Strange

Judge orders woman to return library books

by Jason Sanders | August 28, 2008 at 03:34 pm

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JoAn Karkos took out two copies of “It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex and Sexual Health”, a sex education book for kids, late last year and refused to return them, saying, “I have been sufficiently horrified of the illustrations and sexually graphic, amoral, abnormal contents. I will not be returning the books.”

In a 2001 interview, the author, Robie Harris, did recognize that his work would be controversial, but mentioned that any sex education material for kids would stir up strong feelings.

Any book on sex in the USA is controversial if it has to do with reproduction and about making choices. I knew it was important to present both sides of the issue -- pro-choice, pro-life. If I left it out, or if we left out particular drawings or other topics -- I mentioned sexual abuse or sexually transmitted diseases -- it would be saying, ‘We can’t talk about those things. You shouldn’t know about them.’"

Karkos is not alone in her opposition to the book, as it "topped the American Library Association's list of the most frequently challenged books of 2005"; but she will be alone in jail: