To ask if I'm the only one to be appalled by the general calibure of children's literature in libraries

[AWitchCalledMeg]

I know we are lucky to have libraries. I am grateful and do support our libraries. My four children and I visit five libraries local to us on a regular basis of which span three counties between them (we live on the border of several counties). But over the years I have become more and more saddened by quality of books available. My children are all under 7 so can't comment on books for older children. What is the process on how the books are selected? I would estimate 85% of the books are so so inane, dumbed down and stupid, 12% is the modern generic Julia Donaldson type fodder and then 3% are the rare gems which are actually good. Surely I can't be the only one to have noticed this? So many books they have available there I can't believe they were ever published and surely they would never sell in the shops.. perhaps that's why they are in the library? So many studies show that children are reading less than ever.. how can they hope to change this when so much utter tosh is being put out there?

We go to our local library every week and take out books as we want to encourage our child to read. We also want to prevent the library closing so we do our bit to get the borrowing books total up.

They do a decent baby rhyme time group and stay and play for toddlers BUT the books are 95% dross. Most of the stories are not engaging and my child gets bored and closes the book after a few pages. When we buy books that are recommended on the Book Start website this never happens. Where do they get these books from in the library, how are they picked and how have they ever got published?

bookworm14

That's really interesting, thanks. Although I'd call it a cheap initiation rather than a parody. The original is much better. It scans much better.

Still doesn't justify The Gruffalo's Child though

“My children are all under 7 so can't comment on books for older children... I would estimate 85% of the books are so so inane, dumbed down and stupid...”

Books for small children have to be “dumbed down” to their level. They are not likely to appear terribly intelligent to you, an adult.

It doesn’t actually matter what they read at that age, as long as they learn to enjoy reading.

Our library is crap now. There used to be shelves upon shelves of books, now there are a few boxes and a play area. We have more books at home for DD's age. It's more like a Surestart centre than a library. Those are valuable, but as well as, not instead of, proper libraries. There's no being quiet any more. I couldn't go there to work, like I did as a teenager.

. Oh dear.

It's interesting to read people's views on whether or not the quality of the book matters for children. When I was little this was the debate about Enid Blyton but from my point of view The Famous Five, Secret 7 and the Willard Price books kicked off a lifetime love of reading quality literature until now as I only have the attention span for thrilers

Nothing new, here. DD1(5) loves the formulaic fairy and animals books. They encourage her to be read to and to read and have led to discussions about whether fairies are real. Which then leads into questions about whether God exists!

I work for a local government library service and unfortunately the money is just not available to buy new books, we do try our best to buy books when the money is available but it needs to be spread out through the different departments, usually the bulk is on adult fiction.

Don't know about libraries, but children's books are immeasurably better now than they ever have been before.

@NotBadConsidering - I am fond of the Highway Rat but have avoided reading the Gruffalo’s Child to DD for the reasons you described earlier!

Rhyming and repitition is important in children's books though. It develops phonological awareness and auppprts language learning.

Plot holes are unecessary though.

I agree that anything that gets children reading is good though.

My kids love the repetition and rythmn in the Julia Donaldson books. If you don't get it you're reading it wrong
I tap the rythmn out on my babies tummies or legs as we read, or clap along, then as they get older they chime in with the repetition bits. I know it's not high literature but actually it's what it's small children into books. The only one I hate is stickman as it make me cry yes I'm an idiot
Talking about worthy books - I hate most of the roahl dahl and have avoided them. Mysogynistic, bullying, scary - as bad as the stories Grimm! No give me modern books. I had crap such as Mr men, Dahl, Grimm, Thomas the tank engine as a child. I like to choose less misogynistic, more egalitarian more imaginative stories for my kids.

The Gruffalo's Child. It's just wrong. Even my DD4 spotted it. "In the Gruffalo, the snake is scared of the Gruffalo not the mouse".

The snake does not say that it is scared of the mouse, it just repeats the story which the Gruffalo's child has heard from her parent that the mouse eats Gruffalo. The Gruffalo is scared of the mouse, and the child is aware of this fear. She wants to confront it, but is scared herself.

Yes yes to RJs comment- my teen dc still chant the odd rhyme from the Hairy Mclarey books.Hours of fun we had with those.

