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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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

53 replies

Quis · 02/05/2012 20:50

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...

OP posts:
BertieBotts · 02/05/2012 22:00

While I agree that it would be lovely for school libraries to only contain "suitable and mind expanding" books, some DC find the repetitive, monotonous rainbow fairies et al easier/more enjoyable. The first focus of a school library ought to be to enable reading to be fun and easy for all, once they're hooked, then the mind expanding stuff comes into its own :)

Agree this book sounds inappropriate, though.

Ismeyes · 02/05/2012 22:00

Let me give you a synopsis of Rainbow Magic -
Rachel and Kirsty are best friends. They are visited by a fairy. Jack Frost has stolen the fairy's special item which means she can make her particular assigned thing happen then way it should, ranging from netball to hamsters. Jack Frost has goblins for minions who are usually running around the human world with said item. The goblins are pretty stupid. The fairy and Rachel and Kirsty trick the goblins to get the item back. Jack Frost is unhappy with this outcome, but Queen Titania, King Oberon and the rest of the fairies think Kirsty and Rachel are the best thing ever.

Repeat ad infinitum with a liberal smattering of didactic moralising. Adjust 200 times and make lots of money from what is essentially the same story with a different fairy on the cover.

Itsjustafleshwound · 02/05/2012 22:01

Rainbow fairies books are hell. It falls in the category of bad writing but meant to kick start bad readers into reading. I don't agree that bad, lazy writing should be used to con children into reading.

If my children bring back books I think are bad I usually just leave them in the bookbag and tell them they can read it on their own.

BertieBotts · 02/05/2012 22:02

"Hi, my name is Katie and I love ponies. I met my first ponies when I was seven years old and I went to a riding stables for the first time ever."

GirlsInWhiteDresses · 02/05/2012 22:05

The Brownies range is nice and very pro-friends.

YANBU OP. I wouldn't be happy with any slagging in a school book.

Birdsgottafly · 02/05/2012 22:06

www.pinkstinks.co.uk/

Quis · 02/05/2012 22:08

I'm going to get dd to read 'War Horse' by Michael Morpurgo instead.
I totally agree that lots of the books aimed at girls are total rubbish.

OP posts:
rocket74 · 02/05/2012 22:08

They had an article in the guardian a couple of saturdays ago. A couple of sisters who have taken on companies like ELC and mothercare etc for colour coding their toys and general child aimed products and also clothing. They mentioned a pink globe from ELC as being one of the most ridiculous pinked-up items ever.

Keep meaning to look into them more but it was very interesting.

I think I sounded a bit militant in the above - but I was a really bookish kid - my favourite thing ever - and it upsets me to think the joy of reading is being trashed by such rubbish and how it could put children off if all they read is dross. My son is still in nursery - but this is a wake up call to all parents with children in school to check what is in the school library.

jamie oliver did it for dinners!!

FishfingersAreOK · 02/05/2012 22:12

Rainbow Fairies are fairly dire in a way (formulaic ?sp? A bit sugary and girly) but DD loves them. Reads one in about half an hour from cover to cover. She gets excited about the next on. They are produced very cynically IMHO to hook readers into the whole series. Saying that the characters are sweet, helpful and morally decent. I know that sound a bit "prissy" of me. I hate them. But language is OK and stretching for a five year old. She loves them. I leave her to it but have insisted we get them from the library rather than pay money for paper tatt. It is not the tatt of "slagging" off etc. YANBU - I would talk to the school. And do not fret too much about Rainbow Fairies...very quickly either grown out of or read ...just don't buy them. There is reason they are amongst the most borrowed books from UK libraries...it would make you weep to pay for them.

Quis · 02/05/2012 22:16

Thanks for the link Birdsgottafly.
ismeyes - yuk those books sound terrible. I need to check them out properly.

rocket74 - you are right. Books had a huge influence on my childhood, and certainly shaped and continue to shape, my views on lots of issues.

OP posts:
Birdsgottafly · 02/05/2012 22:17

In the perfect pony series it quotes the girl as "needing to get home to look after dad". When the brother points out that he is a six foot copper, her reply is that "she likes to make a fuss of him", then her thoughts turn to how lucky she is that she has brothers to look after her.

So really empowering stuff then Hmm.

Quis · 02/05/2012 22:22

'With her slim figure, thick dark hair and tanned skin, she was also proof that you could still look gorgeous and be a brilliant horsewoman'

From dd's book! Shock

I am so glad it seems I am not overreacting to this book. Thanks so much for the views.

OP posts:
Itsjustafleshwound · 02/05/2012 22:28

In retrospect, I think I would do a Gru on the book and make sure that it doesn't see the school bookshelves again .... It is amazing how bad the rain has been and how unfortunate that the bookbag opened and the book fell into that big puddle ...

