.Most Controversial Book: And they lived happily ever after

King & King

In 2002, when Berkeley’s Tricycle Press — a division of Ten Speed — decided to publish the English version of a colorful children’s book originally written in Dutch by tournament-level sandcastle builder Linda De Haan and illustrated by Stern Nijland, it just seemed like a fun, socially conscious, and potentially profitable thing to do. The plot begins with a lonely prince for whom his mother seeks a princess-bride. “Very well, Mother,” His Highness sighs. “I must say, though, I’ve never cared much for princesses.” A parade of lovely royal ladies passes pretty much unnoticed — until one brings along her handsome brother. Thus King & King ends happily ever after. With its irresistible jewel-toned illustrations, the book is widely used in elementary-school classrooms, spurring much outrage among parents who protest that it promotes homosexuality. Last year, David and Tonia Parker and Robert and Robin Wirthlin filed a federal civil-rights lawsuit against school officials in Lexington, Massachusetts, and against the town itself after King & King was read aloud in their children’s second-grade class. The case was later dismissed, but the couples vow to fight on.

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