Parents and educators urge board not to remove picture book 'Prince and Night'

Several residents used the public-comment period at the March 5 MSAD 11 school board meeting to defend a picture book singled out on social media. Parent and community speakers said the book—about a prince and a knight who fall in love after a quest—teaches bravery, friendship and empathy and should not be removed from school libraries because the protagonists are same-sex.

Doug Skully, who said he lives in Pixton and has a child in the district, told the board that social-media posts framing the book as "grooming and indoctrination" mischaracterize its content. "Prince and Night is essentially a story about a prince who goes on a quest to defeat a dragon and prove he can be a brave hero…Removing it because the main characters are two men does not protect children," Skully said.

Jane Beckwith, who described herself as a Gardener Area High School graduate and Boston University School of Law alumnus with language-learning experience, said she reviewed a library-system evaluation and a reading of the book and found it "beautifully illustrated" and age-appropriate. Beckwith asked the board to avoid policies that would "deny and erase the existence of LGBTQ people."

Context and procedure: Commenters referenced a board member’s social-media post criticizing the book; the speakers framed their remarks as appeals to the board’s responsibility to review instructional materials thoughtfully. No formal motion or board action to remove or restrict the book was recorded during the meeting.

What’s next: The board did not vote on the book during the meeting. Public speakers requested that the district retain access to diverse books and ensure that any policy or review remains grounded in age-appropriateness and educational criteria.