In response to an American Library Association executive's recent claim that libraries across the nation should be used for socialist activism, at least one book publisher is pushing back forcefully.
CEO Trent Talbot of the Texas-based Brave Books, as well as Texas Rep. Steve Toth (R-The Woodlands), held a book reading on Saturday, Sept. 23, to share a far different point of view. Talbot and Toth read "The Island of Free Ice Cream" by Jack Posobiec and "The Test of Lionhood" by Kevin Sorbo — two children's books published by Brave Books that share messages of personal freedom and other traditional values.
Both books are published by Brave Books, a children's book publisher that aims to "inspire young minds with pro-God, pro-America stories for a brighter future," according to its website.
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Actor, writer and producer Kirk Cameron, whose books are published by Brave Books, had been scheduled to attend the reading in person but instead made a virtual appearance when travel issues prevented his in-person attendance.
In a video shown at the event, Cameron greeted everyone in attendance.
"Thank you so much for coming this morning, and thank you for bringing your kids," said Cameron in the video message shown at the event in The Woodlands, a city in Texas near Houston.
"Be encouraged by the words of our Founding Father Samuel Adams, who said, ‘It does not take a majority to prevail, but rather, an irate, tireless minority keen on setting brush fires of freedom in the minds of men,'" said Cameron, noting that he would also add "brush fires of faith" to that sentiment.
"We live in the greatest country in the world," said Cameron.
"We will continue to leave a legacy of liberty for our children."
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American Library Association (ALA) President Emily Drabinski — a self-proclaimed Marxist — stated on September 2 that she believed libraries should be a place of socialist organizing.
Since Drabinski's election to the head of the ALA, the largest nonprofit trade organization for libraries, multiple states including Texas have cut ties with the organization.
"The president of the American Library Association, Emily Drabinski, has done us a great favor," said Cameron in comments shared with Fox News Digital.
"Her openness about turning our public libraries and schools into ‘sites of socialist organizing’ for the purpose of teaching our children anti-American, anti-Christian ideas is so helpful in fanning the fire of revival that is sweeping across our land," he said.
In a statement provided to Fox News Digital, the American Library Association described itself as "a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization."
"While we respect the rights of individuals to exercise their freedom of thought and expression, ALA does not align with, endorse or promote the political beliefs, values or ideologies of any one individual — including its elected leaders and members."
It went on, "ALA is guided by a single mission: ‘to provide leadership for the development, promotion, and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.'"
One of the books read at the story hour on Saturday by the Brave Books team, "The Island of Free Ice Cream," has an anti-socialism message.
Talbot of Brave Books said Drabinski's take on what libraries in America should be doing is a way of getting "Christian conservatives to wake up," he told Fox News Digital.
"If we don't fight for these institutions like our libraries and public education, they will be lost in short order, and once they are gone, they will be near impossible to win back," he said.
"If we want to see a shift in our culture, we have to create the culture we want for our kids."
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The Woodlands Pride, which describes itself on its website as an organization whose "mission is to connect, celebrate, educate and foster relationships in the LGBTQIA community while promoting equality, unity, and love in The Woodlands and beyond," planned a counter-protest for the event.
The event, "Popsicles with Pride," involved a book drive and free popsicles.
"Join us for this pop-up even as we kick off collecting inclusive reading materials for The Montgomery County Memorial Library System," said the Facebook page for the event. "Drop off a donation or just pop by and have a popsicle!"
Fox News Digital reached out to The Woodlands Pride for comment but did not hear back by time of publication.
Actor, writer and producer Cameron, who's been traveling across the country discussing faith, family and country with scores of American parents and children, released his own new book on June 1 called "Pride Comes Before the Fall."
"It's fun and full of action and adventure — and the kids are loving it," he told Fox News Digital recently.
Also, said Cameron, "with a nation that is so saturated with the idea that pride is a good thing, the Bible warns us that pride is the deadliest of the seven deadly sins. Before greed, gluttony, sloth, wrath, envy and lust — is pride."
It's "the mother vice that gives birth to all the other dangerous things on the list," he said.
Cameron's first book with Brave Books was "As You Grow," which was published last December. He said he undertook these efforts to "fight back" against a toxic and "dangerous" culture in America of late. "We're seeing that the education of children is critically important for the future," he previously told Fox News Digital.
Maureen Mackey of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.
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