Chandler Unified Offers Woke And CRT-Based Books To Students Ages 6 And Up

When a six-year-old in the Chandler Unified School District came home one day with the book, “It Feels Good to Be Yourself: A Book About Gender Identity,” a mother began wondering just what other items might be in the District’s elementary school libraries.

Charlotte Golla, a mother of children in the District, requested information about the library materials on November 18. From November 18 to the morning of December 10, Golla had not received a copy of all of the book titles that were included in the District’s “Inclusivity Order Title Review” she had requested.

Remarkably, only a short time after she discussed that request on the morning of December 10 with popular radio show host James T. Harris, Golla received the list. She was shocked. Not only did it become evident that District officials were providing Critical Race Theory-based (CRT) materials in schools, but some of those materials were also  deliberately undermining families and parental authority.

Time and time again, District officials denied that CRT curriculum or materials were offered in any schools. Yet, Stamped, an adaptation by Sonja Cherry-Paul of the writings of Ibram X. Kendi, father of today’s CRT fad, is among the top books on the list.

However, based on what Golla discovered, it is entirely possible that the officials did not know of the presence of CRT.

When asked by Harris how the controversial books came to be in all of the District elementary libraries, Golla explained that District educators played almost no role at all in determining what materials would be and would not be available to young children.

“The best I can tell, there is no real process,” Golla told Harris. “So, from what I’ve learned, the books are vetted by subcategory not by actual titles. There will be certain subcategories that are flagged and then the title in those subcategories are reviewed. For instance, they (District employees) would flag any books with the word ‘abuse’ and then the publisher, Follett, in this case, would say OK here’s all the books with abuse in them and then those books are vetted. Then after that’s done, the book publisher barcodes the books, and sends them to the school library to be put on the shelf. So no one actually looks at a comprehensive list of titles or read the books.”

According to Golla, the District has assured her that the books have been pulled for review and will undergo a review. District staff advised Golla that books will go through a review process in the future.

Still, Golla and her fellow moms have questions. First and foremost, they want to know who will review the books and how much transparency will the review process have.

A.R.S. 15-113 outlines the rights of parents to review learning materials and activities, but there is currently nothing in statute that requires schools to make parents aware of what sort of reading material their six-year-olds might pick out at the school library.

Neither will parents find an ally in the American Library Association. In a press release dated November 29, 2021 addressing what it deems a “dramatic uptick” “in challenges to books by concerned parents the ALA wrote: “ALA strongly condemns these acts of censorship and intimidation. We are committed to defending the constitutional rights of all individuals of all ages to use the resources and services of libraries.” (Emphasis added).

“Many years ago I borrowed a book from the children’s section of our local library for my young daughter to help train her new puppy. It advocated that children should hit a misbehaving dog with a rolled up newspaper.” Diane Douglas former AZ Superintendent of Public Instruction told ADI.  “Upon my raising the concern with the children’s section librarian I was very loudly accused of wanting to ban books. Whether it is beating a poor animal or giving children access to sexual content it is a question of appropriateness not censorship.”

Parents in the District and across the country have made their opposition to CRT-based materials well-known. Given that, it is unlikely that the average engaged parent would be comfortable with material found in Challenge Everything: An Extinction Rebellion Youth Guide To Saving The Planet by Blue Sanford.

In her book, Sanford encourages readers between the ages of 11 and 14, to be revolutionaries and “develop your own morals.”

Now, parents are calling for more transparency believing that either the school officials have failed to show good judgment or have failed to exercise any judgment at all.

READING LIST OVERVIEW:

When Aidan Became a Brother Hardcover – Picture Book, by Kyle Lukoff  (Author), Kaylani Juanita; Kaylani Juanita (Illustrator)
For ages 4-7

This sweet and groundbreaking picture book, winner of the 2020 Stonewall Book Award, celebrates the changes in a transgender boy’s life, from his initial coming-out to becoming a big brother.

