Video Chat: Talking More About Book Destruction (A Show and Tell)
Welcome to the fourth edition of the Maw Books Video Chat! If this is your first time visiting, this is when I get in front of the camera and talk about books and whatever else might come into my head A couple of weeks ago I asked the question: what is the most horrific way you’ve ever ruined a book? And more than 60 of you responded with your book destruction stories! I loved them. I realized that I have more destroyed books in my house than I thought. And in this vlog, I’ll show them to you!
Did you miss the video where those two sweet little book destroying monsters showed off their favorite books and even give a reading? I’ve watched the video like twenty times, for some reason, I just can’t get enough of it. Go check it out!
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Tags: videos, vlog
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Oh wow, at least your book destroying monsters are adorable! I don’t think my brother or I ever did that to our books, but I know my cousins, little twin boys, destroy basically everything they get their hands on. Well, they used to, they’re 6 now and seem to have learned to leave things intact. Maybe there is something about two boys!
on March 9th, 2009 at 4:01 amEep! We have a few that have the spine ripped off and one flip/board book that got destroyed but not that many. Of course, you have 2 boys!
on March 9th, 2009 at 4:39 amToo funny. I don’t remember that we destroyed books to that extent, but there are some books from our childhood with gnawed corners!
on March 9th, 2009 at 4:48 am“We’re sorry, this video is no longer available.”
on March 9th, 2009 at 6:56 amI loved the look on your face when you were showing all the pages of the book your inlaws gave your son. Priceless! They really do like naked books, don’t they?
on March 9th, 2009 at 7:22 amMeghan – The thing is, is that they get in trouble every time. Who knows why they keep doing it. Our really “nice” picture books are out of harms way. I get nervous to even let them look at them.
Chris – As soon as I saw my pile of destroyed books and saw how big it was, I knew it would make for a good video!
Beth – Looks like I get the prize!
Hannah – Really?! I’ve tried it just fine right now and it plays. Let me know if it doesn’t work if you try it again. My videos are also available on my YouTube channel at: http://www.youtube.com/user/mawbooks
Jen – Let’s just hope that my in-laws forgive me!
on March 9th, 2009 at 8:19 amMy son has all his favorite books surrounding him at night on his bed. He takes care of his book and gives special care to his library books. My daughter thats a different story. All her books look like the ones you showed.
on March 9th, 2009 at 8:34 amI am one of those that never folds a page or creases a spine but my kids have destroyed a book or two in their time. I didn’t buy anything but board books for the longest time because it physically pained me to see damage of any kind. I’m not even that uptight with other things but with books, I guess I am!
I like the idea of your vlog. It’s nice to hear a voice every now and then.
on March 9th, 2009 at 12:42 pmWe used to have books like that. Many of them I’ve carefully put away and preserved. Lately, the only “bad” things the kids do to our books is get them quite crunched in their back backs. I’ve seen them throw a book or two also, which makes me crazy!
I really hope to come to see Laurie Halse Anderson. But I refuse to come alone, so it all depends on if I can get some (even one) book club buddy to come with me.
on March 9th, 2009 at 2:23 pmHonestly, Natasha, you have made me feel worlds better about the way my kids treat books.
on March 9th, 2009 at 4:50 pmI rarely keep a book they destroy. I make them throw it away. It upsets them to lose the book and they tend to treat the others better. When my son went through a destructive period I took away all his books for a few days. That really hit home. I understand they are kids and damage is bound to happen but deliberately ripping a book and laughing while doing so, like my son did, I am not cool with that.
Oh you are definitely not the only one. My boy has destroyed board books. He’s ripped the spines apart on them and it is hard to tape those back together. He also ripped up this expensive play a sound Thomas book I bought him. He loved it, but I don’t know why he repeatedly ripped it up. Even after I used packing tape to tape together pages, he would rip them up again. He was determined to ruin that one. It just breaks your heart doesn’t it?
on March 9th, 2009 at 9:02 pmI have a 16 month old and ducktape has become my new best friend! Although like you, I’m not so sad because he’s trying to read them, he really is! Which makes me happy because I hope he continues to read them. You just can’t see the spines of the books anymore. When he gets older, I’m sure he’ll cherish the fact that I kept them for him. =)
on March 10th, 2009 at 8:42 amOh my goodness. Sorry but I got a few smiles out of this one because I could see the horror on your face as you were looking at these books. I guess in some way you can look at it as a love for reading because they look at them so often that they’re falling apart. lol. I was always the kid who took care of her books growing up and still do. I cringe when I notice that the corner is nicked or some such thing. The thing is Natasha that your boys are adorable so – eh, they’ll learn I’m sure with you guiding them along. I just love these video chats. They’re great.
on March 10th, 2009 at 11:22 amOooh my little sister was evil to books. One time she ripped the cover straight off one of my books! I was so angry I think I wrote a story for school about it! And she was known to rip any dust jackets off of books that she could reach! I guess her excuse was that she was a toddler, but I’m not buying it
on March 10th, 2009 at 6:34 pmNooooooooooooo! I finally get a chance to watch your vlog and I’m getting a video no longer available message! On the Youtube site, also. I’m guessing it’s a glitch; will try again later. So sad!
on March 11th, 2009 at 3:19 pmUpdate: It’s loading now!
on March 11th, 2009 at 3:21 pmYes, my boys destroyed their share of books, many were literally loved to death. The good news? At 8 and 12, they both love to read and to be read to, and they don’t ruin books anymore. (Toy cars and Playmobile people, on the other hand, are still fair game…)
on March 11th, 2009 at 3:40 pmI have to say I love your blog and the video chats!
As for your dilemma with your boys and books – I just think publishers haven’t found a good way to make books child-proof yet. Maybe one they there’ll be books that can’t be destroyed (ah, the dreams!), though.
As for book destroying monsters – my 21 year old (!!!) brother is such a monster. He was a non-reader up until I gave him my (first) copy of Jeffery Deaver’s The Blue Nowhere. The last time I saw it it was on his floor next to his bed, close to falling apart. He read the thing I don’t know how many times, so I figured I’d just get a new copy for me.
Take it that way – at least they read and love their books! So it could be worse – they could despise books!
on March 11th, 2009 at 5:32 pmAfter seeing your video I went on a quest to find damaged books that my 5 year old might have and the only ones that I cam across was those heavy bound board books. He has ones that are in the shape of a plane and tractor and they are all ripped from the spine. Thankfully I am lucky with my son as he has never ripped his books or marked in them. I agree with that Kathrin said at least they are read and they love their books.
on March 12th, 2009 at 10:27 amwow, those books are trashed, but well loved. I guess that’s a good thing that some were gifts and others were from the thrift store. I think that’s a good thing. No kids here, but I’m not sure I could be as “relaxed” as you appear about the whole thing. hmm, maybe I should rethink my handing the books I had as a kid over to my kids some day thing.
on March 31st, 2009 at 4:10 pm