Your One and Only Heart and The Huntington Beach Library
The debate over access to children's health books has this town headed to the ballot box.
Huntington Beach, California is known for its great surfing, golden beaches, and iconic pier. But for many locals, what comes to mind at the moment is the Huntington Beach Public Library and the upcoming special election over its future.
Our featured book for May is one of the many books that have been swept up in this controversy. Your One and Only Heart written by Rajani LaRocca, MD and illustrated by Lauren Paige Conrad, is a nonfiction picture book about the human heart. Consisting of paired poems, the book is an engaging and educational introduction to how the heart works.
So why would a children’s book about the human heart be moved to the restricted section of the library?
In 2023, the Huntington Beach City Council voted to approve Resolution 2023-41 which asserts their belief that the children’s library contains books with “explicit sexual images.” The Resolution states those books must be moved to the adult section of the library and minors may not check them out without parental or guardian consent. Since the City Council did not list specific books to back up their claims, the decision resulted in a review that led to dozens of books being classified as restricted including Your One and Only Heart.
The move sparked outrage in the local community and led to the formation of Our Library Matters, an organization that advocates for the freedom to read. We spoke with Carol Daus, 30-year resident of Huntington Beach, former board member of the local Friends of the Library nonprofit, and volunteer for Our Library Matters to learn more. She started by showing us where the restricted books were originally stored in their age appropriate section. Watch below.
We showed Your One and Only Heart to Carol to see if she knew why it had been restricted. She said it likely violated the “swimsuit rule,” meaning it contained illustrations of body parts that would be covered by a swimsuit. The image below is our best guess at what was considered explicit about Your One and Only Heart.
We’re happy to report that Your One and Only Heart, along with most of the original books on the restricted list, is back in the children’s library after public outcry. However, a handful of reproductive and sexual health books intended for pre-teens and teens remain in the adult section of the library, as Carol shows us here.
In addition to relocating content, the Resolution also established a library review board to decide what content is appropriate for minors. The board would be comprised of 21 political appointees, three per council member, and their decisions would be final with no option for public appeal.
Many believe this to be a violation of California’s Freedom to Read Act (AB 1825), and at least one group of concerned citizens has already filed a lawsuit against the city.
Others organized to gather more than 14,000 petition signatures, enough to put the Resolution up to a public vote. “I think it’s a testament to how much people in this community love their library and they don’t want their library to change,” said Daus.
In response, the City Council announced it would hold a special election on June 10, a decision that will cost the city an additional $1.3M. There are only two measures on the ballot. Measure A would repeal the library review board and Measure B would require a public vote should the City Council attempt to privatize the library.
Since special elections often see lower turnout, Our Library Matters has launched a campaign to increase community awareness. From Friday night marches to canvasing neighborhoods, Daus and other volunteers are working around the clock to rally support for the library. “We have been holding read-ins at all five of our library branches. People bring books they’re reading at home, they hand out leaflets, and engage in conversation with the public. There are a lot of people that come to the library who don’t know what’s going on.”
Daus says this election boils down to protecting a public resource from outside political and corporate interests. “This is a public library and it’s for the people. The people are the tax payers and should have a say on what’s in the library and how their library is run. We want to keep the library the way it’s always been, a public library.”
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In Our Next Newsletter
We had the opportunity to speak with Rajani LaRocca, author of Your One and Only Heart, to get her take on censorship and learn more about the impact books had on her as a child. We’ll also discuss her new book, Some of Us, which comes out later this month.
Check out her message below and pick up a copy of Your One and Only Heart at your local bookstore or library to read along with us! You can also purchase online through our affiliate Bookshop.org store. Once Upon a Ban earns a commission from sales through Bookshop.org.