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Unfortunate Covers

February 14, 2013 by Travis Jonker

Unfortunate Covers (#21)

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 […]

May 16, 2012 by Travis Jonker

Unfortunate Covers (#20)

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, […]

October 28, 2011 by Travis Jonker

Unfortunate Covers (#19)

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 […]

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Unfortunate Covers (#18)

September 30, 2011 by Travis Jonker

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 […]

Unfortunate Covers (#17)

June 10, 2011 by Travis Jonker

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. […]

Unfortunate Covers (#16)

May 26, 2011 by Travis Jonker

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 […]

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Unfortunate Covers (#15)

September 14, 2010 by Travis Jonker

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 […]

Unfortunate Covers (#14)

March 1, 2010 by Travis Jonker

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 […]

Unfortunate Covers (#13)

January 7, 2010 by Travis Jonker

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, […]

Unfortunate Covers (#12)

November 11, 2009 by Travis Jonker

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 […]

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