KOOTENAI COUNTY, Idaho — Kootenai County sheriff Robert Norris said he's been hearing community concerns around books with explicit and sexual content since winter 2022.
He said community members have alerted him to hundreds of books that carries, what is believed, to be inappropriate content.
He began looking into these claims to see what some were raising concerns over. He started his search, looking for a 1999 book, titled, 'Deal With It! A whole new approach to your body, brain and life as a gurl,' and a 2008 book, titled, 'Identical.'
The books at the Post Falls and Hayden libraries were checked out, but he said people in the community told him they had copies for him to review.
The copies of the books belong to the Post Falls library. He said he read both in full and found both books contained content he believed violated Idaho state law.
Idaho statute title 18 chapter 15 states, "a person is guilty of disseminating material harmful to minors when, any book, pamphlet, magazine, printed matter however reproduced, or sound recording which contains any matter enumerated in paragraph (a) hereof, or explicit and detailed verbal descriptions or narrative accounts of sexual excitement, sexual conduct or sadomasochistic abuse and which, taken as a whole, is harmful to minors."
"Page 88 of this book [Deal With It!], certainly fits the criteria of being against the law in the state of Idaho," Sheriff Norris said.
He said the book's distribution could have harmful effects on the community and the young people who read it.
"Are we going to come breaking down your door? No, but if that situation leads to an environment that this child is experimenting on other children, the neighborhood or siblings or relatives, there will be criminal responsibility for that," Norris said.
He said possible offenses could result in consequences as serious as one year in jail for parents.
The page of concern does have descriptive and detailed explanations of sexual acts.
Rebecca Odes, co-author of 'Deal With It!', said the book is an honest, collection of conversations from young people at the time.
"All of the quotes that are in the book, were existing conversations between teenage girls, and we use those to shape the actual structure and content of the book," Odes explained. "So we weren't introducing any material that wasn't already in the minds and lives of these girls."
Odes said she can understand the anxieties that come with being a parent of a teenager because she has a 17-year-old daughter, herself.
"I believe, both as an author and a parent, that information does not lead to action, it actually can be a deterrent, when the information is given really clearly, and kids actually understand what they would be getting into," Odes shared.
On Amazon, the book is listed as reading ages 14 and older, and for grades 10 to 12. Odes said she believes this is still appropriate more than 20 years since her book's publication.
"We definitely believe that it's not for younger teenagers, but I think teens are getting this information in a way that they don't know what to do with," Odes said. "So, for us, it's about helping them make sense of it and feel some sense of agency in in the choices that they make."
Norris said he has a 14 and 15-year-old at home and would not want them reading either of the books he came across.
"This goes beyond what sexual health and sexual reproductive health is," Norris said.
While Norris disapproves of the content, he said he isn't calling for the books to be taken off library shelves.
He said the books should be put into a more age-appropriate location.
"All's we're asking for doesn't call for banning of books, and it doesn't call for a restriction on what you can buy," Norris said. "Only if it has sexual explicit content. It'd be in an area for 18 and over."
The Post Falls library operates under the Community Library Network.
The CLN materials selection policy explains the criteria for books to be admitted to library shelves.
Part of the policy speaks directly to Idaho Statute 18-1515, stating, "Forms of expression that are unprotected by the First Amendment will not knowingly be included in the collection. Unprotected materials are those that have been declared obscene by a U.S. Court of Law. Materials for minors under the age of eighteen (18) that violate Idaho Codes 18-1513, 18-1514, and 18-1515 will be excluded from the juvenile and young adult collections."
In a statement from the CLN director, Alexa Eccles, claims 'Deal With It!' is classified as "young adult non-fiction."
"Deal with It! A Whole New Approach to Your Body, Brain, and Life as a Gurl," book was originally published in 1999, the book was added to the Post Falls Library in 2006. The city-funded Post Falls Library consolidated and became part of the Community Library Network on October 1, 2010, bringing the facility and all materials into the Network. 17 years in circulation the book has seen 42 uses. The audience for this book is grades 10-12. Currently, the only copy of the book is unavailable as it has reached long overdue lost status.
The book is classified by Community Library Network as young adult non-fiction. CLNs current minor card type child limited would not allow access to this item in the collection. Minors must have parent or legal guardian authorization to sign up for a library card. The parent or legal guardian is responsible for all content checked out to minors."
CLN libraries do offer child-limited library cards.
There is a form for people to submit requests for reconsiderations of materials in CLN libraries.
CLN policy states it is illegal to steal books from the library.
Norris said he was told people purchased the two copies of 'Deal With It!' and 'Identical' currently in his possession.
The Post Falls library reports 'Identical' has been checked out, but 'Deal With It!' is considered long overdue lost and was not purchased.
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