Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ember; Reprint edition (February 20, 2018)
Book Rating Review: https://tinyurl.com/54mz2tkt
Texas Report:  https://tinyurl.com/mt8jn7ea
 
From Mesa County D51 parent.
 
The child referred to as "A" for confidentiality
If your child is given pornographic material to read or sexually explicit lyrics or grooming languange for Social-Emotional-Learning- press charges. It is against the law to provide sexual materials to minors.
Yes, some teachers aren't paying attention and they are good educators, well, we need them to watch out for this material and think twice before going along with the NEA and pedophilia program.
"Mrs C,
I am writing to you in regards to the book "A" has been assigned to read in your class called Optimists Die First. She came home yesterday and told me that she read something that made her feel uncomfortable and that she wanted to wash her eyes out, I asked her what she read and she didn’t even want to say it so she let me read the pages. It talked about how two teenagers were alone in the boys house and he put his hand up her shirt and touches her and then later that night she goes to bed with her hands inside her “granny panties”.
I was shocked and decided to do a quick search online to find out more about the book and saw the same thing in every review, teenage sex. I immediately started skimming through the book and couldn’t believe this book was assigned to my 12 year old daughter. Teenagers having sex and talking about how to put on condoms, getting on the pill so she can keep having sex, having her “orifices probed”, and the excerpt at the end of the book is talking about how their dad had to move out because he told his mom he was gay. I had hoped that maybe this book was assigned by accident until "A" told me about a different book that her friend was assigned that goes into detail about lesbian sex.
Needless to say, I am beyond livid and so upset that this kind of material is being assigned to 11 and 12 year old children! This year has been difficult for "A" because she has been exposed to so many things from her peers that have led to so many uncomfortable conversations about things I really don’t think 12 year olds have any business knowing about. It makes me sad that now it’s happening at the hands of her teachers. There are things in this book "A" knows nothing about and shouldn’t know about because she is still a child! I’m thankful that she feels comfortable talking to me and came to me before she read any further into this book.
I am wondering who in their right mind is deciding that these kids should be reading books that glorify teenagers having sex? Out of all the thousands of books out there that would be appropriate for their age and leave out all the sexual content, why are these books being assigned to our children? Would you show a movie in class with this kind of content? I believe that answer is no so why is it in the books they are assigned to read? I wonder how many other parents would be upset if they knew this is what their children were being forced to read.
"A" will not be reading another page of this book so I would like her to get an alternative assignment, please let me know what that is so I can help her complete it if need be."