A conservative media and education organization is tackling a mainstay of woke children’s content and offering a patriotic, unproblematic alternative to the Scholastic Book Fair. PragerU’s children’s division is in the process of launching its own book fair program at schools and libraries across the U.S., in an effort to keep children safe from woke messaging. Breitbart News editor-in-chief Alex Marlow spoke this week with Jill Simonian, director of outreach for PragerU Kids, about the new book fairs and the dangers posed by Scholastic.

“Let’s just talk about … the toys in the books. That to me is a wonderful example of the watering down of education, the lowering of standards, the dumbing down of children’s minds,” Simonian began, warning that Scholastic Book Fairs are “not feeding the minds of children in a healthy way.” While Scholastic does offer some “upstanding, decent” books, Simonian warned that parents are often unaware of the leftist, racially-discriminatory, and pro-LGBT content that Scholastic promotes to children.

“It is tilted so far woke, under a veil of inclusion and diversity and equity and all of these labels that we are all — most of us — are now wise to,” she said. The PragerU official cited the example of a children’s book alternatively called either “Melissa” or “George,” about a biological boy who wants to transition his gender. The book is marketed to fourth graders. “Scholastic is publishing these books and it’s putting them in its book fairs and they’re touting them as these American Library Association Award-winning materials for young readers, and it is the opposite of that. Parents have no idea because it is under the radar.”

Marlow noted that Scholastic also offers a number of children’s books on “anti-racism,” which he said is “just trying to teach our kids that they are racist.” One book, he observed, is simply titled, “This Book Is Anti-Racist.” Another, entitled “Reconquista,” encourages ethnic minorities to “re-conquer” the U.S. and drive out Christian, European influences. Simonian also castigated the book, which she said is “basically destroying any and all notion of [being] united as Americans, together as one, ‘E pluribus unum’ values, all of these things.” The book is designed for eight-year-old readers, she noted. “When you get to young kids like that, eight years old — but maybe they’re seven or even if they’re 10, they’re still young kids — you start implementing those types of radical thoughts in their head, and it’s damaging their brains.”

The PragerU Kids Book Fair, on the other hand, features books chronicling the adventures of America’s Founders and national heroes. The fair showcases the “Otto’s Tales” series for young readers, looking at American achievements like the Hoover Dam and Mount Rushmore, the history of the Statue of Liberty and Flag Day, and the famous voyage of Christopher Columbus. The “Trailblazers of America” series follows the adventures of Wilderness Road pioneer Daniel Boone, planter John “Johnny Appleseed” Chapman, explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, “King of the Wild Frontier” Davey Crockett, Major-General John C. Frémont, Gold Rush legend John Sutter, and runaway slave-turned-U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves.

The “U.S. Presidents” series spotlights early leaders like George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison, all the way through over 200 years of America’s history, ending with the late George H.W. Bush. Middle school students are introduced to the cultures and struggles of other nations — like communism and the battle for free speech in North Korea and Hong Kong or the high cost of “free” health care in Canada — in the “Around the World” series. The “Street Smarts: Civics Edition” book teaches adolescents and teens the basics of U.S. government and civics and “Cash Course” focuses on the basics of financial literacy. The “Honest Book of America’s Founders” introduces readers to key figures who founded the nation, studies pivotal moments in the Revolutionary War, and includes activities centered on celebrating Independence Day.

The PragerU Kids Book Fair kit includes multiple copies of 16 titles (amounting to a total of 44 copies) and a special stand so that the books can be introduced and read in classrooms and libraries. Parents and educators are invited to apply for a free book fair kit or to purchase their own. Simonian encouraged parents not to allow woke and progressive educators and librarians to dominate children’s book fairs, but to instead “bring your courage” and question the content being introduced to children and recommend non-problematic alternatives.

“I’m not saying go in there guns blazing. I’ve been there. I’ve done that. It doesn’t end well. We’ve gotta be a little diplomatic now,” she advised. “In this age of inclusion, I say ask them why certain books are not included under this philosophy of inclusion. Ask them why certain books are necessary. Ask them why. What is the educational purpose of certain material, certain books?” she suggested. “Introduce offerings, maybe through volunteering or taking books to your kid’s classroom and offering them to the teacher. I mean, we’ve got dozens and dozens of books here that you can do, but ask questions and don’t be afraid anymore.” Too many parents, Simonian observed, are still concerned about being “judged” by their children’s teachers. She said, “We’re way, way, way, way past that.”

Simonian noted that while those on the political Left “inject” their politics into children’s content, conservatives simply remove political bias, instead of replacing left-wing ideology with right-wing ideology. “It’s something that we’re falsely accused of all the time,” she said. “When I first came here, it used to bother me, why are we being accused? But it’s literally — they’re literally lies.” Simonian recounted that she has frequently challenged those on the opposite end of the political spectrum to identify even one problematic piece of content in PragerU Kids books. The only item they name, she said, is religious content and faith-based values. “That’s the only time when I find myself at a loss to respond. But my response is, ‘If you cannot include God, then what is the point of having this whole philosophy of inclusion throughout our schools?’”

Late in 2023, Scholastic faced backlash from parents for including woke content aimed at children at book fairs. While the publishing and book sales giant initially agreed to filter its woke content into a separate section of its book fairs, Scholastic quickly faced pressure from teachers and teachers’ unions and undid its prior decision, prompting conservatives to consider alternatives to the classic Scholastic Book Fairs. The company’s CEO, Ellie Badger, even apologized to “diverse” readers who were offended by the initial decision to “segregate” problematic content. “We will find an alternate way to get a greater range of books into the hands of children,” she said, emphasizing the company’s commitment to LGBT authors. “We pledge to stand with you as we redouble our efforts to combat the laws restricting children’s access to books.”