Librarians Hunt Children's Books With Porn Link

[gonzo]

TAMPA - Hillsborough County librarians spent much of Tuesday tracking down a series of children's books that referred readers to a telephone sex line.

Patricia MacMartin discovered the faulty phone number when her 9-year-old daughter asked to dial the 800 number in the back of her Magic Attic Club book.

She notified library officials and when they didn't remove the books, she checked out every Magic Attic book available from her local branch, the New Tampa Regional Library.

"She did the right thing," said Braulio Colon, spokesman for the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative. "We dropped the ball; no question."

The Magic Attic series, which is coordinated with play dolls, includes more than 30 titles targeting girls between the ages of 9 and 12. It was launched in 1994 and was sold in 2001 to entertainer Marie Osmond. The company folded in 2004, and the books are out of print.

A spokeswoman for Osmond said her doll company is not responsible for the book club number. "That product line was discontinued four years ago," she said. "There was nothing we could do. The phone company resold the number."

MacMartin said she understands Osmond's position but believes the publisher still holds some responsibility.

"You can still buy these books on Amazon," she said. "It would be different if you called the number and it was a bank or something."

Colon said Hillsborough County libraries have 78 Magic Attic books, which have been in circulation since 1998. Some of the books refer readers to a different phone number, which has been disconnected.

"There are several authors associated with the Magic Attic Club," he said. "We're working tirelessly to find them all. There's nothing inappropriate with the books.

We're just going to tear out the page that has the phone number for the book club."