How to use this Page

Yes, it's obvious. But sometimes we all need a reminder:
Sometimes you just never know who you're going to meet...or read. Putting aside any pre-judgements can help you discover other writers or books you might not have discovered.
On a day when you might run across leprechauns, keep your ears and eyes open.
While working on an editing project in my client's office, I started speaking with a web and graphic designer. In the chitchat that we all start with new-to-us-friends, she revealed that she was working toward her master's. As the conversation flowed, she explained that she is writing short stories to fulfill her degree requirements. That was not something I had anticipated from a designer.
As we discussed writing and the writing process, what we liked to write and how we decided to start, we fell into a conversation that felt comfortable. It was if I were in a foreign country and I'd run across someone who spoke my native language.
Because our jobs tend to keep us out of the same meetings, I could have thought we had nothing in common.
Imagine if we behaved the same way about books and their graphics? Have you ever decided to read (or not read a book) because of its cover? To illustrate that concept, there is an interesting exhibit of book art you should check out. Unfortunately, I missed seeing anything about it in 2010, but fortunately, The Independent has kept the gallery online. Take a look--first at the art--and then try to figure out what the book is about. There were some that, yet again, I was incorrect.
You just never know what you are going to find in front of you--or between the covers of the book covers.
Then look around you--is there any person or book your are missing out on because you've decided you don't have anything in common?

Elizabeth King Humphrey is a writer, editor and coach living in North Carolina.

Display Comments Add a Comment

With all of the budget talks taking over the news, it felt like the right time to address the issue on a smaller scale with this article previously written and posted at PBS Booklights.

Nobody is going to argue that we're in tough times and even if your finances haven't changed, you've probably become a bit more cautious and thrifty in response to the economic situation. Here I have another advantage, because I've always had a frugal streak and a nose for bargains. When I hear about kids in our country without books at home, I'm upset that these kids are missing this important literacy exposure, and I'm also frustrated knowing that it doesn't need to be expensive to have books. Maybe feeling the pinch lately, you've cut restaurant outings or Starbucks grandes or - sigh - new, cute shoes. But you don't need to cut books, though you can change the way you get them.

1. The Library - Duh. You may roll your eyes at my noting the library as a place to get books, and that's okay. I can take it. Of course you know it exists, that it's there as a source of free books, but that doesn't mean you're taking full advantage of this generous resource. Yes, you can check out books. You can also take your kids to programs, including some for older children that might not require your actual presence in the room allowing you to skim the magazine section. When my kids were young, we sat and read some of the books there and then took a few of those home. It made reading time special to be doing it in the library, and offered a chance to try some new titles. Utilize the librarians to get suggestions on good books for the kids, instead of wasting money on something disappointing. And don't forget all of the resources in the library that can save you money by giving you information in the form of home repairs, craft projects, exercise programs, and financial planning.

2. Book Sales - There are many kind of book sales, and which works best depends your own needs and free time. Libraries often run book sales, either as an event or an ongoing sale. You can do extremely well here, picking up some great hardbacks for a buck or two while supporting the library. Win-win. Thrift stores also sell books, though the selection and quality varies from place to place. I find the special kid consignment stores rather pricey on books, but I do have to admit that they are generally better organized. When I feel like heading to the bookstore, I do so mostly to browse the bargain books and overstocks. I'll also use some mindless Internet time - maybe while supervising homework - to browse the bargain books section on Amazon. I've bought some amazing books this way, including standards that must be temporary overstocks or something. Otherwise I can't explain the continual appearance of titles by Mo Willems, Rick Riordan, and Neil Gaiman.

3. Book Exchanges - Some schools or community centers have a Leave-a-Book/Take-a-Book plan, but if not you can start your own. Set up a book exchange for your own school, preschool, playgroup, neighborhood, or workplace. Having a dedicated shelf for the book exchanges is a small way to start. You can set up systems of one-to-one exchanges or credits, or be more loose about it, hoping that books simply find a good home. You could arrange a larger scale trade at your child's school and donate the books that aren't chosen to a charity that can get them into the right hands.