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Challenge Everything: An Extinction Rebellion Youth Guide To Saving The Planet by Blue Sanford
For ages 11-14

The main concern of young people is climate change and how to combat it. This book, the only official handbook from Extinction Rebellion Youth, will help you to change your life and change the world for the better. Written by a founder member of Extinction Rebellion Youth London, this is no greenwashing book – it’s an important call to action. A manifesto to show young people how to save the planet by questioning modern life.

The book calls for readers to consider or perform the following:

Vote (if you can), Strike from school, Protest!, Non-violent direct action – NVDA, Getting arrested – or not, How to plan a direct action, Paint the streets, Five ways to talk to climate change denier, My revolution starts here: government, Self-sufficiency, Question everything, Decide your own morals, You may be young, but your opinions are valid, Reclaim. rewild, reconnect, Scavenging, How to eat, Community, Consume art, My revolution starts here: myself

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Child Soldier: When Boys and Girls Are Used in War (CitizenKid) by Michel Chikwanine (Author), Jessica Dee Humphreys (Author), Claudia Dávila (Illustrator)
For ages 10-14

Michel Chikwanine was five years old when he was abducted from his school-yard soccer game in the Democratic Republic of Congo and forced to become a soldier for a brutal rebel militia. Against the odds, Michel managed to escape and find his way back to his family, but he was never the same again. After immigrating to Canada, Michel was encouraged by a teacher to share what happened to him in order to raise awareness about child soldiers around the world, and this book is part of that effort. Told in the first person and presented in a graphic novel format, the gripping story of Michel’s experience is moving and unsettling.

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I Like, I Don’t Like Hardcover – Picture Book,  by Anna Baccelliere (Author), Ale + Ale (Illustrator)
For ages 4-9

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child states that every child in the world has the right to play. Unfortunately, that universal right is not always respected. I Like, I Don’t Like presents this reality to readers by showing how children in varying circumstances can see the same object very differently.

With stark illustrations that perfectly capture the tone of the book, I Like, I Don’t Like will inspire meaningful discussions about privilege and poverty.

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Stamped (For Kids): Racism, Antiracism, and You by Sonja Cherry-Paul (Adapter), Jason Reynolds  (Author), Ibram X. Kendi (Author), Rachelle Baker (Illustrator)
For ages 6-10

This chapter book edition of the groundbreaking #1 bestseller by luminaries Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds is an essential introduction to the history of racism and antiracism in America

Adapted from the award-winning, bestselling Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, this book takes readers on a journey from present to past and back again. Kids will discover where racist ideas came from, identify how they impact America today, and meet those who have fought racism with antiracism. Along the way, they’ll learn how to identify and stamp out racist thoughts in their own lives.

Ibram X. Kendi’s research, Jason Reynolds’s and Sonja Cherry-Paul’s writing, and Rachelle Baker’s art come together in this vital read, enhanced with a glossary, timeline, and more.

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Activists Assemble―We Are All Equal! by Shannon Weber
For ages 8-10

Discover the history of equality―both the successes and the tragedies, meet past and present faces who overcame discrimination to be a voice for us all, and explore ways you can make a difference and challenge inequality. Important topics such as disabilities, gender, religion, and race are discussed, giving readers all the information and practical advice needed to get their voices heard. An activity section gives readers the opportunity to explore equality further: they can test their equality knowledge, start important conversations using the “discussion time” questions, as well space to write down their thoughts and observations.

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The Crossroads Hardcover – by Alexandra Diaz
For ages 8-12

After crossing Mexico into the United States, Jaime Rivera thinks the worst is over. Starting a new school can’t be that bad. Except it is, and not just because he can barely speak English. While his cousin Ángela fits in quickly, with new friends and after-school activities, Jaime struggles with even the idea of calling this strange place “home.” His real home is with his parents, abuela, and the rest of the family; not here where cacti and cattle outnumber people, where he can no longer be himself—a boy from Guatemala.

When bad news arrives from his parents back home, feelings of helplessness and guilt gnaw at Jaime. Gang violence in Guatemala means he can’t return home, but he’s not sure if he wants to stay either. The US is not the great place everyone said it would be, especially if you’re sin papeles—undocumented—like Jaime. When things look bleak, hope arrives from unexpected places: a quiet boy on the bus, a music teacher, an old ranch hand. With his sketchbook always close by, Jaime uses his drawings to show what it means to be a true citizen.

