Second-Grader's Dad Peeved Over Controversial Children's Book in Public Library

by Jim Brown
April 21, 2004

(AgapePress) - A Christian dad in Indiana wants a controversial book promoting homosexual "marriage" removed from the children's section of his local library.

"Yuck!" That's how Dustin McCollough's eight-year-old son responded after stumbling across the book Kind & King (Tricycle Press, 2003) at the Shelby County Library. The second-grader was expressing disgust with a scene in the book that depicted two princes kissing each other.

His father immediately complained to the librarian about the book's content and the fact that it was located in the book section for young children. "And I told her, I don't agree with this. I said, 'If this was on TV, I wouldn't let my children watch it. I didn't even have a clue that such a book would be in our library. It's not what we believe in. It's not what we want our children exposed to.'"

McCollough says he continued to inform why he felt so strongly why the book needed to be removed.

"I said, 'As a taxpayer, I don't believe this book should be in here. This book is not morally right. If it was a Playboy or some dirty magazine, would you have that in here?' And she said, 'Oh no, we wouldn't have anything like that.' And I said, 'Why not? You've got this filth in here.'"

The library has moved the book from the young children's section to a section for kids 8-12. However, McCollough and his wife want it completely off limits to children, so they are starting a petition that they will present to the library board next month.

King & King has been at the center of a controversy in a school library in Wilmington, North Carolina. In that situation, angry parents were successful in getting the book restricted so only adults can check it out. (See Related Article)