Display Comments Add a Comment

Headline News....Author's Book Buying Addiction Out of Control--Bookshelves Overwhelmed 

It's been a long convalescence since they chopped me and my back up at the beginning of February.  I'm not a terribly patient person, and lying in bed 'resting' for days and weeks and months is something I find quite trying.  Nevertheless, there have been consolations.  Apart from precious time to write, I have had 'bednet' to keep me in touch with developments in the outside world, and I've had books to read, which is the best legal way of passing time that I know of--and I didn't even have to feel guilty about doing it in the daytime.  Many beloved old favourites have featured in this reading fest, of course, but also piles and piles of lovely new books, which I have been buying lately with the sort of gay abandon Imelda Marcos used to use on  her shoes.  It's all got a bit out of control, really, and while I am not quite as overwhelmed as Arnold Lobel's picture book character (see above) who had 'books to the ceiling, books to the sky', I'm not far off that happy state of affairs. 

The trouble is, I am a book hoarder.  I'm not quite sure how many books I have, but it must be close to the 10,000 mark and growing.  Yes, you did read that right. TEN THOUSAND, mostly divided into subject matter and section, all in alphabetical order by author so I can put my hand on what I need immediately (I am also a librarian manqué).  There is no room for ornaments in my house.  Shelves are for the storing of literary stuff and nothing else.  I have built-in bookcases (here when I arrived), bought bookcases, and bookshelves I have put together myself with much swearing and bashed thumbs.  The Billy shelves from Ikea which live in my office are double and sometimes treble stacked, and now I am running out of room.  The picture below shows a mere fraction of the problem, and I'm not even mentioning the overflowing attics and the floors. 


My husband, the long suffering Wanton Toast Eater, has now issued a decree.  Books. Must. Go.  But which ones?  This question induces complete panic in me.  After all, I might need to refer to any of them at any time--even the old family ones I inherited from my grandmother and great-aunt which haven't been opened since 1953 or possibly since 1853 (hey, they might be valuable or have useful information in them).  I'll probably

23 Comments on An Excess of Books - Lucy Coats, last added: 4/2/2010

Display Comments

Katherine Langrish said, on 3/30/2010 11:53:00 PM

You can't let them go! No! No! Nooooooo-oooo!

Lucy Coats said, on 3/31/2010 12:14:00 AM

Well, to be honest, I probably won't, Kath. I'll just pretend and sneak them back in.

Charmaine Clancy said, on 3/31/2010 12:33:00 AM

We've had the same book situation, all the bookshelves filled, bedside tables, floor space and crates and crates in the shed. We got rid of a LOT at a recent garage sale, but still so many. I love book but look forward to collecting more digitally on iPad or Kindle (depending on which device woos me the most).
It's hard to let go, but you get to make space for new books :-)

Stroppy Author said, on 3/31/2010 1:47:00 AM

Books make excellent insulation. Cover all your walls in bookshelves and your heating bills will be lower.

Will that impress WTE?

(There's still lots of wall space in London... you could start putting up shelves there.)

catdownunder said, on 3/31/2010 1:57:00 AM

Books are a form of interior decoration! Our books (my father and I own about 10,000 too - but between us) are double and treble stacked in the shelves.
If you give one away it will be the one you need - and the one which is no longer in print. Do it at your peril!

Lucy Coats said, on 3/31/2010 2:06:00 AM

I'm going to make a list of all these reasons to keep books and present them as evidence to the Wanton Toast Eater! Ha! That'll fix him....

bookwitch said, on 3/31/2010 2:46:00 AM

I just filled about eight bags for some charity or other. Room barely looks any better. BUT, I did find that thing Husband was looking for recently.

Art on the walls is very important, Lucy. That's the main cause for my problems. Books. Art. And the, erm, minimalism.

Linda said, on 3/31/2010 2:47:00 AM

Don't do it! You NEED those books! and what would you put in their place? Samples of rare toasts?

Stroppy Author said, on 3/31/2010 2:58:00 AM

Love the idea of rare toasts on the wall. Reminds me of my rare omlette gallery on neopets (oops).

Stroppy Author said, on 3/31/2010 2:58:00 AM

(i can spell omelette really)

Rosalind Adam said, on 3/31/2010 3:01:00 AM

Possibly playing devil's advocate here but if you give some of those lovely books to a charity then people who really can't afford to go to bookshops would be able to enjoy them too... or you could just horde them like I do!

