18 Retro Reviews of Children's Books from the New York Public Library

Last year, New York Public Library staffers discovered a lost treasure:  Nearly 6400 old note cards containing 20th century librarians’ reviews of the children's books that filled the library’s stacks.

The review system was never intended for public consumption. Instead, it served as a tool for intra-office dialogue. "It was just a way for staff to say 'here's what I thought of this book,'” says Lynn Lobash, manager of Readers Services. “And then other staff could come and look at the book and see what their colleagues had thought and decide whether they want to use it in a story time, or for whatever it was.”

Archivists have since stashed the reviews away for safekeeping, but not before the library’s delightful Instagram feed shared some highlights. Here are our favorites.

1. Tales of the Unexpected, Roald Dahl

There are punctures in the card for every circular letter in the review of Tales of the Unwxpected [sic] by Roald Dahl. You could say the typewriter was also "sinister and mean." #reviewsontues #nypl

A photo posted by The New York Public Library (@nypl) on Jan 21, 2014 at 10:27am PST

2. On the Way Home, Laura Ingalls Wilder

Yesterday was the anniversary of Laura Ingalls Wilder's death. Probably a good thing she didn't live long enough to see this #reviewsontues

A photo posted by The New York Public Library (@nypl) on Feb 11, 2014 at 5:11am PST

3. The Outsiders, S. E. Hinton

We like that the Socs in S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders are defined as "mustangs and madras" by this librarian, who recommended this "phenomenon" of a book in 1967. Did you know that the tag line #staygoldponyboy comes from the Robert Frost poem Nothing Gold Can Stay? #reviewsontues

A photo posted by The New York Public Library (@nypl) on Feb 11, 2014 at 9:07am PST

4. Forever, Judy Blume

Two completely different takes on Judy Blume's "DIRTY TEENAGE NOVEL" Forever. #reviewsontues #nypl

A photo posted by The New York Public Library (@nypl) on Feb 25, 2014 at 4:52am PST

5. A Wrinkle in Time, Madeleine L'Engle

A Wrinkle in Time: "One may not wholly believe the beings they meet along the way, but the book holds your interest and the characters are quite charming." #reviewsontues

A photo posted by The New York Public Library (@nypl) on Apr 22, 2014 at 4:42am PDT

6. Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton

"Safety precautions fail, the animals escape, and the main characters escape one trap after another." #reviewsontues #nypl

A photo posted by The New York Public Library (@nypl) on May 20, 2014 at 4:54am PDT

7. The Grox And the Eugene, David Perry

What's so confusing about boxes of Groxes?? #reviewsontues #nypl

A photo posted by The New York Public Library (@nypl) on May 28, 2014 at 5:11am PDT

8. Green Eggs and Ham, Dr. Seuss

Our #literarymarchmadness is a contest Seuss won, so we know our dear readers all think he is fun. But someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed. The prolific doctor is a no-no they said. #reviewsontues #nypl

A photo posted by The New York Public Library (@nypl) on Jun 10, 2014 at 12:41pm PDT

9. Fast Times At Ridgemont High, Cameron Crowe

Maybe instead of beating the high cost of college, like in our #reviewsontues from earlier today, just go back to high school undercover. No, we aren't talking about 21 Jump Street, but Fast Times at Ridgemont High. How many of you knew Cameron Crowe's movie source material was his own novel? "Be sure to read the chapter about the three girls and the banana."

A photo posted by The New York Public Library (@nypl) on Jun 17, 2014 at 8:55am PDT

10. Let's Go Logging, George Herman

Let's Go Logging: not recommended. (1/2) || All of today's #reviewsontues will be #reviewsintwo, where each review was written on both the front and back of a card (necessitating two pictures for each review.)

A photo posted by The New York Public Library (@nypl) on Jul 29, 2014 at 7:19am PDT

"This book contains none of the excitement of the work of loggers in the Oregon mountains. Not recommended." (2/2) || All of today's #reviewsontues will be #reviewsintwo, where each review was written on both the front and back of a card (necessitating two pictures for each review.)

