Library Love

I once read a book that suggested that a teacher, in order to have a well stocked classroom library, needed at least a thousand books.  This would help children at various levels and interests to be able to find a book that piqued their interest.I want my children to be exposed to a rich literary library, but space and money constraints put the kibosh on having a thousand books in my house.  I love the library because I can achieve the same effect.

Going to the library with my kids means bringing a few canvas bags and the stroller to do the heavy lifting.  We usually end up checking out the maximum number of books allowed.  To keep tabs on all these books and make sure they return to the library I allow my children a "Library Book Spot" in their rooms.  The books must be returned to that spot when they are done reading them, including chapter books, so that way we always know where our library books are.

Now, the reason we check out so many books is because you never know when you'll find a book that your child will bond with. 
A series of books that speaks to my daughter are the Cranberry Mystery books by Wende and Harry Devlin , which are now out of print. http://www.harryandwendedevlin.com/cranberry.html 

My son loves the old fashioned golden books like Scuffy the Steamboat,

The Monster at the End of this Book ,
and The Little Red Caboose .

I love old fashioned books and the library has so many treasures that are now out of print like
the "Little" series by Lois Lensky. I found The Little Train at Janie and Jack, but haven't seen them in the bookstore.  They are awesome books for little boys that tell about the day in the life of a fireman, policeman, train engineer, cowboy, etc.  I never would have found them without the library.

To me the library is like being able to try all the flavors at the ice cream store.  If you and your child read them and think, "Eh," there's no investment, but if there's a connection, you can buy the book and create a library full of meaningful books for your child.

I also love the library because they will sell books for extremely cheap.  I've bought some great books for fifty cents.  I've even bought Harry Potter for fifty cents or a dollar. 

Continuing in my love of the library are the awesome events they often have going on.  During the summer the library offers a great reading program that encourages your children to read.  Oftentimes they include shows and other events a the library throughout the summer.  Year round there is usually a read aloud for young children.

Yes, I love the library.  Now, if I could just squeeze some time in to check out some books for myself it would be just about perfect.