take the time to preview the books your children will be reading. Know what they are being made to read in their classroom if you public school. You, after all, are the best judge for your own family.
Hopefully, we are all aware that there is a battle raging in our culture for the minds and hearts of our children, but how do we as parents prepare them to live in the world and be discerning for themselves?
The vast majority of the award winners published before 1960 display excellence in content and literary merit.
Read Great Books
There are just too many great books to waste our children’s time and hearts on those other “award winners.” Our family’s guide has been and always will be Philippians 4:8. Champion and uphold what is right and true. Great books create an inner world that is a secret world for children’s souls, showing them through thrilling stories and stout-hearted characters exactly what it means to be noble, good, and even holy.
Check out the wholesome book lists here at Deep Roots at Home, many of which are edifying Caldecott books!
“There are few very libraries today in which I would leave my 13-year-old unescorted, because, unfortunately, the protection and safety of our children is simply no longer a priority for libraries or for the ALA. That may sound harsh, but it’s true.” ~Steve Baldwin
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