Category Archives: Kids Books

Part II. The Quiet Culling of Children’s Classics: Are Public School Librarians the Real “Book Banners”?

Posted on October 3, 2022 by Harmonica

Asking questions, listening to my kids, and trusting my instincts: this was how I discovered what was going on in libraries. In 2017 my children were coming home with very poor quality literature. They could read one of these “books” … Continue reading →

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The ALA’s Dedication to Transforming Public School Libraries

Posted on May 9, 2022 by Harmonica

Let’s take a peek into the American Library Association (ALA) and a few of its’ divisions that appear to be executing an end run around parents and restrictions intended to comply with laws protecting children from CRT, obscene, and age-inappropriate … Continue reading →

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Kids Need Better Books: How Did Mabry Elementary’s Library Perform Against Four Other Hillsborough Schools?

Posted on March 24, 2018 by Harmonica

Public School Library books should exude quality content with morals and ethics; after all schools are for educating students.  Should children’s desires be what guides the books procured for school libraries? Is that what guides the classroom? Mabry Elementary is … Continue reading →

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Kids Need Better Books: When Schools Fail What Can You Do?

Posted on March 5, 2018 by Harmonica

Why aren’t more schools consistently providing quality literature from a young age? Encouraging children to read excellent books might help address some of society’s problems. Children should be guided onto a path where they can eventually take on works by … Continue reading →

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Books Promoted by a Hillsborough County Public Library

Posted on February 25, 2018 by Harmonica

Are these books, pictured below, the best recommendations to promote on a children’s bookshelf in a Hillsborough County Public Library? Let’s consider the Timmy Failure series by Stephan Pastis.  The first book in this series, Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made … Continue reading →

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Kids Need Better Books: Can U.S. Students Compete Internationally?

Posted on February 18, 2018 by Harmonica

The average reading literacy score of the United States is 24th on the list of countries ordered by average score.  These scores are based on the 2015 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), an international assessment performed on 15-year-old students every three … Continue reading →

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Kids Need Better Books: Have You Looked Inside?

Posted on February 7, 2018 by Harmonica

We want our children to be critical thinkers and good citizens. The prevalence and popularity of offensive children’s books is astounding.  These books do not inspire critical thinking skills, good behavior, or develop a child’s knowledge in general.  While it … Continue reading →

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Dork Diaries: Concerns from a Cursory Review

Posted on February 7, 2018 by Harmonica

Dork Diaries, authored by Rachel Renée Russell, depicts awful behavior toward others.  For example, in Tales From a Not-So-Perfect Pet Sitter, one character (MacKenzie) rants about the narrator breaking rules.  The narrator responds “OMG! I was SO angry, I wanted … Continue reading →

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Does Captain Underpants Belong in Any School Library?

Posted on February 7, 2018 by Harmonica

Take a “look inside” a few books from the Captain Underpants series on Amazon or at a library. In Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks-A-Lot (published in 2015 after the series placed #1 on the Top Ten … Continue reading →

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