to be considering complaining to the school that my Y2 dd has a Katie Price book as her school library book?

[Quis]

My 6 year old dd has come home from school with a Katie Price 'Perfect Ponies' book as her school library book for this week. She has chosen it and obviously she has not got my preconceptions about the author.

Not wanting to unfairly judge I have skim read the book and it is dire. The entire story is about girls arguing, and being nasty to each other. The girls say things like 'You cow' and accuse each other of 'slagging off' people.

AIBU to not like dd reading this kind of portrayal of girls? Why are Katie Price books even in the school library?

I know I am being a bit precious and have definitely let the identity of the author affect my judgement, but still...

[spg1983]

I may be wrong but if it makes you feel better I think she had a ghost writer for her books (not 100% sure on that though!).

However, even if that is the case, they still sound pretty vile. YANBU.

[Quis]

Thanks spg1983 and Mutt. Yes I agree it is irrelevant really that Katie Price is the author.
It is the language and story that are unsuitable. I will bring it to the schools attention

[nothingoldcanstay]

To be honest children are good at seeing rubbish when it's presented to them. She probably won't be bothered to read it all if it's that bad.

I always remember the disappointment of reading Girl magazine after years of Mandy comic. Thin mag full of stupid make up advice you could have written yourself and no content.Dire.

[AnyFucker]

yanbu

[Quis]

nothingoldcanstay - you are probably right. It i such a shame so much literature aimed at girls is still full of trite stereotypical nonsense.

thanks AnyFucker.

[sue52]

If my daughters had, at age 6, brought home a book with phrases like "you cow" and "slagging off" in it, I would have had strong words with the school.

[SodoffBaldrick]

You're going to get lots of people coming on to say YABU - but - you're not.

I picked one of these up at a friend's house who had 8 and 6YO DDs at the time, and they're bad. Really bad. I mean, if you're going to use a ghost writer, would't you ensure a few very basic skills??

[BobblyGussets]

YANBU op.

[banditqueen]

YANBU

[Bumdrop]

Sounds bad :(

[Psammead]

YANBU. Tell the school to get a few of the 28billion books about ponies that do not contain that kind of language.

[Annunziata]

YANBU!

[Sandalwood]

Oh no. My DD picked up one of these at a school book swap thing.
I just thought it'd be rubbish in a Magic Rainbow Bears Fairies sort of way.
It didn't occur to me it'd have "slagging off" etc in it.

[MrsTerryPratchett]

YANBU. Although, I think that encouraging them to read anything even if it is shite can sometimes be good. I used to work as a side job selling kids' books and got fed up of people telling me that little Poppy or Tarquin couldn't read romance or horror or comics or something. If they want to read something, be glad, you can steer them onto good stuff when a firm love of reading has been established.

[merrymouse]

YANBU. Maybe they got a job lot of books and didn't realise this was included. There are so many princess/kitten/pony books for girls with almost identical covers - I wouldn't be surprised if the school don't check all of them.

[Itsjustafleshwound]

YAB a bit unreasonable - often the library is just the one of many jobs that the teachers do - it is difficult to constantly be vigilant as to what the content is in each and every book in a library

Unfortunately, I know that at our school the children are given the 1st opportunity to actually self select their reading and my otherwise intelligent children choose such dire books, I despair ....

If it is shit, perhaps it is a good opportunity to use it to show your child why it is unsuitable ...

I take it your daughter hasn't had the joy that is the Rainbow Fairies series ... Now that is awful!!!

[TeeBee]

Surely the school's job is to provide material that is mind-stretching, inspiring, informative...or at least age-appropriate. They might as well give them copies of the DM and be done with. Its junk food for the brain. There are so many other good books they could have chosen for the library. Major fail on their part.

[Quis]

Yes Sandalwood my dd has the crappy "Rainbow fairies' books as well. I haven't even skimmed through them. I only looked at these because Katie Price was the author.
After this (so far) unanimous response I am calling the school in the morning.

[rocket74]

i'd be making an appointment with the headteacher and taking a self compiled list of books I would think are suitable and mind expanding for 6 year olds.

This is just another strand of the issues that the protest group pinkstinks are campaigning against.
These books shouldn't be in a school library FFS.

[Quis]

itsjustafleshwound - I need to read the 'Rainbow fairies' myself obviously! I didn't realise they were notoriously bad!

I don't think Katie Price books that should be in the school library at all.

[starlingsintheslipstream]

YANBU, I would mention it to school - they won't have time to vet every book and would probably appreciate your input.

I think most of our new school library books are from the commission we get from things like the Puffin Books so it is stocked with whatever they churn out - not much money for anything else, sadly.

[Quis]

rocket74 I will call the head tomorrow. What is/are 'pinkstinks'?

[Birdsgottafly]

I have just skimmed through a couple of them on the internet, in the hope that you were being unreasonable, because i think that KP gets unfair negative press and i like girly stuff.

But they are awful and grammatically incorrect. They have no place in an educational setting.