disease Archives - Awful Library Books

Vaccination and You

October 26, 2021 Mary Kelly Health and Safety 12 comments

Vaccination and You
Cohen
1969

The info in this book is not that bad. It is geared to upper age elementary and it is pretty basic. It is simple enough that even some US governors, senators, and other leaders could grasp the concepts. With an update and more modern illustrations, this could work in 2021.

The photographs used were actually interesting. They also used a painting for the Louis Pasteur pages. Mrs Pasteur seems to be lurking in the hallway by his lab. Instead of a citation for the painting, there is a note that Mrs Pasteur is patiently waiting. (A quick search identified the artist as Robert Thom. This was from a group of paintings commissioned by Parke-Davis, later donated to the University of Michigan. You can see the collection uploaded here.)

The Black Death

September 1, 2021 Holly Health and Safety 6 comments

The Black Death
Day
1989

Submitter: Other than the cover (is that E.T. wielding the scythe of death? Why is he not wearing any clothes? Why is the dead man on the ground smiling?), this book is actually not that bad, just really old. Old enough to be concerned that “AIDS may soon become as damaging as the plague once was.” The pages are yellowed, the illustration style is pretty dated, and there are plenty of good newer books on the topic available. At 32 years old, this book has had a full life.

Holly: All the people in all the pictures in this book look like Zombies.

Be Courageous and meet John Stamos

July 12, 2016 Mary Kelly Doris Hall of Infamy, For the Kids 17 comments

Yes, I Can! Sanford 1992 Long time readers will automatically recognize the creepy style of illustrations. (Newbies to our site probably should warm up with the our category of Doris Hall of Infamy.) Today’s story features Stacy and her cerebral

Afraid to Ask

February 3, 2016 Holly Health and Safety

Afraid to Ask: A Book For Families to Share About Cancer Fine 1986 Submitter: My local library has a large network of branches. Also included are the libraries at all the public schools. This 1986 book on cancer came to

The Herp

May 4, 2015 Mary Kelly Health and Safety 6 comments

Herpes: Cause & Control Wickett 1982 In the early 80s, this was one of the scarier STDs. (The HIV crisis was still not big news yet.) No one really worried about this stuff. Take some pennicillin and you are good

Down with the Sickness

November 25, 2014 Holly For the Kids, Health and Safety 11 comments

Germs make me sick: A Health Handbook for Kids Donahue and Capellaro 1975 Submitter: This is a cute little book, that sadly is very out of date. Although I am no longer working in a public library, I have to

A Rabid Book for the Kids

July 31, 2014 Holly Critters 13 comments

Rabies
Landau
1993

Submitter: The late, great Elaine Landau has a number of up-to-date quality titles out there. Perhaps this was one of them in 1993. I was in middle school then, and I wonder what my reaction to the severed skunk head would have been. I wasn’t prepared for it when I was flipping through it a few months ago.

[This was found in a] public library children’s collection.

Holly: I’m going to warn you all right now. DO NOT CLICK THROUGH IF YOU ARE SENSITIVE TO ANIMAL ISSUES! Just click over to Emergency Kitten blog instead and let today’s post go. I don’t need anyone swooning or getting mad at me for what you are going to see below. I don’t like it any more than you do, and while it’s not a bad book, I think this was a better choice for an adult collection than children’s. Severed heads indeed! Nice cozy bedtime story! Gross.