As a parent, Virginia homeowner, taxpayer, librarian, and someone who votes in every election, I oppose this bill for a variety of reasons. Parents already have the right to have their child read something different than an assigned book. In fact, it's the parents' responsibility to approve of what your child is reading both in and out of school. When my child read The Lovely Bones in high school, it wasn't a book that I felt I could read, but I trusted his teachers for their choice. My daughter read Number the Stars, a book about the Holocaust, in elementary school, which I also read and felt it was an excellent choice. We cannot hide the realities of the world from our children. Teachers can help them understand it all and learn empathy for those who are different.