A photo posted by The New York Public Library (@nypl) on Jul 29, 2014 at 7:21am PDT

11. Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, Rudyard Kipling

Case in point: "This classic Kipling tale from his Jungle Book is a delight to the ear. This edition is, however, also an affront to the eye. Ugly illustrations, cheap paper, and a high price make this.... Not Recommended." #reviewsontues

A photo posted by The New York Public Library (@nypl) on Aug 19, 2014 at 9:29am PDT

12. The Fifth Garfield Treasury, Jim Davis

Because, I mean, who can object to Garfield? #reviewsontues

A photo posted by The New York Public Library (@nypl) on Oct 7, 2014 at 5:46am PDT

13. Find Waldo Now, Martin Handforth

Tell the truth... How many times could you not find Waldo? #reviewsontues

A photo posted by The New York Public Library (@nypl) on Oct 7, 2014 at 10:45am PDT

14. The Snow Queen, Hans Christian Andersen. Two reviews of the book that became Frozen.

It's been a year since Frozen was released and the country is still gripped with snow queen madness! But how did the book fare with #nypl librarians? Review 1 of 2: "There is not much of the Andersen story left here since it is reduced to a few scraps of dialogue, but the pages have an open, uncrowned look about them that is inviting. A good example of an attractive inexpensive publication for children in England. However, pictures do not compensate for the mutilation of the story. Not recommended." #reviewsontues

A photo posted by The New York Public Library (@nypl) on Dec 2, 2014 at 5:05am PST

It's been a year since Frozen was released and the country is still gripped with snow queen madness! But how did the book fare with #nypl librarians? Review 2 of 2: "I must be getting old. Despite the many changes, removal of all religious elements, & additions of moralistic touches, a lot of effort went into art & text and I think it should be seen. Author constantly hypes up story with wolves howling, crows shrieking, flower garden lady walks on water, ill. show skulls and fanged demons. He's like a Steven Spielberg of pic. books. The robbers are arrested the goes to live with garden witch. He's trying to make it acceptable to modern parents: Gerda leaves a note for Grandma, is cogniscent [sic] of bad strangers, Robber girl is more introspective. Finn & Lapp women look like chubby kewpie dolls. Public will probably adore the melodramatic paintings. Interesting version. Rec. as additional purchase." #reviewsontues

A photo posted by The New York Public Library (@nypl) on Dec 2, 2014 at 9:03am PST

15. Hunches in Bunches, Dr. Seuss

"Confusing presentation of "hunch" as a concept meaning "choice". The only correlation between "choice" and "hunch" is the author's desire to rhyme it with "bunch". Narration, as a whole, is senseless rather than non-sensical. Illustrations are consistent with previous works: they are inventive and humorous." Not recommended. #reviewsontues

A photo posted by The New York Public Library (@nypl) on Dec 9, 2014 at 8:41am PST

16. Reading Skills, Marilyn Berry

"If your [sic] can read and understand this text, you don't need it. Has no useful purpose." Reading Skills: Not recommended. #reviewsontues

A photo posted by The New York Public Library (@nypl) on Jan 6, 2015 at 5:44am PST

17. Inspector Gadget in Africa, Sandra Beris

"In case you don't know Inspector Gadget is a silly T.V. cartoon series. Ins. Gadget solves mysteries through his own ineptness & all of the gadgets attached to his person, which get him out of the many scrapes he gets into. This is fine for T.V. but not for the library." Inspector Gadget in Africa: Not recommended. Unofficial poll: How many of you totally wanted to be Penny? #reviewsontues

A photo posted by The New York Public Library (@nypl) on Jan 6, 2015 at 8:36am PST

18. Sam and Violet's Birthday Book, Nicole Rubel

"This picture book has no redeeming values. The pictures are ugly; the prose stilted; and the plot predictable. (It concerns twin cats who are given a surprise party.)" Sam and Violet's Birthday Book: Not recommended. #reviewsontues

A photo posted by The New York Public Library (@nypl) on Feb 3, 2015 at 9:43am PST

Louisa May Alcott's Little Women is one of the world's most beloved novels, and now—nearly 150 years after its original publication—it's capturing yet another generation of readers, thanks in part to Masterpiece's new small-screen adaptation. Whether it's been days or years since you've last read it, here are 10 things you might not know about Alcott's classic tale of family and friendship.

