Let me tell you a book NOT to read to your child

I really enjoy taking Wyatt to the library.  Really I do.  He loves it and it's a way to get out of the house and it's FREE...sort of.  We mostly go to the library in our neighboring county because it's bigger and it's better. And since we don't live in that county we have to pay $25 a year...but it's worth it.  I love that they have a large selection of children's books.  I love that you can check out a bajillion books for 2 weeks.  I love how you can hold and renew books ONLINE.  I love that they have movies that you can rent for a WEEK.  I love that Wyatt can pull out books and look at them and instead of me trying to figure out where they go, they have this nice black cart that you can place the books on and they will be shelved by someone who knows what they are doing.  I love how there are automatic doors which makes it so much easier with kids.  I love how there are plastic library cards and you can pay a dollar and get a tiny one for you keychain.  I love that I know I could take Wyatt on Thursdays because there is story time...even though we have only been once...{gasp}.  I really love that library.  

Well today Wyatt wanted to go to the other library.  Our hometown library.  I do like this library.  I like that it is 7 minutes from our house.  I like how it is always peaceful and quiet.  I like how there are old books, books from when I was growing up that have yellow pages and hard backs.  

What I don't like is that they issue a paper library card.  They still use the card catalog...old school. And I have to sign my name on each card.  And if you rent a movie it is due back the next day.

When we went to check out the sweet librarian took my card thumbed through some pages of a notebook came back and said, "Well you are not on the wanted list"...what she meant was I was in good standing.

We get several books, come home and get settled in to read.  The first book...Shy Charles by Rosemary Wells. We love Rosemary...the author of the Max and Ruby books...and we LOVE Max and Ruby.

The copyright is 1988 and I am thinking this is going to be such a cute book...NOT.

Here is a little from the book:

"I'm so embarrassed," said Charles's mother.

You never say good-bye or thank you.

Lucky for you that I'm nice.

Another mother would spank you!"

I almost gasped when I read that, it was so out of the blue.  So not like Rosemary to write something like that. Way to scare Charles into thinking other mommy's are going to spank him.

So I skipped over that part and continued on when I came across this:

"Charles!" said his dad. "You're a jelly roll!"

You're just a cowardly custard.

You're like a sandwich without the bread

Not to mention the ham and mustard.

How will you ever go to school or find

a job or get married?"

WHAT!? Way to teach some self esteem to your child. {sarcasm} I was so sad for Charles. I couldn't even finish the book, even if there was a good ending I couldn't go on.  I told Wyatt Mommy would not be reading this book because it was not a nice book and they were not saying nice things.  I am taking this book back to the library tomorrow.  The library that is 7 minutes from my house.  Oh and we rented a movie and you know what...it doesn't work. So I'm taking that back tomorrow too.