From: WMMayes at aol.com <WMMayes>
Date: Wed, 23 Sep 1998 15:52:30 EDT

In a message dated 9/23/98 2:10:47 PM EST, jomalley at ala.org writes:

<< Ilene Cooper's review of _Arlene Sardine_ in the Sept. 1, 1998 issue of
 Booklist is now on the Booklist Web site:


Indeed it is, and it is a classic example of going too far in negative reviewing. It is one thing not to appreciate the work, or to feel it less than acceptable, flawed, even bad, and quite another to imply a scam by the author or publisher whereby a lesser work is foisted upon an unsuspecting public under the brand of an author/illustrator's name. Nothing constructive can be gained by writing and publishing that, and no matter how strongly an opinion the editors of Booklist hold--you don't "get" the book. we understand that--it is overkill to go to the lengths this reviewer did in damning the work.

My grandmother had a saying about negative opinions that are needlessly mean:
"We all think them but we must never say them." This kind of a review tells me a lot about the reviewer and less so about the book itself, and the special boxed Focus given to such a negative review smacks of sheer orneryness on the part of the editorial staff, as if this book was somehow worthy of a more public drubbing than an ordinary "bad" book. I just don't know how it can be justified.

Walter the Giant Storyteller WMMayes at aol.com

co-author of VALERIE & WALTER'S BEST BOOKS FOR CHILDREN: A LIVELY, OPINIONATED GUIDE, published by Avon Books

"Love, Food, Shelter, Clothing...Books!"
Received on Wed 23 Sep 1998 02:52:30 PM CDT