Awful Library Books

Fun With Science
Easy Experiments for Young People
Freeman and Freeman
1956

This little gem from the 1950s is CLEARLY past its “sell by” date. The cover was in bad shape and there was some yellowing. This came from a university collection, not a public library. (There was one public library that had this book listed in its collection.) The Freemans wrote many youth science nonfiction books up into the 1970s.

This book was first published in 1943 and was last printed in 2000. The Freemans passed away in the 1980s. I couldn’t find much biographical information about the Freemans with my cursory searches. Given the longevity of their books, as well has the number of titles, their materials should be archived and maintained for study.

If you are an average kid, going to an average public library, this is not where you want to find the Freeman’s titles. This is often a problem of public library collections. Just because the book has merit or significance doesn’t mean we just stick it in a circulating youth nonfiction collection. Weeding is also about finding the right place for material.

Anyway, I did find the cover art somewhat amusing. The one kid looks like he is in some kind of trance. Also, I am curious about what the dog is going to contribute to the fun.

Mary