"Heather and Her Critics" by Leslea Newman

Heather and Her Critics is written by Leslea Newman, a lesbian author who wrote Heather Has Two Mommies. Newman speaks about the outrageousness of banning GLBTQ literature in schools and libraries. She explains about writing her controversial book, "my goal was simply to tell a story." She had run into a lesbian couple who recently adopted a child and wished there was literature out there that they could read to their child that would reflect their family. So Newman did. She goes on to write, "Is it important for children to see their own image reflected back to themselves within the culture at large? Speaking from personal experience, my answer is a resounding YES." Personally, I would have to agree. Not every family is the same; these days the 'normal' family seems to be one that is not so typical. The traditional mom, dad, brother and sister family is becoming less and less common. So why should children's literature not reflect the changes in society?

What I like about Newman's article was that when she defended the statement she made about representing all families in children's literature is she did so using her religion, not her sexuality. That way it can give readers another perspective. She expressed that she was a young Jewish girl who grew up in a very Jewish community, surrounded by families similar to hers. yet, she still longed for a Christmas tree and an Easter egg hunt like she had seen and read about. She had never been able to see herself in the books she read, which made her feel like her family was wrong. Newman's feelings as a young girl show that there needs to be much more diversity in children's literature to represent the numerous different types of people and families today.

Newman also discusses the controversy her book has caused and points out that her book along with others in the GLBTQ category do not deal with sex, they deal with families. Furthermore, children do not perceive sex from those stories. It is the adults, who feel the GLBTQ books need to be banned, that perceive sex from the text. But, GLBTQ literature for children are not about sex they are about people who are in love with each other and their families. What is the harm in that? Her conclusion sums it up best,

"What leads you to believe that every child sitting in your child's classroom or library comes from a home with a mother and father? Why do you think that htere are no children in your child's classroom or library with lesbian or gay parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents, neighbors and friends. What messages are you giving to all children, when you pretend there is only one type of family, and render the rest invisible?"