From: HCgraves at aol.com <HCgraves>
Date: Mon, 16 Jun 1997 11:44:19 -0400 (EDT)

I didn't grow up with Charlotte Zolotow's books, but my children did. I just went upstairs to search the bookshelves where many of the books collected through 20 years as a children's librarian and more years than that as mother to five children are waiting to be enjoyed again.

I was looking for Charlotte Zolotow's Big Brother. Such a fine little book
-- just the right size to slip into a generous pocket or a travelling bag.
 With two big brothers, one of whom was born teasing, my three daughters cherished this book. The boys enjoyed it too. It took the tears out of teasing, and challenged all five to think of ever more outrageous teasing comments, to be met by a chorus of " but it wasn't. . ." Driving across the country in a Volkswagon Van with five children under 10 there were some snarly moments. One of my cherished memories is of an afternoon when those last miles before food and rest were pushing all our patience, and the teasing brother leaned down, looked into his sister's face, and announced "You
 have three eyes and live in Tennessee." All five dissolved into helpless giggles.

I didn't find Big Brother, it must be in one of those boxes in the basement, but I did find The Quarreling Book-- another book we read sometime just for, sometimes when the quarrels were bouncing from one to another at our house.

As a school librarian it pained me that the alphabet kept putting these books at the end of a shelf at the end of the section. I had to pull them out for a lot of story hours and special displays to get them the attention they deserved.

Helen Seagraves Hood River, Oregon
Received on Mon 16 Jun 1997 10:44:19 AM CDT