MrsSpringsteen
Blue Crack Addict
Check out all the stories, she seems pretty obsessed with this book. Hey it can get dull in Lewiston, Maine..
Lewiston Woman Facing Jail Over Book - Portland News Story - WMTW Portland
Today
LEWISTON, Maine -- A judge has ordered a Lewiston to return a book to the local library and pay $100.
JoAn Karkos is refusing to return the book "It's Perfectly Normal" saying it is pornographic.
Karkos is being held in contempt of court.
The judge is letting her sit at the courthouse and think about it until the end of the day before sending her to jail.
Karkos maintains she didn't commit a crime.
Sept 18th 2007
LEWISTON, Maine -- A Lewiston woman who said she was "horrified" by the content of an acclaimed sex education book has checked out copies from two libraries and refuses to give them back.
JoAn Karkos made her feelings known in letters to the Lewiston and Auburn public libraries. Each letter was accompanied by a check for $20.95 to cover the cost of the book, "It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex and Sexual Health."
In one letter, Karkos wrote, “I have been sufficiently horrified of the illustrations and sexually graphic, amoral, abnormal contents. I will not be returning the books.”
Lewiston library director Rick Speer returned the check, along with a form Karkos could use to request that the book be removed from the shelves. But he said he may seek help from police if she doesn't return what she borrowed.
Spper on Tuesday told News 8, "This is a first. We've never had someone come in take it out, remove it on their own accord and decide no one else can have it."
Robie H. Harris' book was published in 1993 and features frank but cartoon-like illustrations of naked people in chapters on topics that include abstinence, masturbation and sexually transmitted diseases. Its publisher said it has been sold in 25 countries and translated into 21 languages.
In a 2001 interview, Robie said, “A number of people told me not to put in abortion, that we would sell less books, that it would be controversial. Any book on sex in the USA is controversial if it has to do with reproduction and about making choices. I knew it was important to present both sides of the issue -- pro-choice, pro-life. If I left it out, or if we left out particular drawings or other topics -- I mentioned sexual abuse or sexually transmitted diseases -- it would be saying, ‘We can’t talk about those things. You shouldn’t know about them.’"
She added, “Our kids already know about 99.9 percent of this stuff. What concerned me is that they have a lot of misinformation, no matter how much they tell us, and I wanted them to get accurate information. So I think the litmus test for me was, ‘What’s in the best interest of the child? What’s going to help a child stay healthy?’”
The book topped the American Library Association's list of the most frequently challenged books of 2005, where it was cited for homosexuality, nudity, sex education, abortion, its religious viewpoint and being unsuited for its intended age group.
Karkos could not be reached for comment.
Lewiston Woman Facing Jail Over Book - Portland News Story - WMTW Portland
Today
LEWISTON, Maine -- A judge has ordered a Lewiston to return a book to the local library and pay $100.
JoAn Karkos is refusing to return the book "It's Perfectly Normal" saying it is pornographic.
Karkos is being held in contempt of court.
The judge is letting her sit at the courthouse and think about it until the end of the day before sending her to jail.
Karkos maintains she didn't commit a crime.
Sept 18th 2007
LEWISTON, Maine -- A Lewiston woman who said she was "horrified" by the content of an acclaimed sex education book has checked out copies from two libraries and refuses to give them back.
JoAn Karkos made her feelings known in letters to the Lewiston and Auburn public libraries. Each letter was accompanied by a check for $20.95 to cover the cost of the book, "It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex and Sexual Health."
In one letter, Karkos wrote, “I have been sufficiently horrified of the illustrations and sexually graphic, amoral, abnormal contents. I will not be returning the books.”
Lewiston library director Rick Speer returned the check, along with a form Karkos could use to request that the book be removed from the shelves. But he said he may seek help from police if she doesn't return what she borrowed.
Spper on Tuesday told News 8, "This is a first. We've never had someone come in take it out, remove it on their own accord and decide no one else can have it."
Robie H. Harris' book was published in 1993 and features frank but cartoon-like illustrations of naked people in chapters on topics that include abstinence, masturbation and sexually transmitted diseases. Its publisher said it has been sold in 25 countries and translated into 21 languages.
In a 2001 interview, Robie said, “A number of people told me not to put in abortion, that we would sell less books, that it would be controversial. Any book on sex in the USA is controversial if it has to do with reproduction and about making choices. I knew it was important to present both sides of the issue -- pro-choice, pro-life. If I left it out, or if we left out particular drawings or other topics -- I mentioned sexual abuse or sexually transmitted diseases -- it would be saying, ‘We can’t talk about those things. You shouldn’t know about them.’"
She added, “Our kids already know about 99.9 percent of this stuff. What concerned me is that they have a lot of misinformation, no matter how much they tell us, and I wanted them to get accurate information. So I think the litmus test for me was, ‘What’s in the best interest of the child? What’s going to help a child stay healthy?’”
The book topped the American Library Association's list of the most frequently challenged books of 2005, where it was cited for homosexuality, nudity, sex education, abortion, its religious viewpoint and being unsuited for its intended age group.
Karkos could not be reached for comment.