Book Maven said, on 3/31/2010 3:16:00 AM

Anne has the right idea! Ship loads up to London. I wish I had a separate pad for some of mine or actually some of husband's because his study is REALLY overflowing.

Linda Strachan said, on 3/31/2010 3:29:00 AM

I have the same problem.
Him Indoors keeps telling me that I need to get rid of some of them but which ones,? No, I can't bear to part with them. I also have inherited books, some I am looking forward to reading (when I have time...time - what is that?)
No, I am with you Lucy, and all the other book hoarders.
Also making list of good reasons suggested here.

Just noticed you have some of the the Robin Hobb - Liveship Traders series. Have you read The Dragon Keeper, book one of her new series 'Rain Wild Chronicles'?

madwippitt said, on 3/31/2010 5:07:00 AM

Nononono you can;'t get rid of them ... I've spent small fortunes over the years replacing the books my Mum threw out during house moves and during the years when I caved into pressure to reduce numbers ... it will only cost you lots of money in years to come, and some books (like my copy of Martin Pippin or Land of Green Ginger or Seventh Swan are well nigh impossible to come by. At sensible prices anyway) But I do have a solution - give them to me! I still have a few spaces left and I MIGHT let you borrow them, back again ... :-) And very happy to see you have a copy of Narrowdog nestling on a shelf - have you read the US one? Which is equally wonderful if not more so. More pics of your shelves would bwe nice, I do love to browse other people's books ...

Lucy Coats said, on 3/31/2010 5:08:00 AM

This will be an evidence mountain soon--but I shan't be mentioning the rare toast and omelette art. He might go for that, avant garde man that he is, and then where would I be with my newly found bookspace?

On another note, the lovely Norman Geras has written about this blogpost. How V flattering--and he's another book hoarder so we're all in good company! You can read his thoughts at http://bit.ly/9xa79F

@Linda S--yes, I have read the Dragon Keeper and also the next on in the Rain Wild series which is just out. They are both excellent. At least, I think so.

Juliette said, on 3/31/2010 5:49:00 AM

I cannot get rid of books. In my late teens, in an attempt to 'grow up' etc, I got rid of loads of children's books... only to find myself, at 26, going to a conference on Classics in Children's Literature and wanting them all back again. Lesson learned - never get rid of books! :)

steeleweed said, on 3/31/2010 6:38:00 AM

You have my sympathy and support...hope you don't have to choose choose books or WTE...LOL.

About every 4 or 5 years, I used to cull my bookshelves, getting rid of about 90% of the 'new' books. I have gotten more discriminating on what I buy, so the cull now rids me of only about 50% of more recent purchases. After 60 years of doing this, 90% of my books are boxed up and in storage, which makes them essentially useless but gives me a warm fuzzy feeling knowing I could get to them if really necessary.

When I retire, my next home will be a (large) barn with 20-foot ceilings, all walls totally booked - I always wanted one of those ladders-on-rails to reach the top shelves.

Nicky S (Absolute Vanilla) said, on 3/31/2010 7:46:00 AM

He issued a decree, did he? Deny him toast, forthwith! You cannot possibly be expected to "let books go" - they will never forgive you, they will come back and haunt you, and the ones you keep will embark on a massive breeding programme - they do that, you know, the side of my bed is testament to that. And if it's any consolation, your shelves and house sound just as wonderful as mine with all those lovely books.

Linda Strachan said, on 3/31/2010 7:47:00 AM

Oh, Didn't know the next one in the series was out, thanks Lucy! looking forward to it, I really enjoyed the first one, too.

Michael Malone said, on 3/31/2010 10:31:00 AM

Lucy, you have my full permission to pretend to throw them out and sneak them back in. The fact is, this is your duty! Books are not just for xmas/ birthdays/ weekends/ after work/ before bed/ in the bath/ coffee breaks et al, they are for ever.

Elaine AM Smith said, on 3/31/2010 3:36:00 PM

Don't do it - either it! Don't get rid of books you love and don't ditch the art. How about a rotation system? Fallow, furrow and sow - keep everything on the move regularly - he'll never realise it's all still there ;)

Yunaleska said, on 4/1/2010 6:43:00 AM

10k? I feel much better at having 100 :) (without any extra zeros).

