It’s been a while since we’ve done this (poor Homer Price) so let’s do a little recap. If a good book is sporting a cover that isn’t helping, you’ve got yourself an Unfortunate Cover. The Unfortunate Cover can be a tough situation to remedy. You can booktalk the heck out of it to spur some [...]
Of all the Unfortunate Covers, the most difficult to name are the ones I love. Today we take a look at one of my all-time favorites, sporting a cover that just isn’t getting much attention from kids. This one hurts. Homer Price by Robert McCloskey I understand this is sacrilege, but with the cover above, [...]
I’m not usually this blunt, but the latest addition to the Unfortunate Cover pasture of misfortune is long overdue. The book may be a Newbery winner, but this cover is not holding up its end of the bargain: Tales from Silver Lands by Charles J. Finger When the most exciting thing you can put on [...]
When a good book is wrapped in a less-than-good jacket, we like to call that an Unfortunate Cover. I was walking by the fiction section in my 3rd and 4th grade school today when I saw this: The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynn Reid Banks *Shoe heels screeching to a halt* *Double take* This [...]
Great book, bad cover – that’s the credo of this ongoing series. Today’s candidate? Black Fox of Lorne by Marguerite De Angeli Nothing captures the excitement of this Scottish Viking tale like … the main characters awkwardly posed on a hillside. And, call me crazy, but something is going on with the king’s left arm. [...]
An Unfortunate Cover occurs when a good book has a cover that isn’t holding up its end of the bargain. The latest addition to the Hall of Cover Infamy certainly fits this description. While Apple Paperbacks make for pretty easy targets, sometimes you just have to shoot that fish in the barrel. Fourth Grade Rats [...]
Not all old books have Unfortunate Covers. There are some specific requirements: 1. The book must be good. If the book is bad and the cover is bad, you get what’s referred to as an Accurate Cover (which is not nearly as fun to discuss). 2. The book must employ cover elements that are instantly [...]
What is an Unfortunate Cover? One part great/classic book, one part unappealing cover. Take a look at past Unfortunates: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13. Now, on to today’s cover. So where do you stand on landscapes? It hurts that the latest inductee into the Hall of the [...]
As a school librarian, few things bum me out more than when a great book is passed over because of an unappealing cover. It’s unfortunate is what it is. In these pages, I’ve brought a few of these good book/bad cover cases up for discussion in the past: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, [...]
For the uninitiated: An Unfortunate Cover occurs when a less than appealing cover is wrapped around excellent and/or classic book. Take a look at some of the past Unfortunate Cover selections: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11. Before we do anything else, I have to ask you something: Q: What [...]
“Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.†– John Quincy Adams In what might be the most irresponsible application of this noble exercise in recent memory, I now implore you to browse the gallery of Unfortunate Covers below and vote [...]
Sometimes a cover doesn’t match the tone of the book it’s wrapped around. Such is the case of our most recent Unfortunate Cover candidate: Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. The world’s most listless treasure hunt. I feel like the artist was working with some models who weren’t that into it. Cover Artist: “Alright, we [...]
To review: Unfortunate Cover = Good Book + Cover Which is Doing No Favors for Shelf Appeal of Said Good Book. Some Unfortunate Covers picks have been downright tough to call out. Especially #3 and #9: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9. This one? This is really like shooting fish in a [...]
The 3rd entry in the (nonexistent) 100 Scope Notes Encyclopedia of Children’s Lit defines an Unfortunate Cover as such: A book that is held in high literary esteem, but features cover artwork which detracts from overall shelf appeal. Just for the record, encyclopedia entry #2 was for “Reese’s Eggs†(added at 3:30 p.m. on Easter [...]
It’s been a little bit since our last Unfortunate Cover, so take a look at past picks if you need your memory jogged: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7. Our latest entry into the series is so unappealing, it almost doesn’t deserve comment. Almost! One of the schools where I work is putting on [...]
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