[Publib] children's books

[backwage at aol.com]

He got it, he just understood the strange feeling of being a child, especially a smart child, being surrounded by dumb adults, struggling to find a place. 
Remember the first moment you realized that you were actually smarter than some adults?  That's when the scales fall from your eyes, the curtain rises on your own adulthood, and you begin your life of isolation.  Your fate is confirmed when it becomes apparent that practically nobody reads the books you do.  After that, all you can do is become a librarian.  At least you have your colleagues and the occasional literate patron.  I have thought many times of suggesting a region of the country for us to dwell in.  It wouldn't have to be large.  We could run a telephone/email reference service and spend the rest of the time reading.  

M. McGrorty


-----Original Message-----
From: Margaret Neill <mneill at las-cruces.org>
To: publib at webjunction.org
Sent: Thu, Jul 9, 2009 7:28 am
Subject: RE: [Publib] children's books




I believe I also had those Childcraft books, or a 1980’s equivalent. I loved to read them, but mine was not a very crafty household, so I never seemed to have any of the materials on hand to actually make anything. I find it funny now that I spent rainy days reading about what to do on a rainy day. Looking back, the other thing I loved was the groovy 1970’s layout. Those books were a study in avocado green and goldenrod and it was almost like spending an hour with Sid and M
arty Kroft. 

 

My mother routinely bought me books, but her rule was that it had to have some sort of gold seal on the front. Caldecott, et al. Those books were fine, but most of them were kind of a bummer and what I really wanted to read was the Babysitter’s Club or “horror” books by R.L. Stine and Christopher Pike. I had to get those at school book fairs. Later, I discovered the library and that the circulation people wouldn’t bat an eye if an 8-year old took out ‘Carrie’ or ‘Rosemary’s Baby’. Thank goodness for the public library, otherwise I would have spent my whole childhood being bummed out by important social issues couched in a “child-friendly” context. Bah. 

 

We had a World Book encyclopedia set and I decided one summer to read the whole thing. I think I got through the As before my admittedly short attention span kicked in and I ran off to do something else, never to return. 

 

One author I believe all children should read is Roald Dahl. He is my absolute favorite and his books define childhood for me. He got it, he just understood the strange feeling of being a child, especially a smart child, being surrounded by dumb adults, struggling to find a place. If there’s one thing children can’t have enough of it’s whimsy. 

 


Margaret M. Neill

Library Manager, Technical Services and Systems

Thomas Branigan Memorial Library

200 E. Picacho Ave. 

La
s Cruces, NM 88001

(575) 528-4043

(575) 528-4030 FAX

mneill at las-cruces.org

http://library.las-cruces.org 



 





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