Call for NZ Post To Withdraw Award From Book

MEDIA RELEASE
30 June 2013
Call for NZ Post To Withdraw Award From Book

Family First is calling on NZ Post to withdraw their support and the award from Ted Dawe's Into the River book which won top prize in the annual New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards

“This is an offensive and sexually explicit book which is completely inappropriate for young people, will be shocking to most New Zealand parents, and shows that the judges of the Awards have completely lost the plot,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

“We were shocked to see the graphic sexual nature of the book and the foul language, and horrified to know that it is now an ‘award-winning’ book being stocked in school libraries and targeted at young people.”

"I think every New Zealand parent would be saying 'what were the judges thinking?’. We would also question the wisdom of the School Library Association for thinking that it might be appropriate. This is an adult book that even adults would find offensive. What other books does the Association think appropriate but parents wouldn’t?” says Mr McCoskrie.

“It appears that the author and also the judges are out to pollute the moral innocence of kids."

Family First is calling on New Zealand Post to withdraw the award, and to avoid association with the Awards until the judges show better judgement.

ENDS

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