Rush Limbaugh selection in children’s book competition causes a stir
(CNN) - Rush Limbaugh - radio host, conservative firebrand and... children's book author of the year?
The Children’s Book Council and its Every Child a Reader program released on Thursday their author-of-the-year finalists for their annual Children’s and Teen Choice Book Awards.
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Limbaugh is one of the four finalists, and his nomination has prompted outrage on social media, given the host’s often-incendiary nature.
Limbaugh's book is titled, "Rush Revere and The Brave Pilgrims: Time-Travel Adventures with Exceptional Americans" – a time-traveling tale of colonial America and the latest of two books in the "Rush Revere Series" published last year by Simon & Schuster.
Limbaugh, an outspoken figure in the political world, often expresses controversial sentiments on his radio program. Recently, Limbaugh blasted Pope Francis' economic views as "pure Marxism," and, in 2012, he called Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke a "slut" and "prostitute" for her support of women's access to birth control.
The Children’s Book Council issued a public letter, posted to its website and Facebook page, defending its finalist selection process following the uproar online and insisting that the author of the year finalists "are determined solely based on titles’ performances on the bestseller lists."
"Some of you have voiced concerns over the selection of finalists from bestseller lists, which you feel are potentially-manipulable indications of the success of a title. We can take this into consideration going forward, but cannot change our procedure for selecting finalists after the fact," the organization said in the letter.
The CBC letter goes on to say the kids, who will start voting next week, ultimately decide which author wins in each of the six categories, including best author. The letter goes on to assure that the organization has a procedure in place to protect against fraud and adult's voting in the contest.
"This program has never been about CBC or ECAR endorsing finalists," the letter says.
Limbaugh touted the apparent success of his book series on his radio program on Thursday.
"We just found out last night that on the New York Times Best-Seller List of March the 30th, ‘Rush Revere and the First Patriots’ will open at number one, and ‘Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims’ moves up to number four," said, according to a transcript of the audio.
Limbaugh’s book landed at the number-5 spot on the New York Times best seller’s list for the week of March 23.
CNN's Dana Davidsen contributed to this report.
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For all the people that claim Rush is a hate-monger, I've seen more hate on one page of this commentary than an entire day's worth of transcripts from Rush Limbaugh's radio program.
I think it is blatently obvious who is really acting like haters and who isn't. Before you accuse people that you disagree with stuff of being all kinds of things maybe you should look in a mirror.
I love all these tolerant liberals. Fire teacher, close publishing companies, ban and burn the books. I think it is a shame that a truthful history book are only now getting to the kids, this way they can see who the real hate and intolerance ones are. IT IS THOSE ON THE LEFT, THE LIBERALS, THE DEMOCRATS, YES THE REAL HATERS AND BIGOTS OF THE WORLD. LIBERALS, I AM SURE YOU ARE PROUD OF YOUR LEGACY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i have read them and we need more of books like these for all Americans to read. burn the book? better watch out or you will be the one ending up getting burned up. silly person
Wrong. It wasn't about access. It was about getting free birth control.
No diversity of thought or tolerance of opposing views ALLOWED by the Left? That seems very closed minded and controlling. How is someone to have true intelligence and critical thinking skills without being exposed to all sides of an argument, or to ever ponder views other than your own???
Lynda/Minnesota
I didn't know that children's books have a "50 going on 3" age category group. Does the main
character ... what is his name? Ah, yes ... Rush Revere ... have the same facial characteristics as the author?
Looks like a lot of stooges have once again been "stooged" by the real life character.
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I see no one ever did answer my question from this a.m., so I'll repeat it: does the main character resemble Rush Limbaugh?
Limbaugh belongs in prison for hate speech. He should not be allowed to write books for children, considering the hateful things he says.
People will hate no matter what. Deal with it. Hell odumbo won a Nobel Peace Prize for what I don't know. So what. Good for Rush.
The "progressive" (see Regressive) liberals can't afford to have truth and common sense exposed to America's youth.
Their agenda will fall flat on it's communistic face, if young people are taught the truth about the nation's founding and it's
exceptionalism on the world stage. After all you can't control a free willed populous.
I thought CNN had fact checkers. Fluke wanted us to pay for her birth control. Nobody was denying her access to birth control, only to our wallets.
What I find fascinating is that America's "free" press is apparently filled with people, all calling themselves "liberals, who really only want people who agree WITH THEM to be "allowed" to participate in our culture.
What a putrid swamp of empty, malevolent vanity!
If is not a comic book so other than the cover it is all about the words. It is an accurate retelling of American history at a level that is suitable for kids without the "hate America" bias of the left. Before you go negative, get a copy and read it. I did before I bought copies for my nieces and nephews.
The protests are based on the spurious nature of the dems and liberals, and not on truth. The left is afraid of truth, pure and simple. And Limbaush epitomizes truth against the left and they can't handle that except to demonize Limbaugh. He may at times be a bit bombastic, but his message is correct.
Congrats Rush!!!!
the only people upset are the libs
in the liberal mindset there is no room for any conservative thought or discussion. can't let the facts get in the way of reality.
So I read a lot about follow the money. All proceeds are donated to charity.
Liberals are livid because the book honors the founders of America.
I bought Rush's first book for all 12 of our Grandchildren. It is wonderful, accurate and entertaining history. The kids loved it. Rush is the best thing that has happened to radio and it's delightful to see the libs so jealous of him and his success.
Absolutely not a smidgen of bias in the article...
mjbrin: you have a good lesson for your kid: "Judge a book by its cover"
You can always trust the liberals . . . to be damn fools.
There's nothing political about the book. THose who oppose it by the mere fact that Rush is the author, not only show their bias, but I dare say their racism. Are they opposing him because he's white?
I'm a teacher, and I think the books are wondeeful! Uh oh, guess I'll be
getting fired now. Ah, Happyspeak! Guess I'll change my name to
Carter Winston now.
The kids will start to vote next week....So I guess SEIU will got out the vote buses and 40 year old children will vote multiple times.