by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
Brave Books says America 250 reading lists omit faith while promoting progressive views of U.S. history
(Worthy News) – A new report from conservative publisher Brave Books alleges that Christianity is being scrubbed from the American story as public libraries, children’s publishers, and other institutions prepare young readers for America’s 250th anniversary.
The study, titled “The America 250 Faith Gap,” reviewed more than 300 books across 25 reading lists tied to the nation’s upcoming semiquincentennial. According to Brave Books, not one title directly addressed faith, religious liberty, or Christianity’s role in the founding of the United States.
The report said books on the Great Awakening, the faith lives of the Founders, and the Black church’s role in American history were absent. Meanwhile, several lists included progressive titles such as Ibram X. Kendi’s “Stamped for Kids” and Nikole Hannah-Jones’s “Born on the Water,” a children’s book connected to the 1619 Project.
Other recommended titles reportedly focused on transgender activism during the 1969 Stonewall Riots, including material aimed at young children. Brave Books also said the lists promoted Kate Messner’s History Smashers series, which claims to expose “myths, lies, and secrets” in American history.
The study found that the most common themes were the American Revolution, minority perspectives, Black history, civil rights, and women’s history. Books focused on American symbols, the Founders, civics, and the nation’s religious heritage made up a much smaller share of the recommendations.
Former HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson, a Brave Books author, said children cannot understand American freedom without understanding its spiritual foundation.
“The Declaration of Independence says our rights come from our Creator,” Carson said. “Benjamin Franklin called the Constitutional Convention to prayer before they produced a document that has stood for 250 years.”
Carson warned that young Americans who are never taught where their freedoms come from may not understand why those freedoms are worth defending.
OutKick host Riley Gaines, also a Brave Books author, said children should learn about America’s flaws, but not at the expense of the nation’s achievements.
“The problem is that many institutions have become so focused on emphasizing what’s broken, unfinished, or flawed that they’ve stopped teaching kids what makes America the greatest, freest, most prosperous nation in the world,” Gaines said.
Brave Books CEO Trent Talbot said the exclusion of Christianity from America 250 reading lists was deliberate.
“When reading lists for America’s 250th anniversary don’t include a single book acknowledging Christianity’s role, that’s not an oversight. That’s a choice,” Talbot said.
In response, Brave Books has launched its own America 250 book campaign, including Carson’s “Built on Faith,” Gaines’ “One Two Three We Are Free,” and Kirk Cameron’s “Built by the Brave.”
As America approaches its 250th birthday, the debate over children’s reading lists is becoming a larger battle over whether the next generation will be taught to see the nation’s freedoms as rooted in faith, sacrifice, and the conviction that rights come from God — or merely as a flawed political experiment.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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Christianity Being Scrubbed from the American Story
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
Brave Books says America 250 reading lists omit faith while promoting progressive views of U.S. history
(Worthy News) – A new report from conservative publisher Brave Books alleges that Christianity is being scrubbed from the American story as public libraries, children’s publishers, and other institutions prepare young readers for America’s 250th anniversary.
The study, titled “The America 250 Faith Gap,” reviewed more than 300 books across 25 reading lists tied to the nation’s upcoming semiquincentennial. According to Brave Books, not one title directly addressed faith, religious liberty, or Christianity’s role in the founding of the United States.
The report said books on the Great Awakening, the faith lives of the Founders, and the Black church’s role in American history were absent. Meanwhile, several lists included progressive titles such as Ibram X. Kendi’s “Stamped for Kids” and Nikole Hannah-Jones’s “Born on the Water,” a children’s book connected to the 1619 Project.
Other recommended titles reportedly focused on transgender activism during the 1969 Stonewall Riots, including material aimed at young children. Brave Books also said the lists promoted Kate Messner’s History Smashers series, which claims to expose “myths, lies, and secrets” in American history.
The study found that the most common themes were the American Revolution, minority perspectives, Black history, civil rights, and women’s history. Books focused on American symbols, the Founders, civics, and the nation’s religious heritage made up a much smaller share of the recommendations.
Former HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson, a Brave Books author, said children cannot understand American freedom without understanding its spiritual foundation.
“The Declaration of Independence says our rights come from our Creator,” Carson said. “Benjamin Franklin called the Constitutional Convention to prayer before they produced a document that has stood for 250 years.”
Carson warned that young Americans who are never taught where their freedoms come from may not understand why those freedoms are worth defending.
OutKick host Riley Gaines, also a Brave Books author, said children should learn about America’s flaws, but not at the expense of the nation’s achievements.
“The problem is that many institutions have become so focused on emphasizing what’s broken, unfinished, or flawed that they’ve stopped teaching kids what makes America the greatest, freest, most prosperous nation in the world,” Gaines said.
Brave Books CEO Trent Talbot said the exclusion of Christianity from America 250 reading lists was deliberate.
“When reading lists for America’s 250th anniversary don’t include a single book acknowledging Christianity’s role, that’s not an oversight. That’s a choice,” Talbot said.
In response, Brave Books has launched its own America 250 book campaign, including Carson’s “Built on Faith,” Gaines’ “One Two Three We Are Free,” and Kirk Cameron’s “Built by the Brave.”
As America approaches its 250th birthday, the debate over children’s reading lists is becoming a larger battle over whether the next generation will be taught to see the nation’s freedoms as rooted in faith, sacrifice, and the conviction that rights come from God — or merely as a flawed political experiment.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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