1. LOUISA MAY ALCOTT DIDN'T WANT TO WRITE LITTLE WOMEN.

Frank T. Merrill, Public Domain, Courtesy of The Project Gutenberg

Louisa May Alcott was writing both literature and pulp fiction (sample title: Pauline's Passion and Punishment) when Thomas Niles, the editor at Roberts Brothers Publishing, approached her about writing a book for girls. Alcott said she would try, but she wasn’t all that interested, later calling such books “moral pap for the young.”

When it became clear Alcott was stalling, Niles offered a publishing contract to her father, Bronson Alcott. Although Bronson was a well-known thinker who was friends with Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, his work never achieved much acclaim. When it became clear that Bronson would have an opportunity to publish a new book if Louisa started her girls' story, she caved in to the pressure.

2. LITTLE WOMEN TOOK JUST 10 WEEKS TO WRITE.

Frank T. Merrill, Public Domain, Courtesy of The Project Gutenberg

Alcott began writing the book in May 1868. She worked on it day and night, becoming so consumed with it that she sometimes forgot to eat or sleep. On July 15, she sent all 402 pages to her editor. In September, a mere four months after starting the book, Little Women was published. It became an instant best seller and turned Alcott into a rich and famous woman.

3. THE BOOK AS WE KNOW IT WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN TWO PARTS.

Frank T. Merrill, Public Domain, Courtesy of The Project Gutenberg

The first half was published in 1868 as Little Women: Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. The Story Of Their Lives. A Girl’s Book. It ended with John Brooke proposing marriage to Meg. In 1869, Alcott published Good Wives, the second half of the book. It, too, only took a few months to write.

4. MEG, BETH, AND AMY WERE BASED ON ALCOTT'S SISTERS.

Frank T. Merrill, Public Domain, Courtesy of The Project Gutenberg

Meg was based on Louisa’s sister Anna, who fell in love with her husband John Bridge Pratt while performing opposite him in a play. The description of Meg’s wedding in the novel is supposedly based on Anna’s actual wedding.

Beth was based on Lizzie, who died from scarlet fever at age 23. Like Beth, Lizzie caught the illness from a poor family her mother was helping.

Amy was based on May (Amy is an anagram of May), an artist who lived in Europe. In fact, May—who died in childbirth at age 39—was the first woman to exhibit paintings in the Paris Salon.

Jo, of course, is based on Alcott herself.

5. LIKE THE MARCH FAMILY, THE ALCOTTS KNEW POVERTY.

Frank T. Merrill, Public Domain, Courtesy of The Project Gutenberg

Bronson Alcott’s philosophical ideals made it difficult for him to find employment—for example, as a socialist, he wouldn't work for wages—so the family survived on handouts from friends and neighbors. At times during Louisa’s childhood, there was nothing to eat but bread, water, and the occasional apple.

When she got older, Alcott worked as a paid companion and governess, like Jo does in the novel, and sold “sensation” stories to help pay the bills. She also took on menial jobs, working as a seamstress, a laundress, and a servant. Even as a child, Alcott wanted to help her family escape poverty, something Little Women made possible.

6. ALCOTT REFUSED TO HAVE JO MARRY LAURIE.

Frank T. Merrill, Public Domain, Courtesy of The Project Gutenberg

Alcott, who never married herself, wanted Jo to remain unmarried, too. But while she was working on the second half of Little Women, fans were clamoring for Jo to marry the boy next door, Laurie. “Girls write to ask who the little women marry, as if that was the only aim and end of a woman’s life," Alcott wrote in her journal. "I won’t marry Jo to Laurie to please anyone.”