There must be a way to keep some of your books, mustn't there?

Saviour Pirotta said, on 4/2/2010 1:23:00 PM

I gave away a lot of books when I moved house four years ago, and I regret parting with every single one. Don't give your books away, give them a home.

Add a Comment

A poet friend of mine recently told me that a bookshop considers you a ‘heavy book buyer’ if you buy six books a year. Now, I don’t know where she got that figure. Sorry. But, I’m just going to happily accept it as the truth for the purposes of this blog entry – if you know better, please let me know in the comments!

But SIX books a YEAR? I looked at my friend and thought of her house – where the books have to be stored two deep on the shelves – and my flat – where the gap between doors and walls, that is usually just dead space, is piled high with books. SIX books? I buy that many in a month, I thought!

And then, I wondered whether that was true. I READ six books a month, easily. But do I actually BUY them. And, if I do, who gets the money?

As a fairly unscientific survey, just out of curiosity, I found the last six book I had acquired and looked at their provenance.
They were as follows:

Breathing Underwater by Julia Green – bought from Waterstones
Guantanamo Boy by Anna Perera – borrowed from the library
Puppet Master by Joanne Owen – borrowed from the library
The Behaviour of Moths by Poppy Adams – borrowed from the library
Tam of Tiffany’s by Dorothea Moore – bought from Amazon
Marketing your Book by Alison Baverstock – bought from Amazon

So, three library books.
Two bought online.
One bought from a high street chain.

So, even someone who scoffed at the idea of a mere six books a year (me) has only bought one from a real, actual shop recently. And that was a chain.
I felt a flutter of guilt. I know writers make more money when you buy their work in a shop. I know dedicated book buyers are the lifeblood of independent shops. And yet I haven’t bought a book in an independent shop in a long while.

This is partly because there isn’t an independent book shop in central Bristol (or even suburban Bristol as far as I know!) and partly because buying online is so easy (the library books are like buying online because I place a reservation online and get an email when the books I want are in).

What I need is an independent shop I can browse through online. Or for someone to set up an independent shop in Bristol (good people of Bath, come on, you’ve got loads of them, hand one over!)

But what I really need to do is to put my money where my mouth is and pay more attention to my buying habits from now on. There’s still a bit more space behind the bedroom door.

Display Comments Add a Comment

Mission Accomplished! Here’s one more list of gift suggestions, this time with a number of adult titles that should also be fine for older teens. Thanks to Boni Ashburn and Lorie Ann Grover (where are your blogs, ladies?), who gave great suggestions — and made my job that much easier.

I hope that you find these lists helpful in giving books for the holidays and for gifts through the rest of the year. Hey, tell your friends. December is the only time of year I can really earn any money as an Amazon Associate, and that tiny referral fee allows me to rationalize my enormous amount of time on this blog.

1. Pair Toy Boat with toy boats.
   


2. Give Go to Bed, Monster! with a pack of fat crayons and a stack of copy paper from an office supply store.
   


3. Give little superheroes Wombat And Fox along with a superhero cape.
   


4. Pair Abe Lincoln Crosses A Creek with Lincoln Logs.
   


5. What else can go with Monkey With A Tool Belt but a tool belt?
   


6. Inspire young builders with Iggy Peck, Architect and a building set.
   


7. Take to the ice with book choices Angelina Ice Skates or Katie Kazoo, On Thin Ice or Mia (American Girl) and passes to the local ice-skating rink.
   


8. Pair fantasy book Savvy with with an assortment of temporary or henna tattoos.
   


9. Take a road trip with Could You? Would You? and passes to a museum or zoo or activity some distance away, so you can use the driving time to ask each other the interesting questions from the book.
   


10. Blooming fashionistas will appreciate Paper Fashions (Klutz) (all thirty-five Amazon reviews gave five stars!) along with Fashion Kitty for younger girls and Fashion 101: A Crash Course in Clothing for tweens.
    


