We went to the library. Librarians are, of course, the most amazing people in the world. They know every single book ever published and they love, love, love books. And children's librarians, wow, what can I say?
So Daughter stands there like a ten-year-old (okay, she is a ten-year-old) and she's hemming and hawwing and giving silly plot details like, "there's a pumpkin up on a telephone pole in the book and they've got to get it down," and the librarian is being so patient, so sweet. And then she gets a partial title out of Daughter. Something about mysterious emails. She uses that to search and finds it. The book, as it turns out, is called, "Deep Doo Doo and the Mysterious E-Mails." It wasn't in the library, so we put a hold on it for when it's turned in and left.
Then we decided to see if we could find it at two bookstores. Maybe I just have too much free time?
Some of us bloggers have some writerly ambitions, myself included. So here's my heartfelt recommendation as a mom, a reader, and as a writer: don't give your book a really stupid name. I spent a good amount of time yesterday spelling the word "Doo Doo" to a mottley group of both surley and helpful store employees at both Border's and Barnes & Noble. At each place I found myself standing at the customer service with Daughter and each time I knew I looked like a normal human being; I was dressed like a normal human being, until suddenly, in consultation with Daughter, I had to say, "Is Doo Doo one word or two?"
The result? Book on order at the library. Used book on order for spoiled daughter from Amazon booksellers. And yet another note to writerly self: if you give your book a really dumb name, it will go out of print more quickly.
Is there some stuff you say or do with your kids that makes the adult in you wonder what exactly you're doing? Love librarians? Do your kids ever love the books you loved at their age?
That's the most moronic damn title I've ever heard! Seriously? What was the author thinking?
ReplyDeleteLibrarians are awesome. So patient. Miss D. and I are reading Ramona the Pest together and, luckily, she's as enchanted as I was.
Love librarians! Dislike the customer service people at local Barnes & Noble.
ReplyDeleteMy now 23 year old daughter loved reading anything she could get her hands on - still does. She and I read Box Car Children books by the dozens as she was growing up. I loved the original, not knowing as a mother it had become a series, as a child.
Lovers of librarians unite! In November, I was very pleased to see our town pass a levy to keep our librarians employed and library open despite statewide budget cuts.
ReplyDeleteBig Boy does seem to like many of the books I cherished as a kid. Then again, I think I have some serious steering influence since he is still only two!
So funny! I LOVE the libray and all of the librarians! I "shop" online, they email me when something is due and a couple of years ago my branch even got a drive-thru - yay!
ReplyDeleteOK. When I write my NY Times Bestseller, I will make sure the words "Doo Doo" are not included.
ReplyDeleteTKW, Lucky you on Ramona. My daughter never likes my favorite books. They're always "old fashioned." Meanwhile, she's reading old books that have been reissued with new covers!
ReplyDeleteNicki, my nemesis is a clerk at the Border's near my house. This time she started on a paranoid rant about Amazon while I was standing there! I agree Amazon might be a little out of control, but still, a rant?
ReplyDeleteGreat on the Box Car Children!
Kristen, how incredible that your town is keeping the libraries afloat. Slowly Phoenix is just shutting everything down. Ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteAnd you're right on being able to pick Big Boy's books right now! What a great window of opportunity.
Lisa, which library is it? PV or Scottsdale? A drive thru? The only online notifications I get are the kids' books that are overdue and I'm not REALLY supposed to wait to get those!
ReplyDeleteAmber, right. No Doo Doo. "The Case of the Mysterious Emails" would have been adequate. And get this: I think the series was called the Doo Doo series. It's kind of disgusting if you think about it. And you kind of don't want to, right?
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteyou...My teacher in 6th grade once read a book aloud to us called "David and the pheonix'. Can I find it? No.
life sucks sometimes.
love that you looked all over to find it though...
that IS something your daughter will remember.
Chris, AND that I stood there making a total fool out of myself, saying "Doo Doo" over and over again... I should get major mom points for that! I'm also very grateful that fourth grade has been the grade that my daughter has turned into a real reader - she always has her nose in a book now. Yea!
ReplyDeleteThat is an awful title. We've spent hours looking for an out of print book series for my son. I found the first one in a used book store and have been looking for the rest ever since. It was on hold at the library for about a year, and finally came in LAST MONTH. I guess I won't have to spend the small fortune ordering it online.
ReplyDeleteWe love to read here and the kids have read many of my favorites. Lately my 13 year old has been reading the books I'm reading now. That is an odd feeling.
My oldest is into normal fiction best seller types and classics, my 2nd loves sci-fi, 3rd is more of a nonfiction and younger ones are too early to reading to tell yet.
Charlotte, It's like by the time the hold books come in, the kids have outgrown the category! With you, at least, maybe the next kid might like it!
ReplyDeleteI love seeing my kids become readers. My mom used to say that she could put any food in front of me at the table, I was always so absorbed in reading I never knew what I ate!
"Don't give your book a really stupid name."
ReplyDeleteBest writing advice I've heard in a long time.
:)
Ah, the importance of titles indeed. Thank you for this writerly "Doo Doo Not" tip :) Love how you and your girl spent the day chasing a story.
ReplyDeleteBLW, Not that I was going to call my memoir "The Doo Doo Sisters" or anything, but now? Forget it.
ReplyDeleteAidan, Believe it or not, the library copy came in more quickly than the Amazon bookseller one! And another issue: am I a doting parent or is Daughter spoiled to pieces? Or will I use any excuse to shop?
ReplyDeleteOr it will become a bestseller like the guy who wrote the children's book bestseller using Vagina in the title and wound up on the View.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, Sara. Unique enough to be noticed, not so unique as to be dumb, and interesting enough that you get on The View. Okay then.
ReplyDelete