Years ago, a neighbor told me a story that changed how I thought about pornography and girls. While I was writing my first read-aloud book for kids, she described an 8-year-old who had just had “the talk” with her mom. It was the loving, age-appropriate kind of conversation good parents try to have so their children hear the truth from them first.
But the girl was curious. Later, on a new internet-enabled device, she typed in “sex” and found pornography. Because no one had warned her or given her a plan, she kept going back. For months she returned to graphic, degrading material no 8-year-old should ever see. Her parents watched a bright, social little girl grow depressed and pull away from family and friends.
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