What’s the worst children’s book you have read?

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dankbar

Mon, May 06 2019, 10:41 pm

If you think into most classic fairytales we grew up on ended in romance! What's the point of the story? Romance! We didnt think into it then as children.
Think Cinderella, Repunzel, Sleeping Beauty etc!

aricelli

Mon, May 06 2019, 10:42 pm

Cheshire cat wrote:

My DD was inconsolable about pippi longstocking, living alone in ville vilkullah, her mom dead, her dad washed away to the sea...
I was taken aback by her response to the book, since reading it as a child had been such a light-hearted and joyful experience

I loved those... but I guess after being weaned off the three little pigs and little red riding hood Pippi was a delight!

sequoia

Mon, May 06 2019, 10:42 pm

You know, I have nothing to add to this thread. I find children’s literature to be much better than adult or YA books.

sushilover

Mon, May 06 2019, 10:43 pm

The rainbow fish-
My goodness what horrible communist propaganda teaching children that happiness lies in not being any better or prettier than anyone else. You will only be happy if you are equal. That it's necessary to please everyone around you, even if it means giving them your own body!

Goodnight Moon-
First, the illustrator should be strangled. Has he never heard of perspective?
Second, what is "mush" and why are we teaching kids to leave food in their room? No wonder they have mice!
And worst of all, this book teaches kids how to delay bedtime. They know enough delaying tactics already... now they learn that they need to say goodnight to every last object in their room and out the window.

The giving tree-
This book basically created the selfish millennial generation. Just saying.

All fairy tales-
I can't think of a single one that isn't violent or s-xual or teaches bad behavior.

Bartholomew and the Oobleck-
Way too scary. Kids can have nightmares of those old witch guys, getting stuck to oobleck, and being attacked by oobleck! Plus, it's really anti innovation. The moral is "don't you dare invent anything new. Just be happy with the status quo."
Positively medieval.

The boxcar children-
Enforces gender roles. Of course the boy goes out to work and is the leader. The oldest girl stays home and cooks and sews during the first book!
Worse, any child reading that book will dream about going off on their own and surviving in a boxcar. I know I did! Very dangerous lesson.

(I'm joking, of course. I really like (most) of these books. They're meant for kids! Kids like weird, scary, or imaginative books. And any questionable morals are great discussion starters! )

Last edited by sushilover on Mon, May 06 2019, 10:56 pm; edited 1 time in total

dankbar

Mon, May 06 2019, 10:45 pm

I have a book the best mistake ever! Mom sends child to grocery with a list to buy stuff. Child forgets list instead of potatoes buy potato chips, instead of apple buys apple pie, instead of cream buys ice cream etc. Comes home with all the party food & just then aunt arrives & they throw a party. What's the point? What he messed was good at the end?

aricelli

Mon, May 06 2019, 10:47 pm

Manny in a pickle! You gotta love that one

Cheshire cat

Mon, May 06 2019, 10:51 pm

I found the gender roles in boxcar children irritating too- Jessie was always making dinner or washing socks!
Kinda outdated now. But still a wholesome, enjoyable series

nchr

Mon, May 06 2019, 10:53 pm

Raisin wrote:

That is a common feature of children's books. It gives them more independance or something.

Or illustrates a reality that there are many children without parents or with criminal parents.

sequoia

Mon, May 06 2019, 10:54 pm

Man, some of y’all have really didactic approaches to literature.

Children’s literature is transgressive by definition. A book about kids staying happily at home with their nice, living parents would be really boring.

dee's mommy

Mon, May 06 2019, 10:56 pm

Oh, my, I forgot about the VC Andrews books. I sadly read them as a young pre teen, and while I enjoyed them at the time, I realize now how damaging they were.

In general, I don't tend to view children's books I have read as "worst." I quite enjoy children's books, but maybe I am choosing the right ones. I like all sorts, even the darker ones.

But, to add to this list, although I enjoyed Alice in Wonderland very much as a child, I find it rather disturbing now, for some reason. And also, I never read the original novel Peter Pan as a child, but did so as an adult, and also found it quite disturbing. Same goes for the original novel Pinnochio.

southernbubby

Mon, May 06 2019, 11:39 pm

I didn't read the whole thread but the mother in I Love You Forever ( I love you forever, I like you for always, as long as I'm living, my baby you'll be), seemed a bit too enmeshed. I mean, she snuck into her adult son's house in the middle of the night so that she could pick him up and rock him like a baby.
At, the end of the book though, I always get all choked up.

I went back and read the thread someone else beat me to it.

Laiya

Mon, May 06 2019, 11:45 pm

Horton Hears a Who. That book used to make me cry.

Laiya

Mon, May 06 2019, 11:51 pm

FranticFrummie wrote:

"The Giving Tree" is the worst book I've ever read. It sends a horrible message.

I absolutely hated this book, too. (And Shel Silverstein was pretty weird in general imho.)

soap suds

Mon, May 06 2019, 11:52 pm

southernbubby wrote:

And what's up with the part where "If he was really sleeping she picked him up and rocked him back and forth". What normal mother would do THAT? If he's really sleeping, thank your lucky stars and whatever you do DON'T PICK HIM UP!! Definitely messed up parenting there.

Laiya

Mon, May 06 2019, 11:59 pm

Behind the Attic Wall absolutely creeped me out

zohar

Tue, May 07 2019, 12:07 am

Cheshire cat wrote:

Oh I absolutely love Pippi Longstocking! I'm currently readinga chapter every night to my daughters in 1st and 3rd grade. What makes the series so delightful is that Pippi is every child's fantasy. No one tells her what to do, no school, a suitcase full of money, stronger than any adult, and she has a monkey and a horse to boot! There is absolutely no morals and early on there was a lot of criticism of the books because of that. Your daughter must be a sensitive soul, because there are times that the author does hint that Pippi's life might not be as rosy as she makes it out to be. I did read something disturbing that I did have to talk to my daughters about. While Pippi does many many dangerous things, I'm not ever worried that my daughters would try to copy them because they are so obviously outlandish and ridiculous. But in one chapter, Pippi goes to the pharmacy to stock up on medication. She asks for meds for all sorts of ailments, then, on the way home, she combines them in one jar and swallows it all at once! She soon complains about not feeling well and her friends take her home to sleep it off. Banging head

We had to have a long conversation about that.

southernbubby

Tue, May 07 2019, 12:19 am

soap suds wrote:

And he said bad words in front of his grandmother and it was due to the messed up parenting. And where was his father?

yerushamama

Tue, May 07 2019, 1:26 am

I never allowed the cat in the hat into my house - teaches children to disobey parent.

Different people have different sensitivities - I loved reading Ten Little Monsters Sitting on a Wall to my kids, while one of my friends was horrified by the nekama endining.

Kiwi13

Tue, May 07 2019, 1:35 am

The rainbow fish is awful in my opinion. Similar category as the giving tree. Both are lauded as great and timeless books. Both messages are harmful.

Giving tree has been discussed here already.

Rainbow fish is basically a socialism primer for children.

Kiwi13

Tue, May 07 2019, 1:39 am

soap suds wrote:

Why? What's wrong with Eli and the white lie? I remember liking that book as a kid.

IMO this is one of the best children’s books out there. LOVED it. Probably best with an adult to guide conversation, but I read it on my own and thought it was awesome. I was probably 7 or 8. Now I’m 32 and my opinion still stands.

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