...to be cross that DD (6) brought home a Barbie book from school library?

[redrobin]

AIBU to expect that school libraries not to contain trashy books geared towards seeling stuff? To add insult to my injury the book is called "Barbie - Wedding Planner'. I utterly despair if the librarian actually chose this. so...aibu to expect higher literary standards within an educational environment?

YANBU

If the school librarian is wasting hard pressed school money on trash like that she/he needs some extra training.

Barbie-seriously,when it could have been Ottoline,Daisy,Clarice Bean,Pippi Longstocking, Mr Stink,Mr Gum etc,etc. One wasted £5 is £5 too much imvho and who knows what other trash is in there.

Sorry if parents want their kids reading Barbie as far as I'm concerned they can do it out of their own purse not my tax.

DD brought a couple home last year- we were appalled... but she soon realised how rubbish the stories were and never bothered with tthem again, so a good result I think.

Gosh! i cant believe that so many of you are condemning some books as 'worthy'! There are so many brilliant books full of adventure and delight that children could read that I object to some commercial American guff parading as a proper 'book'. Its the principle of thing thing i object to!

YABU, I don't care what mine read. I'm just happy they want to read.

Ohhh Zukie... I love medieval Mills and Boon... Have not read one for ages...

Ehm, and in terms of the selling argument, most kids' books these days come with merchandise, including good old Harry Potter or the bleeding Gruffalo. Aren't books themselves written for selling anyway?

I believe you cannot screen kids from "commercial" stuff. You can only educate them to "filter" the messages given in these books.

Most importantly, I loooooved Barbie as a kid (and this has not stopped me from becoming a feminist, a graduate, or a mother).

Also many of those brand books(which you pay extra for due to the brand name and they compensate for in the quality of text and pictures ) are so badly written and illustrated with far too much text to boot they'd completely put any die hard Barbie fan off reading for good anyhow.

phew, thank goodness some people agrees with me! I do know now though why Katie Price is one of the UK's best selling authors!

agree even. have to say DD loves her RL Barbie, am not a total killjoy.

Although I hate Barbie and I don't like dd over exposed to it I'd be more pissed off with the quality of said book than the subject matter.Lets face it any Barbie book group ghost written by a toy company churned out as a cheap money maker isn't going to be great literature.

yabu

IMO if a book about Barbie spurns a kid on to read then its no bad thing. If this us still her chosen material at 13 then you may have a point

If she has a Barbie herself then that might be why she chose it

YANBU. Where are all the feminists?! I had to go to great lengths to find story books for my daughter where every family didn't consist of a SAHM, Dad, Boy and Girl (all white of course). Not that there's anything wrong with that family dynamic; it was the lack of variety that got me.

Just the thought of all that bubblegum pink trashy stuff they try and brainwash girls with gets me riled. Every Christmas/Birthday my DD is showered with role play toys (ironing board, mop, bucket, dollies, kitchen etc). There's nothing wrong with any of these toys, but her boy cousins are never given them! They get mechano sets and lego! It's like from the moment girls are born they are programmed to be tied to the house.

I'd actually be happier if someone's DS took out the book

But so are some non-branded children books. I reckon 50% of children books (NOT "branded" ones) I have seen are rubbish.

Still think it's a total over-reaction

YABU,It was probably donated by a parent having a clear out, rather than having been carefully selected by the librarian. I expect the library has a range of books, but some children may not have many books at home and something like these could encourage an interest in reading. Presumably your dd also reads other books as well, so I don't really see the problem.

Infact OP has the irony (not sure if its the right word - meh) of your complaint hit you yet? Ok for your DD to have a Barbie doll but not ok to read about her?

I have no problem with my dd reading fairy tales(she has hoards)if they are decent quality and will encourage her reading.

A school library is the one place I expect all books to be good quality and skilled in enticing children to read.El crapo Barbie books you can pick up in any pound store are not what I want my school budget being spent on.If school libraries aren't the height of excellence and an example to all than heaven help us.

Would just like to add quality books don't cost a lot at all,you can pick up stunning books very cheaply these days.

I agree it's trashy literature, but the important thing at this age is encouraging them to WANT to read. Your dd obviously likes barbie, she owns one, so of course she will want to read her stories.

southmum - i'm not objecting to my DD playing with her doll. I'm objecting to the school (an educational establishment) providing a pastiche of a book, with no discernable story, instead of some of the other brilliant books available (see Milamae's list further up), written by real authors, not an american conglomerate.

I also don't like schools encouraging brand buying, apparantly this is banned in the US.

i agree Milamae, think i'd be equally peed off if it were a Ben10 book she's brought home.

So long as the school library has a variety of books, including the classic childrens ones, then i can't see the harm of the odd trashy one.

phew, thank goodness some people agrees with me! I do know now though why Katie Price is one of the UK's best selling authors

Based on a bunch of us telling you that a 6 y/o is better off wanting to read anything rather than nothing you have come to understand why Katie Price is a bestseller?

If I didn't think YA Barking U I'd even be a tad miffed :o