Four Worst Children's books

I posted about five of my favorite children's books.  To maintain balance in the force I thought I should post about five of WORST children's books.  Note:  These are not truly the worst children's books.  We've come across some real doozies, especially in the library sales (I totally see why you're selling this, Librarian.  Good call.) I prefer to not mention the really awful ones! These are books that are spared the trash pile, but certainly get hidden behind the rest of the books that I like better.

These books are the books that makes me crazy for one reason or another:

1. A Fish Out of Water.

First, there are some very major plot holes in this book.  It also contains a rather dubious message.  If you don't follow instructions, some thing crazy will happen.  But don't worry too much about it, since the guy from the pet store will come and magically make everything better.  With my toddlers, I love books that are easy and fun to read aloud, even some of the Dr. Suess with annoying fake words to fit the rhyme of the story.  This book has an awkward cadence.

2. Books with flaps

I should probably broaden this category to include all books that are also toys (books that sing, make animal noises, flush toilets, etc).  These books make the list for two reasons: First I am tired of repairing them.  I can only glue the door back on the bus so many times.... Secondly, my children always manage to sneak them upstairs and into their rooms and request them as night time books.  Flap books make terrible night time books.  Any book that makes it very easy for a child to postpone bad is a bad idea.  Books with lots of features are now designated as 'toys' in our our house and live in the play room.


3.  The Night Before Christmas

Before you get too mad at me, understand that I actually do like the Night Before Christmas.  I like it enough not to complain when we read it all of December and most of November and January, however when it managed to slip out of the Christmas box and we are still reading it in July, my patience has run out.  These goes for "Ten Little Ghosts" and "The Bernstein Bears Thanksgivings," too.

4. Construction books that call Excavators diggers.

I understand that there are regions that refer to this piece of equipment as a digger.  In my house, we call it an excavator.  And I'm not afraid to make corrections.