Hated this. Angry it was given to my 3rd grader. For all of the questionable youth activity: Repeated Shoplifting and Vandalism, Defying all teacher, adult and parenting relationships, quitting/skipping school, cutting, hijacking and hitchhiking to name only a few! All with no real consequences... Poorly strung together, it is more of a handbook for delinquency than shining example of how books can save people. Forget about any sense of morals or authority figures helping troubled kids!
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The Library Card
(2004, Fiction - Short Stories, Written by Eileen Spinelli)
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings(Flash is loading. If this text does not disappear you need to install the latest flash version)
Not age appropriate for kids under 8, age appropriate for kids over 9; suggested age 9. -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
A mysterious library card affects four lives.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 9 and Up
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
About The Library Card
Parents need to know that this book follows a group of four young strangers who are struggling through life for very different reasons, and that some of them serve as better role models than others -- at least initially. One, an inner-city dweller, spends his spare time spray-painting graffiti with a friend. Another is grappling with his mother's recent death.
Read our full review by Matt Berman
Families Can Talk About
- Families can talk about the power of books, reading, libraries, and librarians and the affect they can have on even the most difficult lives. Have you ever read a book that changed the way you thought about your life? What about it spoke to you?
Our Members Say
See all 6 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
- I rate this title off for age 7 and give itMy concerns are:
Great handbook for delinquents!
- I rate this title on for age 10 and give itMy concerns are:
- My highlights are:
Good book for middle grades
This book was so-so. Overall it has a positive message about the value of books/the library - however that positive message is only inferred so the reader must be mature enough to recognize it. This book also has some mature themes - it infers that one of the characters may be suicidal, a couple other characters shoplift and vandalize. Another character is homeless and lives in a car with his uncle. These dark themes tend to overshadow the positive message. Additionally, the imagery and figurative language used by the author is somewhat complex and the reader would need to have the maturity level to comprehend it.
- I rate this title iffy for age 11 and give it
Better books written regarding the value of library cards.
The book was chosen for our Mother/Daughter Book Group (ages 8-12). It was a disappointment. As a librarian I think stories could have been written in a more positive way regarding library cards.
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
Eh...
This book wasn't the best. It didn't make that much sense, because none of the stories connected in any way except for them all finding a library card at some point. This wasn't one of Jerry Spenelli's best...
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
Amust read book for everyone
These incredible stories are amazing! It a is all about 4 childrene and how there lives get affected by this library card. I really liked the book !! You should all read it. It's great!!
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Ratings at a Glance
| 67% | of parents don't think the messages are positive |
| 33% | of parents say it gives kids positive messages |
| 33% | of parents don't feel there are good role models |
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