Our kids deserve honest, age-appropriate answers to the questions they’re already asking about their bodies, puberty, and growing up. But Maricopa County has quietly made it harder for them to find those answers.

In response to pressure from conservative activists and parental rights groups, Maricopa County Libraries recently removed more than 50 puberty and sex-ed titles from the children’s sections of 12 public libraries across the Phoenix metro area. These books—covering topics like periods, body changes, reproduction, and consent—have been placed in the adult nonfiction section, often out of reach for the very readers they were written for.

This is more than a shelving issue—it’s a silent form of censorship. By hiding medically accurate, developmentally appropriate and important resources, the county is limiting access to essential health education for kids who may not have trusted adults to guide them through these changes. For many children, a well-written book is the first safe space they find to ask the big questions.

The targeted books include long-respected titles like It's Perfectly Normal, Guy Stuff, Celebrate Your Body, and The Care & Keeping of You. These are books parents have trusted for decades to help their kids navigate puberty. Moving them sends a harmful message: that learning about your body is shameful or inappropriate.

This move comes alongside a series of concerning changes, including a "parental control" pilot program and discussions of banning kids under 12 from entering libraries without an adult. Taken together, these policies risk turning public libraries into restricted spaces where fear overrides access to knowledge.

We call on Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and the Maricopa County Library District leadership to restore these books to the children’s sections where they belong and to ensure that every child—regardless of their family situation—can access factual, inclusive, and empowering information about growing up.

Kids deserve information, not shame. Libraries should offer knowledge, not barriers.

Sign now to stand for access, education, and the right for every kid to learn.

Photo: Taylor Seely/The Republic