Jan 10 2007
Building a personal library
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Reading Is Fundamental is recommending the following reading resolutions for 2007:
- Create a personal library.
- Read for 15 minutes a day.
- Play online reading games.
These are all terrific ideas, and RIF gives you tons of great resources to tackle each one. They also give you three lists: 100 Best Multicultural Books, 100 Best Nonfiction Books, and the "What-Kids-Who-Don’t-Like-to-Read-Like-to-Read" Reading List. But there are other resources as well, like:
Books to Build On: A Grade-by-Grade Resource Guide for Parents and Teachers- a terrific book if your child attends a Core Knowledge based school
- The New York Times Parent’s Guide to the Best Books for Children
- extremely comprehensive and one of the best guides out there
- Valerie & Walter’s Best Books for Children 2nd Ed: A Lively, Opinionated Guide
- this book makes looking for children’s titles a lot of fun
Are you the type of parent who buys new books? Are you a regular Scholastic Book Club purchaser? Do you hunt out the gently used bargain books at Amazon.com, children’s consignment, used book, and thrift stores? Do your children have wonderful grandparent who buy them books? Or did you luck out like my children and inherit their father’s childhood book collection?
How do you build your personal library?
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electric fireplace
Wow–thanks for the links–they look really great.
Hello!
My favorite book list book for young children is “Honey for a Child’s Heart” by Gladys Hunt.
I also appreciate “Books that build character” as that lists books by character topic plus has a very long paragraph for every book that describes it well enough so that the parent can figure out if the book will be right for a certain child or that family.
For educational books, nonfiction and also for mostly chapter books (not picture books) I rely heavily on Jan Bloom’s self-published book “Who Shall We Then Read?” which does focus on a lot of classics or out of print books, and older books, so if that is not your bag then pass it by. She is also a Christian and looks for wholesome books that also don’t degrade or bring children down.
I used to be a big Amazon new book shopper.
I also have been a used book store shopper since I was about age 9. I love buying used books and then turning them in for credit when I am done and finding something else worthwhile. I enjoy shopping at used book stores while on vacation, too.
Since unemployment hit our family I turned to library fundraiser used book sales at which I find books ranging from 25 cents to $1, mostly. With that low price I end up buying more books to keep on hand and to use rather than relying on borrowing the same book from a library or using interlibrary loan.
I also shop at homeschooling used curriculum fairs which helps me with not just curriculum but with ‘real books’ and fiction, too.
I homeschool my children and in these few years have amassed over 6000 books.
For the last six months I also use PaperBackSwap.com to swap out books to others who want my used books and I get theirs. The book is free except for the mailing cost, which is usually under $2 per book, so I save a lot of money that way (if you sign up use me as a referrer “ChristineMM” and I get a free book.) If you list 9 books you also get one free book!
I don’t think it is hard to build a home library for children (or adults) but deciding what is good enough to keep for the long term is the hard part, or being able to let go of a favorite book when we know it won’t be used, that is the hard part.
(By the way church tag sales and fundraiser tag sales also have cheap prices on books, often 10 cents to 50 cents. I find private tag sales pricey with books at $1-2 (for the same books I can get elsewhere for 10-50 cents).
I mention all of this as those on a tight budget really have no excuse to not own some great books for their children.
Of course the library is free, too, but there is nothing like letting children have their own book collection of good books.
Lastly, I will caution parents about the Scholastic flyer. I just saw one that my friend’s child brought home from school. We were both annoyed that book selections had no age ranges and that some that are geared for teenagers or at least 9-12 year old’s are being marketed to children under age 9. They mixed up all the book selections and there was no advice for parents about age range, for example, Magic Tree House books alongside The Lord of the Rings and Eragon. Also there were good classics alongside pure trash, one ended up being a fantasy where a teen was ordered to murder an elderly man, several had divorce and very hard family situations for young children characters and another dealt with Nazi’s and the Holocaust (a heavy topic for the third graders don’t you think?).
Happy bookhunting!
All parents who believe in the value of reading should see if their community has a First Book advisory board. If so, please attend events, help fundraise, and bring that love of reading to a child who is challenged by poverty. For more information on FIrst Book, visit http://www.firstbook.org
Hi!
I just posted a similar post on my blog! http://momof6malloyboys.blogspot.com/2007/02/importance-of-reading.html
Great minds think alike! I can’t emphasize enough how important developing a love of reading is for your child! Thanks for the great links!
Kelly
Hi! I already read with my 9 year old daughter for at least 20 minutes each night. It helps her build her vocabulary, strengthen her reading skills and gets her to relax at night. It also gives me that one on one time with her that I love. A book that we are really enjoying reading now is called The Secret Garden. My daughter is looking forward to finding out what is going to be in the garden and she is learning about different cultures and expanding her mind at the same time. Reading with your child for 15-20 minutes a night is very rewarding for both of you!