A family friend is adopting a child from Kazakhstan. A relative is throwing her a shower and requesting books for gifts. I think this is a wonderful idea, and so useful for an older couple who can afford to buy anything the child will need. Having an established library will hopefully encourage a love of reading, as well as help the child learn English. I've written about my kids' own collection of books here, and feel that instilling a love of reading is one of the best gifts you can give a child.
I asked the kids to choose a favorite book from early childhood, and then inscribe the book with a welcome note for the child. Yesterday I went to the bookstore and bought their choices. DD17 picked Corduroy (because she still has her favorite Teddy Bear), DS15 picked Where the Wild Things Are (described him perfectly when he was little), and DS12 picked Curious George (ditto!).
We can't make the shower, but I mailed off the books today.
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Friday, July 31, 2009
Many Books
We have so many books. I think we've kept every single book we've ever purchased from when the kids were infants. (Books we had before that are stored in boxes, in the basement.) Our bookcases were groaning under everything from Goodnight, Moon to Harry Potter.
Today's yet another rainy day and the kids were ordered to go through the various bookcases so we could donate books to our library and hopefully free up some space (for yet more books). There was much arguing over what to keep and what to give away. A lot of the really childish books went into the donate pile, but a surprising number didn't. Do we really need the complete Dr. Seuss set? Or The Velveteen Rabbit, board book edition? I mean, my youngest is 12 and my oldest is looking at colleges.
In the end, I let them hash it out, and we've kept a lot of their individual childhood favorites. And I understand this, as I still have all my favorite childhood books (although a much smaller number than they do). Somehow, however, despite the clean-up, there's still isn't much room on the bookcases. We haven't even started on the bedroom bookcases, either.
A long time ago, I purchased the book Parents Who Love Reading, Kids Who Don't by Mary Leonhardt. I was worried about DS15, when he was about 6 or 7. He seemed much less of a reader than the other two, and still has definite preferences (non-fiction, sports). One section of the book still resonates for me: if you want your kids to read, have lots of books around and be prepared for a messy house. So true, I think. And while my house is clean, the clutter of books in every room can make it look messy. As the kids get older, I realize it's been a small price to pay to encourage a life-long love of reading.
Today's yet another rainy day and the kids were ordered to go through the various bookcases so we could donate books to our library and hopefully free up some space (for yet more books). There was much arguing over what to keep and what to give away. A lot of the really childish books went into the donate pile, but a surprising number didn't. Do we really need the complete Dr. Seuss set? Or The Velveteen Rabbit, board book edition? I mean, my youngest is 12 and my oldest is looking at colleges.
In the end, I let them hash it out, and we've kept a lot of their individual childhood favorites. And I understand this, as I still have all my favorite childhood books (although a much smaller number than they do). Somehow, however, despite the clean-up, there's still isn't much room on the bookcases. We haven't even started on the bedroom bookcases, either.
A long time ago, I purchased the book Parents Who Love Reading, Kids Who Don't by Mary Leonhardt. I was worried about DS15, when he was about 6 or 7. He seemed much less of a reader than the other two, and still has definite preferences (non-fiction, sports). One section of the book still resonates for me: if you want your kids to read, have lots of books around and be prepared for a messy house. So true, I think. And while my house is clean, the clutter of books in every room can make it look messy. As the kids get older, I realize it's been a small price to pay to encourage a life-long love of reading.
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