The book “Melissa,” which tells the story of a fourth-grader named George who wants to transition to female, was moved from the children’s section to the teens’ section of all Newport Beach city libraries after a vote by the library board on April 15. Concerns were raised by residents and parents about inappropriate books with sexual content in the children’s section, prompting requests for the books to be relocated since last summer.
Newport Beach resident and parent, Haley Jenkins, discovered a book discussing transgenderism in the children’s section after her daughter found it. The book, titled “It’s Perfectly Normal,” contained graphic sexual illustrations that were deemed unsuitable for young children. Jenkins and other parents requested several books to be moved out of the children’s section, but their requests were initially denied by the library’s director, Melissa Hartson.
After creating a process for appeals, the library board reviewed and voted on moving “Melissa” and “Prince & Knight” by Alex Gino. “Melissa” was ultimately relocated to the teens’ section, while “Prince & Knight” remained in the kids’ section. During the public comment portion of the meeting, Jenkins emphasized her objection was not about LGBT content but about protecting children from accessing inappropriate material.
The library controversies in Newport Beach coincide with the introduction of Assembly Bill 1825, also known as the California Freedom to Read Act, which aims to prevent libraries from banning books based on content. Jenkins expressed concerns about the bill removing local control over library materials. She clarified that her requests were not bans but simply a call to move certain books to more appropriate sections within the library. Please rewrite this sentence.
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