Review: Book Crush

By: Nancy Pearl

Sasquatch Books; 2007; 288

Paperback; Children and Teen Reader's Advisory

Age: Adult Reader; Baby through 12th Grade Advisory

ISBN: 978-157061-500-9

A Seattle public librarian's recommendations for good reading, broken down by age and arbitrary category.

My Thoughts:

This is a great resource for children and young adult librarians, and is a fun read to boot. Not only will readers feel validated if they discover that the inimitable Nancy Pearl has chosen one of their favorites, but they will find their own reading wish list growing with every page. Pearl has divided readers into three groups: youngest readers (birth to eight), middle-grade readers (ages 8-12), and teen readers (ages 13-18). Within the recommendations for each group, Pearl will point out if a book is more suited to one end of the spectrum or the other.

Part of what makes Pearl's book so helpful is that her categories are unusual, and not at all what you would find in a catalog search or in a database. Examples include Noodlehead Stories, Not a Dry Eye in the House, and Ghosts I Have Loved. She tries to include at least one section for every group of children: boys, girls, jocks, nerds, girlie girls, and outcasts. Her suggestions also cover a wide range of genres and publication eras. There are older books, many of which are out of print but still available in libraries, as well as titles that have come out in the past two years. It is a great jumping off point for book talks as well. The book is a lot smaller than most RA texts, fitting into a purse or backpack, which is handy for trips to the library, book fair, or book store. It is also reasonably priced and would make a wonderful addition to a children and teen reference collection.

In other words...I think that EVERYONE interested in working with children or teens should either own this book or have access to it at their workplace. (And check out her adult titles: Book Lust and More Book Lust.)

The Thoughts of Others:

School Library Journal did not like this book NEARLY as much as I did in their 2006 review. They felt that its arbitrary nature, since it is only one person's opinions, would lead to arguments. They did not see its usefulness for professionals, since the well-read will not need it. They did, however, note that "those new to the field or who have a hard time thinking in readers' advisory categories [could find it] useful to get the juices flowing." (They apparantly did not take my stance on it as a good recreational read that starts conversations...what killjoys!)

Stephanie Dunnewind, in a Seattle Times review, gave her hometown librarian a big thumbs up. She admired the chatty prose style, lauded the extensive non-fiction section, and compared Nancy Pearl to Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler!