The children’s book publishing industry — from authors to publishers to librarians — believes it should have the power to control your children’s minds. And it’s progressively gained that access.
Authors must include instant positive acceptance of any woke social agenda portrayed in their stories. If they don’t include this, they won’t get published by medium and large houses. This normalization of leftist ideology looks like the real world in books. When kids are shocked by something they read, that shock shifts to shame for being shocked in the first place. They will then replace their shame with acceptance. This is the power of normalization.
Publishing companies are no longer focused on quality writing, but rather on the spreading of leftist ideology. Their distribution catalogs are organized by agenda, not just genre. Awards are given to the most woke stories, and traditional values are mocked.
Library systems have “weeded out” books with traditional values and replaced them with modern Marxist tales. Books donated by well-meaning individuals are discarded, based on new system policies. Librarians themselves are more than happy to display, promote, and order books that are in line with their leftist values, not the values of the families who used to frequent the children’s library departments.
We are up against a tidal wave of indoctrination that has been decades in the building and has now grown to an industry-wide behemoth that includes all forms of media for kids.
So what can we do? Here are four ways parents can help keep their children safe.
1. Shift the Narrative
Work to normalize traditional values again in children’s media. Seek out creative content for your kids that aligns with your moral foundation. Become aware of the tactics entrenched in the present industry and recognize where they are working to infiltrate your children’s minds.
Make sure that when your kids are exposed to content in books, shows, or movies that goes against their moral understanding, they still feel shocked. And then have discussions with them about those situations so their shock doesn’t turn to shame. Keep the shock — don’t allow the shame. Provide media that normalize the values we want to be normalized, and then have discussions about what our kids are taking in.
If we allow the normalization of woke agendas into our children’s minds, that is what will become normal. Instead, normalize traditional values.
2. Homeschool Your Kids
This shift in the children’s book publishing industry is magnified a hundred-fold in the education world. Books are just one tool teachers and administrators use within their arsenal. They want control over what is being introduced into your children’s minds, and what they want is not what you want.
I hear from so many parents that their local school is a good one and not like what you hear in the news. They are wrong. Every school in America has been infiltrated, from the tiny rural schools to the huge urban ones. The takeover has happened from all sides, whether parents see it or not. Any sacrifice it takes to remove your kids from this rapidly building systemic shift and bring them back under your wing will be worth the effort. At home, you can choose the books you read to them.
3. Seek New Sources
Although we are behind the eight ball, there is a new rising industry in America of clean content for kids — clean books, shows, and movies that normalize traditional values instead of social agendas. The other side controls the existing industry structure, but this new rising industry is doing things differently. They are going around the existing structure and reaching directly to families that are eager to find them.
Who would have ever dreamed that in America there would be a drastic need for a new industry to arise that provides clean, traditional content for kids? This is where we are.
Seek out authors and publishers you can trust and support them in their efforts to bring families clean books. Request their books to be ordered by your library. (They probably won’t order them, but you can try). Tell your friends and family members about these new businesses and encourage their support as well. The best way to combat the indoctrination of this generation is to provide an alternative collection of creative content for kids.
Here is a list of rising book publishers, curriculum creators, and show producers that are on your team:
- Chicken Scratch Books: middle-grade novels and companion online curriculum
- Brave Books: picture books that directly combat social agendas and include activities and games
- Heroes of Liberty: picture book biographies of traditional and conservative leaders
- Waxwing Books: clean and beautiful children’s books in association with Read Aloud Revival
- Bandersnatch Books: traditional values books for all ages of kids — poetry, too
- Story Warren: middle-grade fantasy novels — home of “The Green Ember” series
- The Tuttle Twins: history, civics, economics, and government books, magazines, curriculum, and a show
- PragerU Kids: educational books, magazines, shows, and game shows for all ages
- Daily Wire Kids: new shows coming soon, as well as another place to find PragerU Kids content
- Angel Studios: shows and movies for the whole family
- Yippee TV: YouTube alternative with hundreds of clean and faith-based kid’s shows
Don’t buy your books on Amazon or the other leading online bookstores. Purchase directly from the publishers themselves when possible. And when you find something to be excited about, spread that word far and wide.
4. Create New Libraries
Build your own home, church, or community library filled with books worthy of reading for generations to come. As the industry continues to censor and change historical titles, and only publish new books filled with their agendas, we can push back by gathering and creating our own collections. Then share them with all the neighborhood kids.
I know of homeschool moms who through organizing, collecting, and sharing their resources have expanded the reach of good books exponentially in their co-ops. I know of church groups creating libraries of strong, clean literature for their congregations to borrow and share. This is the type of library we can all support and help build up for the rising generation.
If you have a local public or school library that is “weeding out” their titles, find out what it takes to get your hands on them. Usually, they just throw the old ones away. Grab what you can, and stock your own shelves, as well as the new libraries forming around you.
When you find new books you love from these rising industry publishers, add them to your personal libraries and new community libraries, and then write reviews about them online. Show why you love them and encourage others to pick them up.
Leftist ideals have overtaken the world of modern children’s literature. We now find ourselves in a battle for the minds of our children and grandchildren, even within the walls of our own homes. This is a battle we cannot lose.
Thankfully, there are still many children’s book authors who are unwilling to compromise themselves to meld into modern expectations. There is a growing number of new publishers rising up, as well as established Christian publishers branching out, to fill the void left by the industry’s shifting agendas. There is a smattering of librarians who hold firm, and quietly fight the battle one book order at a time. And there is much that families can do to push back personally against the onslaught from all sides of children’s media.
Be aware. Be firm. Be proactive. We will win.
Kiri Jorgensen is the Publisher and Senior Editor at Chicken Scratch Books.
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