Female athletes Bethany Hamilton and Riley Gaines — both known for their public opposition to transgender athletes in women’s sports — are visiting The Library Center on Friday afternoon for a shared story hour.
Hamilton, a professional surfer who lost her left arm in a shark attack in 2003, and Gaines, a former competitive swimmer, are hosting Brave Books Story Hour at The Library Center at 4 p.m. Friday. Hamilton and Gaines will read from their books, “Surfing Past Fear” and “Happy No Snakes Day,” respectively, during the event that is free and open to the public. Promotional materials announcing the event note that it is not sponsored by the Springfield-Greene County Library District.
Both “Surfing Past Fear” and “Happy No Snakes Days” are published by BRAVE Books , a Christian and conservative children’s book publisher that was established in 2021 by ophthalmologist and author Trent Talbot.
Per the BRAVE Books website , “Surfing Past Fear” is about Olivia the otter, who breaks her arm one summer. Olivia is worried that her arm will hinder her ability to continue surfing but with the help of her friends, Olivia learns to face her fears and get back on the board. “Happy No Snakes Day” follows team BRAVE, a recurring series of characters in BRAVE Books, as they “learn what it means to stand for truth.”