Parents Don’t Want ‘Woke’ Books in Schools

Many parents are concerned about the books provided to children in schools and libraries, especially those promoting “woke” progressive beliefs about sexuality and racial issues.

A new national telephone and online survey by children’s book publisher Heroes of Liberty and Rasmussen Reports finds that 52% of moderate and conservative parents and grandparents are afraid of their child or grandchild being exposed to inappropriate material in public school this year.Thirty-six percent (36%) are not. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Fifty-two percent (52%) don’t think children should be exposed to Critical Race Theory (CRT) in school before age 16, including 42% who don’t think children should be exposed to CRT at all. Similarly, 58% don’t think children should be exposed to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) lifestyles before age 16, including 28% who don’t think children should be exposed to LGBT lifestyles at all.

Fifty-eight percent (58%) want children’s books to reflect more conservative values and two-thirds (67%) of the parents and grandparents said they would want to read books before allowing their children or grandchildren to read them.

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it’s in the news, it’s in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

The survey of 774 Conservative and Moderate American Parents and Grandparents, selected from a weighted sample of 4,423 American Adults, was conducted on August 22-23, 2021 by Heroes of Liberty and Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Some major children’s book publishers are now targeting progressive themes about race and sexuality toward children as young as age three. “There is something deeply disturbing within children’s book publishing,” explained Heroes of Liberty editor and board member Bethany Mandel. “Instead of teaching children lessons about morality, publishers, literary agents, everyone in the industry are dedicated to one mission: indoctrinating our children with wokeness. … We created Heroes of Liberty to create a new bookshelf for American children – literature that reflects American values.”

Fifty-five percent (55%) of Republican parents and grandparents don’t believe children of any age should be exposed to Critical Race Theory, a view shared by 46% of those not affiliated with either major party and 20% of Democrats.

Among other findings of the survey:

– A majority (52%) want children’s books to be more patriotic, including 73% of Republicans, 40% of Democrats and 43% of those not affiliated with either major party.

– Sixty-two percent (62%) of Republicans, 51% of Democrats and 59% of the unaffiliated parents and grandparents say age 16 is soon enough to expose children to LGBT lifestyles. Only 24% believe it is appropriate to expose children to LGBT lifestyles by age 10.

– Only 26% of Republican parents and grandparents felt it was appropriate to expose children to Critical Race Theory by age 10, a view shared by 30% of those not affiliated with either party. But among Democrats, 62% think it it’s appropriate to expose children to CRT by age 10.

– Eighty-one percent (81%) say religion is important to their families, including 55% who say religion is Very Important.

Among those who say religion is Very Important to their families, 62% say age 16 is soon enough to expose children to LGBT lifestyles, and 59% are afraid of their child or grandchild being exposed to inappropriate material in public school this year.

Heroes of Liberty is an all-new book series of illustrated biographies for children. The first three books in the series feature former President Ronald Reagan, economist Thomas Sowell and Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett. “While the fight for the future of public education continues, we the parents are still and always are responsible for the values and culture our kids get at home, where our children get at least half of their education,” Mandel said.

Most Americans believe parents are right to be concerned about controversial teaching in public schools, and reject the claim that these are “phony” issues.

The federal Department of Justice is investigating alleged threats against local school officials, but most voters agree that recent parent protests are “clearly protected by the First Amendment.”

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to the public as well as to Platinum Members.

Please sign up for the Rasmussen Reports daily e-mail update (it’s free) or follow us on Facebook. Let us keep you up to date with the latest public opinion news.