Bleg: Book repair, part 2

Charlotte sensibly points out that considering the price of used copies of my torn children's Bible, perhaps I just might want to replace it. And thinking about it, she's probably right. (I only hesitate because I hate to throw away a book.)

But here's another case.


Here's our other children's bible. It's older, and Catholic, and the New Testament is illustrated by the celebrated Provensons. It's also rarer: the one copy on Amazon with the word "Provensen" in the listing goes for $40. (Here's three copies of the same book without "Provensen" in the listing for about $6 each: The Holy Bible The Old Testament and New Adapted for Young Catholic Readers -- but I'd be disappointed if you guys didn't snap them up right away.)

Also, this book was a gift (either from the Catholic Bibliophagist or the Opinionated Homeschooler, I can't remember. Sorry, ladies.). So I don't want to replace it, or mutilate it. I want to preserve it. This should be just a matter of anchoring the torn spine, but I want to make sure I do it right. Linen tape? Clear plastic library binding tape? How best to strengthen the book without completely destroying it?

Mrs. Cranky, I'm counting on you to come through for me here with the professional advice... :)