Talking About Casual Sex
Warning: This book review, and the attached PDF, contains inappropriate topics and images for children.
Action Tip: Be aware and informed, this book is being used in public schools and libraries to indoctrinate children.
Let’s Talk About It
By Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan
Let’s Talk About It is a graphic novel (comic-style) book by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan and is published by Penguin Random House. On the front cover the book is described as, “The teen’s Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human.” On the back, it states the book is, “Open, modern, and intelligent. An essential addition to any library.” Those are the claims but, is it appropriate for school libraries, public libraries, and children? As always, that is the question I want to answer for parents as I review the book.
Kyle with a library copy of Let’s Talk About It
A Fox News story about an Alaskan school board meeting brought the book to my attention. During his chance to speak, Jay McDonald, a father with children in the school read from a portion of Let’s Talk About It, which had recently been purchased for the local school library. In the selection he read, tips are provided for sending naked pictures to friends. “This is a book for kids!” he said and then continued to read. The vice president of the board, Carl Jacobs, interrupted McDonald and would not allow him to continue. Later, the whole board voted to silence him. If a parent is forbidden to read from a book in a local school library there is a problem with the book, the school board, the school, and the library. I quickly checked out a copy of Let’s Talk About It from my local (very progressive) public library.
Usually, with books like this, I read through them taking notes. Later, I take the most problematic statements and turn them into a PDF file parents can use at public meetings. There are portions of this book that contain useful information. I found the section on giving consent and most of the aftercare section to be helpful. However, by the fourth chapter the number of problem passages and pornography images, and profanity became an issue. This review and the companion PDF will only discuss and show some of the lowlights from the text.
The first problem passage I noted was on page 16. In it a character rambles, “I know it’s sex when a penis goes inside a vagina. But what about all the other stuff? Like oral sex? Or hand jobs and fingering? Do those things count as SEX or are they, I dunno, their own subcategory….” The entire quote is included in the accompanying PDF file. On page 18 virginity is called a “silly label.” On page 45 a character states, “Sex is the label a doctor gives your body when you’re born.” On page 47 the terms male and female are called, “an obsolete viewpoint.” Perhaps the most infamous passage from this book occurs on page 165, when a character states, “there’s nothing wrong with enjoying some porn; it's a fun sugary treat!” I don’t believe that’s appropriate for a public school or library.
The book is a graphic novel so there are no photos, only cartoon drawings. Still many of them are unnecessary or pornographic. Between pages 60 and 65 there are multiple drawings of people undressing, undressed, and dancing. On page 74 there is a drawing of a woman taking a picture of her genitals. Anal sex is discussed on page 82 and shown on page 91. Additional issues are discussed in the accompanying PDF file.
Is Let’s Talk About It in your local school or public library? Have you read the book? Let us know what you think in the comment section below.