As a compromise—or to spite her fans—Alcott married Jo to the decidedly unromantic Professor Bhaer. Laurie ends up with Amy.

7. THERE ARE LOTS OF THEORIES ABOUT WHO LAURIE WAS BASED ON.

Frank T. Merrill, Public Domain, Courtesy of The Project Gutenberg

People have theorized Laurie was inspired by everyone from Thoreau to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s son Julian, but this doesn’t seem to be the case. In 1865, while in Europe, Alcott met a Polish musician named Ladislas Wisniewski, whom Alcott nicknamed Laddie. The flirtation between Laddie and Alcott culminated in them spending two weeks together in Paris, alone. According to biographer Harriet Reisen, Alcott later modeled Laurie after Laddie.

How far did the Alcott/Laddie affair go? It’s hard to say, as Alcott later crossed out the section of her diary referring to the romance. In the margin, she wrote, “couldn’t be.”

8. YOU CAN STILL VISIT ORCHARD HOUSE, WHERE ALCOTT WROTE LITTLE WOMEN.

Wikimedia Commons

Orchard House in Concord, Massachusetts was the Alcott family home. In 1868, Louisa reluctantly left her Boston apartment to write Little Women there. Today, you can tour this house and see May’s drawings on the walls, as well as the small writing desk that Bronson built for Louisa to use.

9. LITTLE WOMEN HAS BEEN ADAPTED A NUMBER OF TIMES.

In addition to a 1958 TV series, multiple Broadway plays, a musical, a ballet, and an opera, Little Women has been made into more than a half-dozen movies. The most famous are the 1933 version starring Katharine Hepburn, the 1949 version starring June Allyson (with Elizabeth Taylor as Amy), and the 1994 version starring Winona Ryder. Later this year, Clare Niederpruem's modern retelling of the story is scheduled to arrive in movie theaters. It's also been adapted for the small screen a number of times, most recently for PBS's Masterpiece, by Call the Midwife creator Heidi Thomas.

10. IN 1980, A JAPANESE ANIME VERSION OF LITTLE WOMEN WAS RELEASED.

In 1987, Japan made an anime version of Little Women that ran for 48 half-hour episodes. Watch the first two episodes above.

Additional Resources:
Louisa May Alcott: A Personal Biography; Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women; Louisa May Alcott's Journals; Little Women; Alcott Film; C-Span; LouisaMayAlcott.org.

During the 19th century, some librarians became preoccupied with the morality (or lack thereof) of some of their titles. As a result, a number of libraries created special collections for "obscene" works, to ensure that only readers with a valid academic purpose might access them. Below are six examples, adapted from Claire Cock-Starkey’s new book A Library Miscellany.

1. THE "PRIVATE CASE" // THE BRITISH LIBRARY

At the British Library (or British Museum Library, as it was called then), it was John Winter Jones, Keeper of Printed Books from 1856, who was responsible for the creation of the “Private Case.” Titles that were deemed subversive, heretical, libelous, obscene, or that contained state secrets were kept out of the general catalog, stored in separate shelving, and marked with the shelfmark category “PC” (for private case). By far the majority of books in the private case were pornographic or erotic texts; it's rumored that by the mid-1960s the case contained over 5000 such texts, including George Witt’s collection of books on phallicism and Charles Reginald Dawes’s collection of French erotica from 1880–1930.

What was unusual about the Private Case was that it was so secretive: None of the books were recorded in any catalog, as if the collection didn’t exist. But starting in 1983, all books once in the Private Case have been listed in the catalog, and many have been returned to the main collection—although librarians may still check that a reader has academic reasons for consulting some of the more scandalous titles.

2. L’ENFER // BIBLIOTHEQUE NATIONALE DE FRANCE

FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP/Getty Images

L’Enfer, which translates as “the hell,” was created in 1830 to house the French national library’s large collection of erotica and other books that were considered “contrary to good morals.” Many of the works were obtained by the library through confiscation, but fortunately the librarians had the foresight to preserve these scandalous texts. The collection—which still exists—has been largely kept private and was only fully cataloged in 1913, when about 855 titles were recorded.

