Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Children's books

Join in for children's book recommendations.

Original poster

If you buy books for a school or library...

32 replies

ToplessWordle · 19/07/2024 18:35

...where do you buy them from?

Lately, I've found that the books I order (mostly from Amazon, but I imagine that it's the same issue even if I were to go to a book shop) seem to fall apart quite quickly. The pages often come away from the spine as I read them - my current one is Jane Eyre, published by Penguin Classics, so I would have expected it to be designed to be kept and re-read, not read once and discarded. The same thing happens with my DC's books - although they may not be particularly gentle with their books.

I would like my books to last longer (as my childhood books did) so please could you recommend a publisher or seller who produces sturdy, well-made books that can be read multiple times without the pages falling out?

OP posts:
ghislaine · 20/07/2024 14:14

Might I suggest a bookmark …?

Procrastinates · 20/07/2024 14:10

I do sometimes put my open book under my pillow before I go to sleep

Yikes the bookworm in me is having a heart attack at this revelation! This is almost certainly the cause of the problem. Although I suspect not the only cause but I'm almost afraid to ask what else you do to the books. 😂

GoodnightDoom · 20/07/2024 14:07

I think it'll be the sleeping on them opened wide that's doing it! Also, do you read in the bath? The steam/ damp can soften the glue on the spine, and cause pages to fall out.

Original poster
ToplessWordle · 20/07/2024 14:04

Oh dear, it must be me then! I do sometimes put my open book under my pillow before I go to sleep, if I can't find the bookmark. Perhaps this breaks the spine.

Thank you for your help!

OP posts:
Needmorelego · 19/07/2024 20:10

How odd.
I've never a book fall apart. I buy books that are all the usual publishers - Penguin/Puffin, Harper Collins etc.
If you are ordering American editions of children's books published by Scholastic they are sometimes a slightly less good quality paper than the UK editions but they don't fall apart unless you totally bent the spine over or something.

Procrastinates · 19/07/2024 19:47

I've honestly never had a book fall apart? I'm genuinely surprised you've had it happen once let alone multiple times?

Is it possible there's something you're doing that is leading to this problem? Maybe something you put on your hands is reacting to the adhesive? It seems much more likely that the common denominator is you than multiple publishers?

BoleynMemories13 · 19/07/2024 19:41

Can't say I've ever had that happen from Amazon or any book shop. How odd if you've had it happen multiple times. I imagine the sturdiness of the binding is down to the publisher rather than the individual shop or online retailer you buy from?

Swipe left for the next trending thread