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August 4, 2011 by Betsy Bird

The Secret Past of Phillip Pullman

August 4, 2011 by Betsy Bird   8 comments

Let this reassure all the authors of children’s books out there.  You can be the greatest writer in the world and still produce middling fare in your early years.  Today’s example is How to Be Cool by Philip Pullman circa 1987.  Perhaps a bit different from The Golden Compass:

Step One: Find some hot pink pants to match your hot pink shoes and baby pink socks.

Thanks to Monica Edinger for showing me this!

Filed under: Uncategorized

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Philip Pullman

About Betsy Bird

Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.

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About Betsy Bird

Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Linda Urban says

    August 4, 2011 at 12:08 pm

    Holy cow! I am currently wearing that exact combination! I need to get this book and learn what the next step is. Cool — I’m coming for YOU!

  2. EM says

    August 4, 2011 at 12:56 pm

    Linda Urban, I heart you.

    • Elizabeth Bird says

      August 4, 2011 at 2:29 pm

      I second that.

  3. Monica Edinger says

    August 4, 2011 at 3:13 pm

    Of course, not having read it I can’t say for sure if it is middling or not. Dated, yes, absolutely!

    • Elizabeth Bird says

      August 4, 2011 at 3:39 pm

      Indeed I’m making some assumptions here. It’s entirely possible that this is certifiable literary gold. An undiscovered classic worthy of the likes of Twain, Chekov, and Hurston. The fact that it was turned into a television show may or may not hurt my case.

  4. mia c says

    August 4, 2011 at 4:08 pm

    To say nothing of the hip yellow polka-dotted halls in which you tread. I would really love it if they did a reprint featuring birkenstock or dansko clogs as if to say “Future Librarians Of the World, by ‘Cool’ we mean YOUR kind of cool”

  5. Karen Gray Ruelle says

    August 4, 2011 at 10:44 pm

    Yikes!

Trackbacks

  1. At the Libraries: Coolest Bookmobile Ever - Sopaipleto » Sopaipleto says:
    August 12, 2011 at 9:30 pm

    […] having it and staging a protest. Yes, that is their name! * How to be cool? Um, I don’t think this book is going to help you. Doesn’t do much for Philip Pullman’s image, either. Too funny! * […]

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