11. Give Inkheart with a movie theater gift card to see the film in January.
    


12. Give Looks with the CD Acoustic Soul.
    


13. Pair House of Dance with ballroom dance lessons.
    


14. Give Life is Sweet with chocolate, any kind.
    


15. Buy two copies of The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World  — one for you, one for a friend — and make a lunch date to talk about the book and one’s personal quest for happiness.
    


16. Give This I Believe II with the first book This I Believe and a journal to capture great revelations of inner truth.
    


17. Election withdrawal? Buy Dreams From My Father and The Audacity of Hope or Life’s The American Journey of Barack Obama and throw in an Obama finger puppet just for fun.
    


18. Give nonfiction book Fruitless Fall with real honey from a whole foods store.
    


19. Match travel memoir-themed books with the... um, drink of the region. Like In a Sunburned County with Yellow Tail wine from Australia or The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific with coconut rum. (Adults only for this gift, obviously.)
    


20. Colbert fans and soon-to-be converts need I Am America (And So Can You) along with the greatest gift of all, the DVD A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All.
    


21. Give The Devil Wears Prada, Bitter Is the New Black: Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smartass, or Why You Should Never Carry a Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office, and This Little Piggy Went to Prada in a Prada bag (from eBay! C’mon, a girl can dream...)
    

Display Comments Add a Comment

All right, here are 2008 books with gift suggestions. Thanks to Abby the Librarian, whose suggestions got me a quarter of the way through the list. She is also running twelve days of great book suggestions, so stop on by and pick up more ideas. Fresh ideas also came from The Reading Tub — where you’ll also find more wonderful titles to read and give — and from The Kiddosphere — now with comments!

I’d like to do one more list and bring the total suggestions up to a hundred. For this one, I’m taking suggestions for any book from any year. I’m also looking to include some new title suggestions to my original ideas. Maybe there’s another great bathtime or bedtime book I should highlight. The only thing I ask is that the book be something that you know and would recommend. Have fun.

1. Pair Monsters on Machines or Building with Dad with toy construction vechicles.
   


2. Give your little dragon-lover Hush Little Dragon or Guess What I Found in Dragon Wood with the cutest dragon ever.
   


3. Is there a doctor in the house? There will be with picture book Doctor Ted along with a doctor kit.
   


4. Future firefighter? Give Firefighters (People in the Community) and Firefighters A to Z and firefighter gear.
   


5. Pair picture book stunner How I Learned Geography with an inflatable globe.
   


6. What else can go with Lester Fizz, Bubble Gum Artist other than gum — and perhaps an early apology to the parents.
   


7. Nature lovers will enjoy Birdsongs along with a guidebook like Backyard Birds and some binoculars. (BTW, these look like a good deal.)
   


8. For more nature, pair Velma Gratch and the Way Cool Butterfly with a butterfly garden kit.
   


9. Cat lovers can enjoy three new picture books, Grumpy Cat, Katie Loves the Kittens, and Wabi Sabi with a cat card game.
   


10. Expand the idea of giving with Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship, and Survival and a Pawsitively New Orleans T-shirt, and throw in some Mardi Gras beads.
    


11. Give One Hen — How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference with a loan to Kiva or a donation to Heifer International to buy chicks.
    


12. Give What the World Eats with a promise for an international dinner out or in.
    


13. Give Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Writing Thank You Notes with, um, cute stationery.
    


14. Pair Every Soul a Star with The Kids Book of the Night Sky and plan a date to look at the stars together.
    


15. You can’t go wrong with the funny poems and outstanding art in Frankenstein Takes the Cake along with a cake-baking session, followed by reading the book together. As a matter of fact, throw in Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich and make a whole day of it.
    


16. Speaking of the amazing Adam Rex, give the hilarious book The True Meaning of Smekday with a the related T-shirt Regarding Stickyfish Teams, I Favor the Bigfield Fighting Koobish.
    


17. Buy a teen My Life the Musical or Dramarama along with tickets to a show.
    


18. Give Young Adult book A La Carte with personal cooking lessons


19. Match casino gambling themed Drop with a deck of cards and a family game of penny poker or blackjack.
    


20. I’ve used this before, but there is no 2008 book that more deserves post-reading discussion at Starbucks than The Adoration of Jenna Fox.
    