Quis · 02/05/2012 22:30

itsjustafleshwound Grin

OP posts:
MrsHeffley · 02/05/2012 22:31

Sorry really don't get the snobbery with Rainbow Fairies at all."meant to kick start bad readers into reading" really "don't agree that bad,lazy writing should con children into reading".Hmm

Sorry I have 3 extremely able readers who were all fluent during rec. They've read a vast amount of books,all different types.One of my twins 8 is currently going through a Beast Quest obsession(alongside a huge range of other books),he's read over 50.

Dd 7 is a very advanced reader and is currently obsessed with RF,she reads 1 a night(currently on number 50 too).She has also reads a masseeve range of other books,some waaaaay more taxing some just picture books even now.

For a start I don't get the bad writing thing,really what is so very bad?They're twee little stories that many girls adore.Soooo they're formulaic and not complex.All kids need to go through a stage of reading a series of books as it helps with fluency and builds confidence,even my other twin who was reading before he started school needed this.RF have got something that engages imagination otherwise most kids wouldn't read past the first 3(we've come across other series when this has happened).

No child is a "bad reader",they just learn to do it at different rates.

"don't agree that bad,lazy writing should con children into reading".Nobody can con children into reading,if it was that easy there would be no children struggling with reading.Children read what they want to read,there are masses of other books out there.No child has to read only RF,they can play a valid part in a rich diet of books.Forcing children to read what they don't want to read turns them off.

It's become fashionable to slag off RF and I think it's sad.If you don't like listening to them hear your child read something else and leave them to enjoy their choice of book alone.

Having said all that re the KP book I wouldn't be happy with the "you cow" and "slagging off".Wouldn't have a problem with KP for the sake of it if dd chose it but not keen on that type of language.

Itsjustafleshwound · 02/05/2012 22:36

Sorry - I am a reading snob! Giving children RF books is the equivalent of giving children the dreaded Fruit shoot drinks - nothing wrong with them in moderation, but really why when there is just so much else ...

MrsHeffley · 02/05/2012 22:38

"con children into reading" sorry still can't get my head round that.Even if it was possible (which it isn't)I can't believe that anybody would have a problem with a child reading say 30 FB or Beast Quest books as opposed to nothing.A reading child is a reading child and something to celebrate whatever he/she reads.

CharltonHairstyle · 02/05/2012 22:39

YANBU.

MrsHeffley · 02/05/2012 22:43

Anybody "giving" their child books instead of letting them choose their preference is slightly misguided.

I have a degree in ENg Literature/children's literature,I was a primary teacher.I am passionate about books for children but sorry I think if a child goes through a RF addiction it's no big deal.It's not a race.They have their entire childhood to read the classics or they can just read both,my dd does.

BeeInMyBonnet · 02/05/2012 22:47

''With her slim figure, thick dark hair and tanned skin, she was also proof that you could still look gorgeous and be a brilliant horsewoman''

Well thank the lord for that. The nights I've lain awake mentally wrestling with that knotty little conundrum..

hellsbells76 · 02/05/2012 22:50

I'll see your Rainbow Fairies and raise you Beast Quest. DD keeps bringing them back from the school library. They are AWFUL. And apparently there are 50+ of them and the school has them ALL

BeeInMyBonnet · 02/05/2012 22:56

Omg yes to Beast Quest and Rainbow Magic. But then again I always credit Dr Seuss with being the books that got my dd reading and heaven knows what they're aboutConfused.

I'd be unhappy with the tone of Katie Price book too having read the quotes on here.

Loshad · 02/05/2012 22:57

Quis, lose the bugger, and send the school in a couple of new(non crap) books along with a fervent apology for losing it Grin

MrsHeffley · 02/05/2012 23:03

Hells there are more than 50,there is a series 10 oh and a branch off series. Enjoy!!!!

My BQ obsessive is now working his way though the Astosaurs(thankfully all bypassed Captain Underpants but I hear they're popular).All 3 went though a huuuuge Horrid Henry phase too which now all are thankfully over although dd wants a guinea pig she can call Fang.

My dd has just finished reading all the Ivy and Bean books-they're fab,really funny.Quite simple like RB but more weighty.They're her other obsession along with Ottoline and The Trouble With Daisy books. She loved all the easier Jaqueline Wilson books too.Actually she loved the Magic Pony books and the Pony Mad Princess too.Blush.The Amelia Jane books,Anna Hibiscus books and The Judy Blume The Pain and the Great One are all good for this stage too and easy to read alongside RF.She'd read a RF then a chapter of the others.

We're just branching off into Spiderwick and Enid Blyton with dd so should be sorted for a while.Grin

thebody · 03/05/2012 10:12

'slagged off' for a 6 year old.!!!! Yanbu at all.

I would be bloody furious. It's the schools job to check the books it keeps for the children.