ds has got a strange present from school...don't want to be ungrateful but.

[fridgealwaysfull]

ds is in year 6 and in his school the PTFA buy each child a book for Christmas. He excitedly opened his present earlier ' A Photographic Guide to British and European Fungi'.

I know it's the thought that counts and all that.... but really?

It is an odd gift for a child who has shown no interest in fungi or photograhy - but yes, probably the 'short straw' out of a box of mixed books. It has re-gifting potential

I think it's unusual, bit NOT shit. Sometimes being given a book sparks an interest.

Could save his life.
It's good to know your St. John's from your puffballs and the ONE that looks like them that kills!
Also comes in handy for cleaning the shower to know your slime moulds from your aspergillis.

Maybe the others got "insects of yesteryear", "the Oort Cloud", "furniture restoration", "fly fishing for the amateur", "maritime knots" or "modern bicycles."

My 6 year old DD would love that present and if she saw your DS with it she'd want to sit and explore it with him! She likes quirky information books though.

YABU. Random can be good, as it opens the mind to new things.

I knew you'd be called ungrateful, it's MN's fave Christmas word this year!

YANBU, it's peculiar!

candy

She used ungrateful in her title.

It's not ungrateful to think it's strange. It is a very strange gift for a 10 year old (unless you know they're interested in mushrooms).

DC2 would love it, I'd still think it was a strange gift to be given at random from school.

The idea that any and all presents are wonderful is simply not true, ask the mumsnetter whose MIL bought her Vagisil. It's strange.

Good point Outraged.

I think that the present requires... imagination to appreciate

Unusual but sounds quite interesting.

Agree it will have just been a mixed pack of educational books assigned at random.

i don't think it's strange at all - it's an educational book. What do you expect them to buy him - a DS3? My DS got one on the mating habits of penguins.

We didn't get presents from the school in my day

PS3

imagination?

it requires a short walk in the woods or the park, looking about you and noticing what you see, then having a look in the book to identify it.

My DC would have felt pleased, but not excited by a book like that, but then we do already have quite a few 'spotter' books for trees, plants etc. They'd prefer fiction.

'What do you expect them to buy him - a DS3? '

We used to get a pen and pencil, geometry set, calculator, children's classic, notepad etc., just more generic than a guide to mushrooms.

The DC's always get sweets/chocolate of some description.

I think it's odd to buy a very specific gift for someone you don't know.

It is very weird and I refuse to believe so many kids would be thrilled with it.

My DS who is five would love that book.

Is your DS going to read it?

I think it coukd have magical, entrepreneurial properties that he might value later

Definitely a strange gift. My kids never got presents from school, and I'm certainly grateful for that.
Of course, you (and your son) must pretend it's the most thoughtful useful gift ever.

YANBU. I love books but I would be a very gutted 10yr old had I received that

Ds2 would love that, more than the Harry Potter book he received the other day.
Dd would have been gutted with it.

Actually, on second thoughts, although he would love it, he'd go on a trek to find a mushroom, any mushroom, and would eat it, whether it was poisonous or not.
On reflection I'm relieved he got a Harry Potter book :)

I've just done a bit of Googling and found this

Could've been worse; could've got the spider one.

The insect book looks good!

DD got "A fast and funny guide to Oliver Cromwell"

She's not impressed