An 11-year-old boy reportedly found the book Nick and Charlie at his middle school library in Raymond, Maine, last month and was disturbed by the content. The book contains sexual subject matter and the age advisory is for those 14 and older. Middle schooler Knox Zajac took his concerns to the School Board of Windham Raymond School District, also known as RSU-14, in February, reading aloud what has been labeled a "pornographic" passage during the meeting.
Knox said he found the book on a stand at his middle school library and checked it out to show his dad. âWhen I rented it out and showed my dad it, the librarian asked if I wanted more and if I wanted a graphic novel version,â Knox said, according to the New York Post.
The book contains sexual subject matter.
Knox read a passage from the book at the school board meeting.
âMy back over my hips. I asked if he should take his clothes off. He was saying yes before I finished my sentence. Heâs pulling off my T-shirt, laughing when I canât undo his shirt buttons. Heâs undoing my belt. Iâm reaching into his bedside drawer for a condom,â the passage read, according to a video posted by Maine Wire.
The boy's father spoke about another book as well.
Adam Zajac addressed the school board about another book that appeared to be at the high school that his older son attends in the same school district. The book in question is a memoir titled Gender Queer. The age advisory for this book, which includes some illustrations, is 18 and older.
âWe do not need to be having literature that is showing boys how to s— d— … you may think the schools know whatâs best for our children. You know who knows best for our children? The parents,â Adam said, according to the Post.
Public opinion is divided.
Readers had mixed opinions in the comments section of the Post article. Some think more inappropriate content can be just as easily accessed online as found in the school library.
âRaise your kids right, answer their questions, have those difficult talks and your kids wonât be searching the shelves of the school library for answers," one person commented. "Also, they can access much more explicit content on the internet, which is where they spend most of their time these days.â
Many agree that not all books belong in the school library.
Others believe that certain types of content shouldnât be in the school library but also that parents should be open to answering any questions their kids may have.
âArguments about kids being able to find content in other places has nothing to do with this discussion. There are certain standards that should be in place for a library at the school that is accessible to kids of various ages," one person commented on the Post website. "I don't know where the line needs to be drawn but I don't really see a need for content like this in a school library.
"That said in my opinion it's important for parents to have conversations about these types of topic with their kids and certainly by age 12 because of the types of new feelings kids are having," the person continued. "If my kids had come across this book when they were that age we would have openly talked about it and it would have been a non issue.â