Modern pornographic magazines and erotic fiction do not get cast into L’Enfer: It is only for rare works or works of cultural significance, such as a handwritten copy of the Marquis de Sade’s Les Infortunes de la Vertu (1787) and The Story of O by Pauline Réage (1954). In 2007, the library put on a public exhibition of some of the more fascinating (and titillating) texts in L’Enfer, finally granting the public a glimpse of this hidden collection.

3. TRIPLE-STAR COLLECTION // NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

Drew Angerer/Getty Images

At the New York Public Library, some obscene works were once hand-marked with "***", which indicated that readers who wanted to consult those volumes had to be supervised. (Librarians regularly collected erotica, including from nearby Times Square, as part of their "mandate to collect life as it was lived," according to The New York Times.) This system began in the mid-20th century and caused certain titles to be locked in caged shelves; it also meant that the items could only be consulted in a small restricted part of the reading rooms after special permission was granted.

4. PHI COLLECTION // OXFORD'S BODLEIAN LIBRARY

Oli Scarff/Getty Images

The restricted collection at the Bodleian Library was created by E. W. B. Nicholson, who was head librarian from 1886–1913. No one is quite sure why it was named after the Greek letter phi, but some have suggested it was because it sounds like “fie!” which you might exclaim when asked to retrieve a book from this collection. Or, perhaps it stems from the first letter “phi” of the Greek “phaula” or “phaulos,” meaning worthless, wicked, or base. The collection included pornography alongside works of sexual pathology, and students needed to ask a tutor to confirm their academic need for a book before the librarians would let them consult any texts with a phi shelfmark. Today, many of the books have been reclassified into the general collection, but the phi shelfmark still persists.

5. "XR" COLLECTION // HARVARD’S WIDENER LIBRARY

Darren McCollester/Newsmakers

The Widener Library still holds its restricted collection behind a locked copper door in the basement of the library—not because they still want to hide it, but simply because (it's said) no one has the time to redistribute the collection back into main circulation. The collection was thought to have been set up in the 1950s, after a sociology professor complained that many texts he needed for his class were missing or defaced (the Playboy centerfold was apparently always going astray), and thus the restricted collection was created to protect and preserve rather than to censor. The collection was only added to for a 30-year period and is now closed; however, its classification reveals something of the social attitudes of the times towards titles such as The Passions and Lechery of Catherine the Great (1971) and D. H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover (1928). The X part of the shelfmark does not stand for X-rated but indicates that the books are unusual; the R part stands for “restricted.”

6. THE ARC // CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

Central Press/Getty Images

As library collections are frequently made up of a series of smaller collections donated to the institution, they may often acquire titles that the library may otherwise have not chosen to collect—such as some of the more risqué works. Cambridge University Library felt it had a duty to students to protect them from some of the more offensive books in their collection, and for this reason the Arc (short for arcana—meaning secrets or mysteries) classification was created. As with other restricted collections, Cambridge’s Arc provides a fascinating insight into changing moral attitudes. Some of the highlights included what is considered by some historians as the first gay novel, L’Alcibiade fanciullo a scola (Alcibiades the Schoolboy), published in 1652; a 1922 copy of Ulysses by James Joyce (notable because at that time the book was being burned by UK Customs Officers); and a misprinted copy of the Cambridge Bible.

BONUS: "INFERNO" // THE VATICAN LIBRARY

Michal Osmenda, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 2.0

There has always been a rumor that the Vatican Library holds the largest collection of pornographic material in the world, in a collection supposedly known as the “Inferno,” but in fact this honor goes to the Kinsey Institute for Sex Research in Bloomington, Indiana. It is thought that the Vatican Library’s collection was created from the thousands of erotic works that have been confiscated by the Vatican over the years. However, no evidence for the collection has been found, and the (admittedly incredibly secretive) Vatican librarians deny its very existence.

This article is an expanded version of an entry in Claire Cock-Starkey’s A Library Miscellany, published by Bodleian Library Publishing.