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Free Lunch – by Rex Ogle
For ages 9-12

Instead of giving him lunch money, Rex’s mom has signed him up for free meals. As a poor kid in a wealthy school district, better-off kids crowd impatiently behind him as he tries to explain to the cashier that he’s on the free meal program. The lunch lady is hard of hearing, so Rex has to shout.

Free Lunch is the story of Rex’s efforts to navigate his first semester of sixth grade―who to sit with, not being able to join the football team, Halloween in a handmade costume, classmates and a teacher who take one look at him and decide he’s trouble―all while wearing secondhand clothes and being hungry. His mom and her boyfriend are out of work, and life at home is punctuated by outbursts of violence. Halfway through the semester, his family is evicted and ends up in government-subsidized housing in view of the school. Rex lingers at the end of last period every day until the buses have left, so no one will see where he lives.

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Imperfect: A Story Of Body Image by Dounya Awada , Anthony Edward Zuiker PhD, et al
For ages 11 and up

Dounya, a Muslim girl living in Las Vegas, Nevada, shares her very personal story of battling eating disorders when she was a teenager, in order to help other young people suffering from this affliction.

Imperfect: A Story of Body Image is the fourth in a series of graphic novels written by young adults for their peers.

Dounya Awada is a 24-year-old, devout Muslim, happy, healthy, and very much alive. But just a few years before, she nearly starved to death.

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The Only Road Paperback – by Alexandra Diaz
For ages 8-12

Jaime is sitting on his bed drawing when he hears a scream. Instantly, he knows: Miguel, his cousin and best friend, is dead.

Everyone in Jaime’s small town in Guatemala knows someone who has been killed by the Alphas, a powerful gang that’s known for violence and drug trafficking. Anyone who refuses to work for them is hurt or killed—like Miguel. With Miguel gone, Jaime fears that he is next. There’s only one choice: accompanied by his cousin Ángela, Jaime must flee his home to live with his older brother in New Mexico.

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To Dance: Special Edition Paperback – by Siena Cherson Siegel (Author), Mark Siegel (Illustrator)
Ages 8-14

Ballerinas are young when they first dream of dance. Siena was six—and her dreams kept skipping and leaping, circling and spinning, from airy runs along a beach near her home in Puerto Rico, to dance classes at the School of American Ballet, to her debut performance on stage with the New York City Ballet while working with ballet legend George Balanchine.

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The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle  – by Leslie Connor
For ages 8-12

Mason Buttle is the biggest, sweatiest kid in his grade, and everyone knows he can barely read or write. Mason’s learning disabilities are compounded by grief. Fifteen months ago, Mason’s best friend, Benny Kilmartin, turned up dead in the Buttle family’s orchard.

An investigation drags on, and Mason, honest as the day is long, can’t understand why Lieutenant Baird won’t believe the story Mason has told about that day.

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Woke: A Young Poet’s Call to Justice – Picture Book by Mahogany L. Browne (Author), & 4 more
For ages 8-12

Woke: A Young Poet’s Guide to Justice is a collection of poems to inspire kids to stay woke and become a new generation of activists.

Historically poets have been on the forefront of social movements. Woke is a collection of poems by women that reflects the joy and passion in the fight for social justice, tackling topics from discrimination to empathy, and acceptance to speaking out.

With Theodore Taylor’s bright, emotional art, and writing from Mahogany L. Browne, Elizabeth Acevedo and Olivia Gatwood, kids will be inspired to create their own art and poems to express how they see justice and injustice.

With a foreword by best-selling author Jason Reynolds.

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2020 Black Lives Matter Marches (Protest! March for Change) by Joyce Markovics (Author)
For ages 7-10

This narrative nonfiction title introduces young readers to the 2020 Black Lives Matter marches. These large protests, filled with powerful and courageous voices, shined a light on important issues concerning police brutality and racism. Each book includes a table of contents, glossary of key words, index, author biography, sidebars, and timeline.