Books are one of the most powerful influences on a child’s development, shaping their worldview, values, and character from an early age. But as the publishing industry shifts toward politically charged narratives, many parents are left wondering: Are today’s children’s books promoting the wrong messages?

At Raised Right Books, we believe that stories should inspire, educate, and instill timeless values like faith, family, patriotism, and personal responsibility. However, modern children’s literature is increasingly prioritizing activism over storytelling, ideology over innocence, and agenda over adventure.

The Shift in Children’s Literature

Over the past two decades, children’s books have changed dramatically. According to a study published in Psychological Science, books from the 1960s–1990s focused more on morality, family values, and character-building, while modern books decrease these themes in favor of identity politics and social activism. (Source)

A recent American Enterprise Institute report found that:

📉 Mentions of hard work, honesty, and responsibility have declined in modern kids’ books!

📖 Themes of family and faith appear far less frequently than they did just 20 years ago.

🏛 Newer books focus more on social issues and activism, often pushing controversial topics to young readers.

This shift is intentional—mainstream publishers are increasingly catering to a cultural agenda rather than focusing on stories that teach fundamental life lessons.

What Messages Are Being Pushed?

🔴 Moral Relativism Over Personal Responsibility
Many modern books promote “your truth” rather than objective truth, teaching kids that morality is subjective instead of reinforcing right and wrong.

🔴 Activism Over Innocence
Books once focused on adventure, kindness, and learning life lessons—now, many stories are written to push political and ideological agendas, often before kids can fully understand them.

🔴 Disrespect Over Family Values
More stories feature kids defying their parents or rejecting traditional family structures, replacing themes of honor, respect, and gratitude with rebellion and skepticism.

Why Conservative Families Need Alternatives

Parents looking for books that align with their values are finding fewer and fewer options on bookstore shelves. But there’s good news—you can take control of your child’s reading by:

- Choosing books with strong moral lessons – Look for stories that teach honesty, courage, respect, and responsibility.
- Prioritizing faith and family themes – Books that reinforce faith, patriotism, and traditional values provide children with a moral foundation.
- Supporting publishers that align with your beliefs – Mainstream publishers won’t change, but alternative publishers like Raised Right Books are stepping up to provide families with better choices.

Bringing Back the Right Kind of Stories

At Raised Right Books, we believe that children deserve books that uplift, educate, and inspire—not stories designed to push an agenda. Our books focus on:

📚 Faith, family, and tradition
🇺🇸 Patriotism and love for America
💡 Moral lessons that build strong character

Want to build a home library filled with books you can trust? Explore Raised Right Books today!

📢 What values do you want to see more of in children’s books? Share your thoughts in the comments!