Entertainment Archives - Awful Library Books

TV of the late 1970s

June 6, 2022 Mary Kelly Entertainment, For the Kids 12 comments

TV Time ’78
Herz
1978

We have featured many of Peggy’s books here on the site. She generally writes pop culture type stuff for youth. Probably not the most glamorous of writing gigs, given the parameters. Totally appropriate for the time and probably was good for those reluctant readers looking for stuff about television shows. All the big hits from the 70s and 80s are here: Rhoda, Mork and Mindy, and Happy Days.

She also did compilations like this one. A little bit of age appropriate gossip and some pictures of the celebrities. All clean and sanitized for our sensitive children.

70s TV for the youngsters

February 24, 2022 Mary Kelly Entertainment 23 comments

TV Album
Herz
1978

If you are under the age of 50 or so, you might not recognize some of these programs unless you got lucky in re-runs. This little paperback is made up of what looks like publicity stills and script summaries. It’s pretty much a “meh” choice in the late 1970s.

We have featured a bunch of these nonfiction tv profiles for kids. Check it out here, here, and here. They are basically all the same book. The author, Peggy Herz has written a bunch of books about television shows for the juvenile audience for Scholastic.

Boomer Television

March 15, 2021 Mary Kelly Entertainment 10 comments

TV Book
The Ultimate Television Book
Firemen, ed.
1977

This TV retrospective was published in the late 1970s. It covers the early days to the mid 1970s. This would have been a decent choice for a library back in the 1970s. There is a timeline that ran through the bottom of the pages, articles on trends, and other TV events.

Those Were the Days

July 18, 2019 Holly Entertainment 15 comments

The TV Theme Song Sing-Along Songbook
Javna
1984

Submitter: Here’s a blast from the past! What’s crazy is that the public library this book came from was recently rebuilt/added onto and every book was re-shelved. You’d think someone would have noticed this?

Satan’s Music

October 17, 2018 Mary Kelly Department of God, Entertainment 27 comments

Satan’s Music Exposed
Kirban
1981

In case you didn’t know, the real evil is Christian rock. Evidently, the shift from traditional sacred music is ruining church for everyone. The author asserts that this pop music influences us through the accelerated beat and sinful lyrics. He specifically mentioned the songs: Afternoon Delight, Let’s Spend the Night Together, and Having my Baby. (I am willing to bet this is the first time those songs shared the same paragraph.) This poor author is also mad about Jesus Christ Superstar and Godspell. Evidently, Jesus on Broadway is a bad idea.

Autoharp Songbook

October 5, 2018 Holly Entertainment 5 comments

The Youngheart Autoharp Songbook
Scelsa, Millang, Koch, Blackley
1983

This was submitted by email, so to be fair I haven’t actually laid eyes on the actual book. I’m not sure I need to.

Songbooks are actually pretty popular in my library, although I’ve never had a run on requests for autoharp songbooks. On the one hand, I can see how this is unique and there might not be much else out there. On the other hand, it’s old and kind of corny and taking up valuable shelf space.

Is the brown thing on the cover an acorn? What does an acorn have to do with anything? What does any of that have to do with anything?? Do they represent the songs in the book? For example, is “This Old Man” in the book, and that’s why there’s a dog with a bone? Are these children’s songs? I have so many questions! Submitter, please enlighten us in the comments.

Curses!

September 28, 2018 Holly Entertainment 10 comments

Toasts: The Complete Book of the Best Toasts, Sentiments, Blessings, Curses, and Graces
Dickson
1981

Submitter: Well the title of that book went downhill quickly. Just weeded this from our public library today. My favorite curses were the ones about the teeth and the devil making a ladder from your backbone.

Holly: I love it! For all your cursing needs, the library has you covered. Just for fun, here’s a link to some “Powerful Modern Curses.”

70s TV for the Kids

September 12, 2018 Mary Kelly Entertainment 12 comments

TV’S Top Ten
Shows and Their Stars
Herz
1976

For the over 40 crowd, can you remember these shows? (Extra points for the under 30 set.) This is another example of youth nonfiction from yesteryear. There’s nothing really special about this book, although I didn’t realize that Helen Hunt was in the Swiss Family Robinson show. Actually, I didn’t even remember the TV show. The book was probably better.