SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About/Contact
  • *Best New Books*
    • Annual Best Lists
  • Reviews
    • One Star Review
    • Nonfiction
    • Toon Reviews
  • Articles
    • Authors
    • Link Du Jour
  • Covers
    • Covering the Newbery
    • Cover Curiosity
    • Unfortunate Covers
  • News
    • Books on Film
    • Morning Notes
  • Newsletter

May 26, 2011 by Travis Jonker

Unfortunate Covers (#16)

May 26, 2011 by Travis Jonker   4 comments

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.

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Fourth Grade Rats by Jerry Spinelli

I think a zoom-in is appropriate:

It’s hard to say exactly what makes this cover unfortunate. Could it be the redhead with the mullet, pleated jeans and a Members Only jacket? Is it the tough kid in the Canadian Tuxedo and Warriors-esque headband?

Well, yeah, it’s probably one of those two things. Possibly both.

Good to know that this cover has had a more recent update.

Check out previous Unfortunate Covers:

#1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15

Filed under: Covers, Unfortunate Covers

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments

About Travis Jonker

Travis Jonker is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. He writes reviews (and the occasional article or two) for School Library Journal and is a member of the 2014 Caldecott committee. You can email Travis at scopenotes@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter: @100scopenotes.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

February 2013

Unfortunate Covers (#21)

by Travis Jonker

May 2012

Unfortunate Covers (#20)

by Travis Jonker

October 2011

Unfortunate Covers (#19)

by Travis Jonker

September 2011

Unfortunate Covers (#18)

by Travis Jonker

June 2011

Unfortunate Covers (#17)

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

Sydney Taylor Blog Tour: THE TOWER OF LIFE by Chana Stiefel and Susan Gal

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Fuse 8 n’ Kate: Who’s In Rabbit’s House by Verna Aardema, ill. Leo and Diane Dillon

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Kiss Number 8 | Review

by Johanna

Heavy Medal

What’s Coming in 2023, A Feedback Poll, and Goodbye for Now…

by Steven Engelfried

Teen Librarian Toolbox

Holiday House and Pixel + Ink Showcase: New titles from the first half of 2023

by Amanda MacGregor

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

A Book 25 Years in the Making: Marla Frazee Visits The Yarn

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

Looking for a Book to Read Aloud? These Classics Made the Hall of Fame.

These Books Picture the Music | Read Woke

4 Middle Grade & YA Nonfiction Titles to Help Heal the World

24 Audiobooks To Encourage Ongoing Activism and Social Justice

Three Picture Books to Celebrate Black History

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Cindy Dobrez says

    May 26, 2011 at 6:32 am

    You crack me up. Yes, I’m sure these covers worked the first time around, but I weeded about 500 Apple paperbacks of the same era from my middle school collection last year due to the cover art and NO circ for 15 years. I don’t need Fourth Grade Rats but I’m glad that some of these good stories are being issued new covers. It’s time.

  2. Meredith says

    May 26, 2011 at 2:33 pm

    I love that cover, because it reminds me of my childhood. Which was kind of ugly, obviously. But yeah, kids at my library would never pick this up.

  3. Katie says

    May 27, 2011 at 2:49 pm

    A kid in my library came in and asked for this the other day – both he and his mother seemed incredulous that this could be the right book after seeing that cover! But he did take it home, so maybe he’s still going to read it. I hope so.

  4. Msyingling says

    May 30, 2011 at 6:58 pm

    This is fairly mild compared to Somme of the atrocities of the 1980s. The good news is that if a librarian likes a book, it can always be recommended out, even if the cover is hideous.

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

  • Author/Illustrator Blogs

    • Erin Stead Illustration
    • Hey, Rabbit!
    • James Preller's Blog
    • MATTHEWCORDELLBLOGS
    • Mo Willems Doodles
    • The Scop
  • Book Blogs I Like

    • A Book and a Hug
    • A Fuse #8 Production
    • A Kids Book a Day
    • A Year of Reading
    • Abby (the) Librarian
    • Awful Library Books
    • Becky’s Book Reviews
    • Better Book Titles
    • Book-A-Day Almanac
    • Bookends
    • books4yourkids.com
    • bookshelves of doom
    • Bottom Shelf Books
    • Calling Caldecott
    • Caustic Cover Critic
    • Chad C. Beckerman
    • Charlotte’s Library
    • Cheryl Rainfield
    • Chicken Spaghetti
    • CHILDREN’S ILLUSTRATION
    • Collecting Children’s Books
    • Cybils
    • EarlyWord
    • educating alice
    • Finding Wonderland
    • For Those About to Mock
    • Good Comics for Kids
    • Good Show Sir
    • GottaBook
    • Great Kid Books
    • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
    • Hi Miss Julie!
    • Jen Robinson’s Book Page
    • Kidsmomo
    • Maria T. Middleton Design
    • Nerdy Book Club
    • Neverending Search
    • Nine Kinds of Pie
    • One Book, Two Books, Old Books, New Books
    • Out of the Box
    • Oz and Ends
    • PlanetEsme
    • Read Roger
    • Reading Rants!
    • Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
    • sharpread
    • ShelfTalker
    • so tomorrow
    • The Children's Book Review
    • The Miss Rumphius Effect
    • Uncovered Cover Art
    • Waking Brain Cells
    • Watch. Connect. Read.
  • Library Blogs

    • ALSC Blog
    • Blue Skunk Blog
    • librarian.net
    • LISNews
    • Stephen's Lighthouse
    • Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology
    • Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology
    • Unshelved
  • Follow This Blog

    Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    Primary Sidebar

    • News & Features
    • Reviews+
    • Technology
    • School Libraries
    • Public Libraries
    • Age Level
    • Ideas
    • Blogs
    • Classroom
    • Diversity
    • People
    • Job Zone

    Reviews+

    • Book Lists
    • Best Books
    • Media
    • Reference
    • Series Made Simple
    • Tech
    • Review for SLJ
    • Review Submissions

    SLJ Blog Network

    • 100 Scope Notes
    • A Fuse #8 Production
    • Good Comics for Kids
    • Heavy Medal
    • Neverending Search
    • Teen Librarian Toolbox
    • The Classroom Bookshelf
    • The Yarn

    Resources

    • 2022 Youth Media Awards
    • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
    • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
    • Summer Reading 2021
    • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
    • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
    • Summer Programming Survey
    • Research
    • White Papers / Case Studies
    • School Librarian of the Year
    • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
    • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

    Events & PD

    • In-Person Events
    • Online Courses
    • Virtual Events
    • Webcasts
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
    • Media Inquiries
    • Newsletter Sign Up
    • Content Submissions
    • Data Privacy
    • Terms of Use
    • Terms of Sale
    • FAQs
    • Diversity Policy
    • Careers at MSI


    COPYRIGHT © 2023


    COPYRIGHT © 2023