Todd Parr Explains Book, Families to Illinois Adults Who Don’t Understand Them

Author Todd Parr has responded with the video below to the banning of his The Family Book by an Illinois school board. They banned the book after some parents complained about a page that says, “Some families have two moms or two dads.” Todd Parr is awesome.

Not so awesome? The fact that the district is now banning all materials endorsed by the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), of which The Family Book is one. These include “learning materials and various programs aimed at preventing bullying,” reports WHBF (which mistakenly calls the organization “GLISEN”).

Lest we castigate the whole town, however, note that mom Lindsay Brookhart, an Erie resident, told WHBF that she feels the community needs to acknowledge the diversity in its school and make all children feel accepted.  “If you don’t have that platform to stand on then you’re not going to teach your children to be compassionate and caring towards others,” she said.

The Windy City Times has more details on the situation, including the district superintendent’s recommendation to the school board to ban the materials, despite a recommendation from an evaluation committee to keep them.

Change.org has a petition asking the school board to reverse the ban.

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