Fundamentals of Children's Services, Second Edition (Ala Fundamentals)

What a disappointing book.In this book we learn things like, boys' brains are "wired differently" than girls' brains, directly resulting in making the world a place to be mastered for boys where girls are really only interested in finding their place within their relationships to and with others. The author really does not seem concerned with the generalizations and often dismissive tone he takes on when discussing literary works geared toward girls. Furthermore, he doesn't seem to be concerned about providing a variety of materials for girls, assuming for the most part that their primary interests lie in tales of self discovery and "personal pain and triumph, or the books about a family pet dying..." Never mind that there are boys who would love to have these generalizations deconstructed so they could partake in materials with emotional themes without judgment. The author's disdain for the feminine is not concealed very well. Other generalizations concerning the public education system and people who do not work with children can easily be found in this gem that was somehow published in 2005 and published again in 2013.Not all of the messages of this book are useless or horrible. The manner the messages are presented in is highly problematic, though. Do public libraries need diversity in their collections? Undeniably. Do we need to pigeonhole boys and girls the way the text does? Certainly not.As a professor, if you choose to have your students read this book as required or even suggested text, at least give them a space where they can discuss the concepts within and dissect those ideas. That said, I'm still displeased this book landed on my reading list, because I would have preferred to avoid any contributions to the author's wallet.

Excellent resource for all librarians heading into children's/youth services.

The good textbook. Easy to follow reading.