A private Christian school in Virginia is pushing fourth-graders to read a controversial book about a boy who says he’s a girl and that includes explicit descriptions of children’s genitalia.
St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School, a private Episcopalian school in Alexandria, Va., that charges more than $39,000 in tuition, sent a book list this week to the parents of fourth-graders that includes the novel Melissa, according to emails reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon. Written by “genderqueer” author Alex Gino, the book tells of a fourth-grade boy named George who believes he is a girl. The characters discuss genitalia, and the book includes graphic lines such as “what she has between her legs was nobody’s business but hers and her boyfriend.”
“She … tried not to think about what was between her legs, but there it was, bobbing in front of her,” one passage reads.
Melissa has been widely criticized since its release in 2015, facing criticism from parents who say the novel is inappropriate for young children. The book was originally titled George, but Gino changed the title to reflect the child protagonist’s trans name after facing backlash from activists.
The school’s reading list is the latest sign that the…
