Liz Phipps Soeiro is an elementary school librarian in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her library was one chosen by the White House to receive ten popular books by Dr. Seuss, including a favorite of First Lady Melania Trump, Oh, the Places You’ll Go!, in celebration of National Read a Book Day.

Mrs. Trump sent out a nice letter encouraging the lucky recipients — one school in each state — to always pursue education and to never give up on their dreams. But Soeiro didn’t receive the gift warmly. She turned around and wrote a letter back to the first lady to explain why she couldn’t accept the gesture:

Dear Mrs. Trump —

Thank you for the ten Dr. Seuss titles that you sent my school library in recognition of this year’s National Read a Book Day. (Sent second-day air, no less! That must have been expensive.) I’m proud that you recognized my school as something special. It truly is. Our beautiful and diverse student body is made up of children from all over the world; from different socioeconomic statuses; with a spectrum of gender expressions and identities; with a range of abilities; and of varied racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds.

You can probably see where this is going. The librarian said her students read the enclosed letter and were “impressed” with the bookplates with the first lady’s name and the White House stamp. “However,” the letter continued, “we will not be keeping the titles for our collection. I’d like to respectfully offer my explanation.”

But before she does, Soeiro meanders through several paragraphs giving background on Cambridge Public Schools and how “privileged” the district is compared to poorer places like Chicago, Detroit, and Philadelphia where libraries are “being shuttered.” Though Cambridge is better off than a lot of places, Soeiro complains that “systemic white supremacy” still remains in her school and that there aren’t enough “teachers of color.” Still, Soeiro thinks there were more deserving schools out there that could’ve used the books.

“Why not go out of your way to gift books to underfunded and underprivileged communities that continue to be marginalized and maligned by policies put in place by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos?” Soeiro asked Mrs. Trump.

It wasn’t only that Soeiro’s fully stocked library didn’t need any more books, she was also insulted that they were Dr. Seuss titles, especially given how “racist” they are:

You may not be aware of this, but Dr. Seuss is a bit of a cliché, a tired and worn ambassador for children’s literature… Another fact that many people are unaware of is that Dr. Seuss’s illustrations are steeped in racist propaganda, caricatures, and harmful stereotypes.

The librarian suggested the resource, Is the Cat in the Hat Racist?, as proof of her claim.

In concluding her letter, Soeiro thanked the first lady for the “wonderful gesture” but suggested the titles “could have been better thought out.” So, she included some recommendations of her own. The titles are heavy on refugees and immigrants — a rather insulting action given Melania Trump is an immigrant and knows more about that subject than this librarian. There were also books on racism and transgenderism, because why not!

But where was this letter-writing outrage last year when President Obama encouraged American children to read Dr. Seuss, declaring on the author's birthday that he is “one of America’s revered wordsmiths… [who] used his incredible talent to instill in his most impressionable readers universal values we all hold dear.” Which is it, Ms. Soeiro, "universal values" or "racist propaganda?"

Thankfully, Cambridge Public Schools didn't side with the librarian and distanced itself from the letter:

"The employee was not authorized to accept or reject donated books on behalf of the school or school district. We have counseled the employee on all relevant policies, including the policy against public resources being used for political purposes.

"While we enthusiastically support the political engagement and passion of our employees, in this instance the editorial posted online gave the impression that the statement reflected the position or actions of the Cambridge Public Schools. Our school district did not authorize any such statement."