The 155 Books North Carolina Doesn't Want You To Read
Regulating curriculum wasn't enough. Now legislators want to control school libraries.
It may not be October but legislators in North Carolina have been on a witch hunt.
Their “Parents’ Bill of Rights” (S.B. 49), which was voted into law by the NC General Assembly in 2023 after being vetoed by Governor Roy Cooper, prohibits instruction on gender identity and sexuality. Now they want to extend those regulations to school libraries. What’s got them so spooked?
Children’s picture books featuring families with two moms or two dads.
Their wrath has been focused on Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS), a top performing district in the state. The Superintendent has been called in for not one, but two hearings about the inclusion of books that feature anything but the traditional nuclear family in school libraries.
When questioned about the book Grandad’s Pride, CHCCS Superintendent Trice responded, “I see community. I see two couples who appear to be in a loving relationship. They’re not breaking any laws. They’re not hurting anyone. That’s certainly something a child may see in their community.”
After last week’s hearing ended, Republican Chairman Rep. Brenden Jones announced that he had filed an amendment to S.B. 49 that would include all educational materials. If passed, this amendment would open school districts up to investigation and allow for State funding to be withheld if they’re found to be out of compliance.
For maximum drama, he named the bill the “Curriculum Honesty, Compliance, and Child Safety or CHCCS Act.” If that acronym looks familiar, you’re right. Yes, he intentionally named it after the school district and yes, we’re rolling our eyes.
Ahead of the hearing, lawmakers sent Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools a list of 155 books they believe violate the Parents’ Bill of Rights and would need to be removed from school libraries should the bill pass.
Here are three of the books the North Carolina GOP doesn’t want your family to read.
My Mommies Built a Treehouse by Gareth Peter
A young boy achieves his dream of building a treehouse with the help of his two Moms. This book is “proof that when you have big dreams, those dreams can fill the sky.”
Harriet Gets Carried Away by Jessie Sima
A shopping trip for party hats with her Dads turns into a grand adventure to Antarctica in this story about a young girl’s imagination.
Stella Brings the Family by Miriam B. Schiffer
Stella, a girl with two Dads, is worried about who she can bring to the upcoming Mother’s Day Celebration at her school. After sharing her worries with her friends, she realizes she has several family members who support her and she decides to bring them all to the celebration.
We’ve read all three books to our family. Besides our kids now wanting a treehouse in our yard that does not currently have a large tree, these books have only helped by showing our kids that families can come in all shapes and sizes.
What happens in one state, tends to show up in another. If you’re in North Carolina, now is a great time to call your reps to tell them to vote no on H.B. 1043.
Head over to your local library or bookstore to pick up a copy of these books. You can also visit our affiliate store on Bookshop.org.