I think some people might be misreading the Gruffalo’s Child! It isn’t a plot hole - the snake never says that he’s scared of the mouse... He’s repeating a legend. Isn’t that the point/ the joke? Its about how legends and tall tales spread and grow.

The libraries in Edinburgh are the best libraries I have ever seen. The range is amazing and if you order something is there is very quickly. Yes, you get the ubiquitous stuff like Julia Donaldson (that gets old very very quickly - but kids like it), you get the unicorn tat, but classics and comics and manga and beautiful American kids books with gorgeous illustrations. Pop ups! It's amazing.

I work in a nursery so we have loads of books. There are some dire children’s books that are impossible to read nicely out loud but there are plenty of others that roll off the tongue and the children love.

Favourites at the nursery include Bear Hunt, Peace at Last and Gruffalo - the kids get to a point where they ask us to repeat certain books so much they can pretty much memorise and read along. All great for early reading skills.

We have a library van come to the nursery (very rural) so we take different children each visit to choose new books for the group and introduce them to the idea of borrowing books.

But there is no "Legend of the Mouse" for the fox, owl and snake. As far as they were concerned they were shown the threat of being turned into roasted fox, owl ice cream and scrambled snake was real because the Gruffalo was real. They should be living in fear of the Gruffalo threat coming true. Are people saying that in the years that have passed since those events while the Gruffalo has bred (how did that happen by the way?) the fox, owl and snake are not remotely threatened by the presence of a Gruffalo (albeit a small one) and are casually repeating something only the Gruffalo believed? Something that they can't have known without realising the mouse had played them for fools? Talk about contrived...

Children's books are for children... Hence the popularity of those Ethel the Engineering fairy, and Yiucks Fart club series. Children like to read things that are repetitive and comforting, they read for pleasure in their own time. School books are to teach reading, hence the Biff and Chip books.

The highway rat has absolutely perfect rhythm. The source material is The Highway Man by Alfred Noyes. If you're not familiar with that classic, go educate yourself.

Can't identify any problems with Tabby Mc Tat. And you're clearly misinterpreting The Gruffalo's child.

And it's not all about the axel scheffler collaborations. Some of her best work is outside of that. Try The Paper Dolls for example (a little masterpiece) or Jack and the Flum Flum Tree. Or any of the Lydia Monks partnerships.

I've now read the original, as mentioned above. The Highway Rat is a weak imitation. Tabby McTat is a bit of a drag. Her books range from excellent to mediocre. She's not a literary genius.

And if you can explain how The Gruffalo's Child isn't massively contrived I would appreciate it.

No author I know of is consistently excellent. Even the sainted Sir Terry Pratchett's had books that didn't reach his usual standards. Although I do admit that I haven't read the Gruffalo or the Griffalo's child. My children like the highway rat and it's ok to read. They don't like Tabby McTat and neither do I. We all live room on the broom, Zog, superworm and detective dog

I believe that quality matters. So did my parents. But what we actually believe is something rather different. They saw it primarily in terms of avoiding trash, protecting yourself from bad writing as if that would somehow contaminate your taste. My DM still hardly ever reads new books, but sticks to classics so she can be sure of avoiding something that will not stand the test of time. Their view is that reading is rather like eating: you need to both ingest enough good stuff and avoid the junk because it's bad for you.

I believe that you can learn from almost anything. If you don't read good stuff then you will miss out on a lot of learning (and enjoyment) that you could have had, but reading some trashy stuff won't take that learning away from you. There are only a few books which are bad enough in a moral sense to actively corrupt you or mess with your mind (insidiously racist books, possibly some dodgy occult books, very misogynist books). Most books need to be read with an enquiring critical mind, though, and that is best developed by open discussions with a parent who has demonstrated an open mind.

No come on, Stickman, The Snail and the Whale, Tiddler, all bloody genius. Room on the Broom was our favourite though.

*Highway Rat, Tabby McTat. Awful. Have you tried reading them out loud? They just don't have rhythm.

"For he landed a job in a cake shop -
A cake shop - a cake shop -
And they say he still works in the cake shop,
sweeping the cake shop floor".*

Highway Rat is genius! Isn’t it supposed to be a pastiche of “The Highwayman”?