| Why
Weed Fiction?
The
fiction section in most school library media centers consists
of two main types of titles--classic and leisure interest.
Classic titles are easily weeded on the basis of the condition
of the item and the physical appeal of the format. Weeding
the leisure reading titles is more complicated. The leisure
reading fiction titles should reflect the interests of the
current student population of that school and not the generation
of their parents or grandparents!  Since
the leisure fiction collection also serves as a means for
today's students to develop life skills and social attitudes,
it is important to keep it timely. We need to pull fiction
with the sexist and racist slurs that we never noticed before,
and we should discard books whose old-fashioned illustrations
detract, or whose small print and long chapters repel even
the most gifted readers.
Suggested
Dewey Numbers to Check:
Fiction
titles are easy to find because they are almost all in one
section -- Fiction. However, that shelving section is usually
very large. Some of your fiction titles will be treated
as "literature" and classed in the 800s, but those will
most likely be classics that you will want to retain in
your collection.
Specific
Criteria for Weeding:
Look
at your classic titles and be sure that they are attractive
new editions. If not, replace them. Historical fiction often
bridges both the classic and leisure categories. Be sure
these titles are still historically accurate and not biased
towards any group. Leisure interest fiction titles call
for a more ruthless approach to weeding. First consider
circulation statistics. If the title has not circulated
in the last two or three years you can probably discard
it. You may want to check borderline cases against an authority
such as the H.W. Wilson Catalogs, What Do Children Read
Next? A Reader's Guide to Fiction for Children (Gale, 1994),
Bowker's Best Books for Children, Freeman's More Books Kids
Will Sit Still For or Best Books for Senior High Readers.
Next look at the physical appeal and appearance of the item.
If it doesn't look good and smell good, the students will
probably think that it isn't good! Now for the really hard
part: evaluating the value and appeal of titles. Is life
portrayed as it really is now instead of 30 or 50 years
ago? Is there sterotyping or gender/race/religious bias?
Would a student be misled or feel diminished by reading
the title? We need to pull fiction with the sexist and racist
slurs that we never noticed before, and we should discard
books whose old fashioned illustrations detract, or whose
small print and long chapters repel even the most gifted
readers.
The copyright of a title matters in some cases. The 1923
Newbery Medal book, The Voyages of Dr. Doolittle by Lofting,
has racist slurs that have been corrected in the 1988 edition.
The Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Tom Swift and Bobbsey Twins
series were updated in the 1980s to remove sexist and racist
passages and make them more contemporary.
Also carefully check the many leisure reading fiction titles
that focus on vocational or career themes. Be sure the vocational
information is still accurate for today's students.
Consider
Weeding Titles Like These:
- Abbie
Higgins, young group work executive, 1950. LCCN 50010890
- Adopted
Jane, [1947]. LCCN 47030260
- The
adventures of Ol' Mistah Buzzard, 1919. LCCN 19026538
- The
African witch, 1936 and 1962. LCCN 62009919
- All-of-a-kind
family, 1951. LCCN 51013398
- Allison
Day : weather girl, 1958. LCCN 5811488
- And
love replied, [1958]. LCCN 58009781
- Angelo,
the naughty one, 1944. LCCN 448277
- Bayou
boy, 1946. LCCN 46025258
- Beanie,
1953. LCCN 60015906
- The
beatinest boy, c1953. LCCN 53011490
- Bemba
: an African adventure, c1962. LCCN 6213332
- Betsy-Tacy,
1940. LCCN 40030965
- Betty
Cavanna presents The Diane stories, all about America's
favorite girl next door, [1957].
- Big
Doc's girl, 1942.
- The
Bobbsey twins camping out, c1923.
- The
brave little Indian, 1951.
- Bud
plays junior high football, 1957.
- The
busiest boy in Holland, 1959. LCCN 59005191
- The
burro that had a name, c1939. LCCN 39027628
- The
buttons and the Boy Scouts, 1958.
- Candy
stripers, 1958. LCCN 58011487
- A
cap for Mary Ellis, [1953]. LCCN 53008547
- The
Cardiff giant, 1972. LCCN 74184888
- Carol
goes backstage, 1941. LCCN 41021881
- Cherry
Ames Army nurse, 1944. LCCN 445096
- Chi-Wee
: the adventures of a little Indian girl, 1925. LCCN 2526903
- Chucho,
the boy with the good name, 1957. LCCN 5711027
- Clarence
the TV dog, 1955. LCCN 55010787
- Class
ring, 1951.
- Copy
girl, [c1959]. LCCN 59005224
- Country
fair : a 4-H romance, 1953.
- Country
fireman, 1948. LCCN 48004143
- Country
mailman, 1958. LCCN 57009066
- The
cub scout mystery, 1952. LCCN 52005752
- Dan
Frontier and the big cat, 1961. LCCN 61014669
- Dan
Frontier and the wagon train, 1959. LCCN 59014359
- Dan
Frontier goes hunting, 1962, LCCN 63022904
- Dan
Frontier scouts with the army, 1962. LCCN 62011393
- Danny
Dunn and the universal glue, 1977. LCCN 77078764
- Date
with a career, 1958. LCCN 58011364
- Fireman
for a day, c1952. LCCN 64016786
- First
boy on the moon, 1959. LCCN 59005465
- The
forgotten door, 1965. LCCN 65010170
- Freddy
and the men from Mars, 1954. LCCN 54010330
- Girls
can dream, too!, 1948.
- The
green man from space, 1955. LCCN 55005468
- Jews
without money, 1958.
- Just
be gorgeous, 1958.
- Mommies
at work, 1961. LCCN 61008126
- Mystery
of the midnight visitor, 1962.
- Mystery
of the pirate's ghost, 1966. LCCN 66010035
- Nancy
Clark, social worker, 1952.
- Settlers
on a strange shore, 1960.
- Voyages
of Doctor Dolittle, 1922 and 1950. LCCN 22020686
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