Books and the Child Safety Act

The Act has publishers are scrambling to comply with vague rules on childrens' books. It is an interesting article from the Jan. 9th issue of the PW daily newsletter that I receive:

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

I've read it, Zada, but I don't really understand it.

That appears to be the problem, Shelagh. Even the publishers don't quite understand, but are trying to comply with the order. I think the main stink is the testing that they are suggesting the publishers do.

Maybe they should set up big expensive programs to teach kids not to eat books.

You've gat a point, Lin. But be careful,someone might hear that and try to do it! And you know who would wind up paying for it.

Fortunately, we no longer have the specter of used books or library books being burned after February 10th because it's easier to do that than to test them.

The CPSC clarified on January 8th that books (and other products) in thrift stores or in a reseller's inventory will be exempt. They included library books as well.

It still seems insane to me for all of us to pay higher prices to pay for testing products for lead that are not made with lead.

My satirical news story about the issue can be found here: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Malcolm

Another example of the government regulating things that don't need regulating and failing to do so when it is needed.

Good news story!

We need a book Tsar! Heck, why not a bail out for the lead industry too? For that matter, since books used to be made with velum, I think that the hunters and skinners need a bailout package as well.

Perhaps they think books are written by hand with lead pencils. They still allow pencils in school, don't they? That will be the next thing to be banned!

... but did they not chew them over when they finished reading?

One of the first places Lynn went as she learned to pull up and walk (she never crawled) was to the book case in the den where she immediately took down my copy of Dr. Spock's Baby and Child Care and ripped it to shreads. She was about 10 or 11 months old at the time. It was OK, really, since my mom's housekeeper and my parttime babysitter had cautioned me very early on to "put the book away and learn to use my 'Mother Wit.'"

My children were all reading before they entered public schools. I remember Lynn coming home several weeks into first grade complaining that the only words in her book were the words "reading readiness." She was getting into trouble because she wanted to check out books that were in the 3rd grade stacks. She had nothing to read during free time because she had already memorized every book available. I suggested she bring a book from home. She took one of my favorites from my own childhood, Caddie Woodlawn, by Carol Ryrie Brink. Her teacher started scolding her for bringing a book she couldn't possibly read yet, until Lynn began reading aloud from it. After that, the teacher asked her to read from it to the class for a few minutes each day. Geesh, no wonder she majored in theater. My bad!

At least they never tried to eat them.

Ann

Marie, how often did the pups eat your children's homework?

Ann