Believe it or not, there are some books we like that other people (or turtles) don't, and vice versa. Something every library employee needs to keep in the forefront of their mind is that libraries are for everyone, and just because something doesn't suit our taste/opinions/politics/beliefs, that doesn't make it any less worth putting in the collection.
The same applies to reviewers. The following books were some we just couldn't get behind ourselves, but we can see that they are of good quality, and could be appealing to a different audience. In fact, they have both received good reviews elsewhere. As the selectors of books for the library, however, we like to see a mix of reviews before we make ordering decisions. So:
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by Mark Sperring
Andersen Press
9780761374862
Review copy from publisher. |
The pictures were very cute, but the message was a bit heavy-handed. A little knight wants a sword "to whoosh and swoosh in the air" and to fight dragons with, but his mother gives him a sunflower instead. Of course, he ends up making friends with a dragon because of it, and soon all the grown-up knights follow suit. Some parents will be thrilled with the pacifist theme, while others will roll their eyes at the lack of subtlety.
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by Elise Primavera
Random House
9780375844812
Review copy from publisher |
A cute book, but we weren't sure if this was for children, or for thumb-sucking adults. The whole format would be familiar to any six-year-old...who has attended a few AA meetings. From the beginning confession in front of a group ("Hello. My name is Lulu and I'm a thumb sucker,") through the twelve step program she develops, and even the manipulations of the thumb ("I don't even know who you are anymore,") the audience seems a bit beyond the preschool crowd.
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