21. I left this picture book for the end, because I think it has many levels and can be enjoyed by all ages. Give How to Heal a Broken Wing in a quiet moment and have a heart-to-heart talk.
    

Display Comments Add a Comment

I’m still working on this year's titles — I'm really hoping for some suggestions in the comments — and reposting my first three lists. Today's list is from last December, focusing on 2007 titles. It should be noted that all the lists have some combinations that will work for other titles. Of course, you can always give your book blogger buddies BACA logo mugs, T-shirts, and bumper stickers — available for purchase at the MotherReader store — with any non-celebrity book. But we won’t count that suggestion.

1. Take a bedtime book like The Bunnies are Not in Their Beds or At Night and add a personalized pillow.
   


2. Give your favorite girly-girl Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy with dress-up jewelry and/or a fancy poodle and its own dress-up clothes.
   


3. Give your rough little boy Pirates Don’t Change Diapers along with genuine pirate gear.
   


4. Take sweet picture book Lissy’s Friends and pair it with an origami kit.
   


5. Picture book stunners The Zoo or Pssst! would be perfect with a zoo animal collection or game.
   


6. Taking a Bath with the Dog and Other Things That Make Me Happy is a book that deserves its own bathrobe and/or bubble bath.
   


7. Looking for something a little offbeat? Maybe Cowboy and Octopus with a cowboy hat or an octopus.
   


8. For business-minded kids, pair The Lemonade War with a coin counter bank.
   


9. All the elementary school kids will love The Invention of Hugo Cabret, but you can pair it with tin wind-up toys for extra flair.
   


10. Give Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little with um, Stuart Little.
    


11. Give Kimchi & Calamari with a promise for a dinner out Korean style, or Italian style, or both.
    


12. Perhaps Fabulous Hair with a hair accessory kit will make someone smile.
    


13. Wrap up A Crooked Kind of Perfect with those excellent socks from the cover. (Maybe these are closer?)
    


14. Treat a tween to Middle School is Worse Than Meatloaf along with pink nail polish, lipstick, post-it notes, and special bubble bath, as mentioned in the book.
    


15. How about Diary of a Wimpy Kid with a the Do It Yourself Journal?
    


16. Or maybe Here Be Monsters! with a Nightmare Snatcher Journal.
    


17. Or Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer with a fairy diary.
    


18. Buy His Dark Materials Trilogy along with tickets to The Golden Compass.
    


19. Give Young Adult book Beige with a mix CD of the songs in the chapter titles (or an iTunes gift card).
    


20. Give Young Adult book The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl with How to Draw Comic Book Heroes and Villains (or an iTunes gift card).
    


21. Match poetry books with poetry beads or magnetic poetry. Some 2007 suggestions: Animal Poems, This is a Poem That Heals Fish, Tap Dancing on the Roof, This is Just to Say, or Blue Lipstick: Concrete Poems.

Display Comments Add a Comment

While I’m working on my goal to match 2008 books with a little something extra — and feel free to make suggestions in the comments — I’m reposting my first three lists. Like yesterday’s list, this one focuses on 2006 titles with some older books. It should be noted that all the lists have some combinations that will work for other titles.

---

1. Pair Mo Willems’ book Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus with a toy bus and a cargo truck.
   


2. Pair The Moon with a flashlight and a promise for a nighttime walk or two.
   


3. Pair new-classic Duck and Goose with a bright spotted ball (fans will know why).
   


4. Pair MotherReader favorite The Day the Babies Crawled Away with a baby doll.
   


5. Pair the funny wordless book Once Upon a Banana and a stuffed monkey — but show your sense of humor by throwing a banana into the gift bag.
   


6. Pair silly beginning reader book The Monster in the Backpack with a cute backpack (monster additional).
   


7. Pair classic A Bargain For Frances with a tea set.
   


8. Pair the offbeat book Pecorino Plays Ball with a bat and ball. You can throw in a coupon book for practice sessions.
   


9. Pair Take Me Out of the Bathtub and Other Silly Dilly Songs with a kazoo.
   


10. Combine sweet Jenny and the Cat Club with a red scarf (don’t worry if it’s too long — so is Jenny’s) and a black cat.
    


11. Pair Clarice Bean Spells Trouble with a game of Scrabble, and some of your time to teach it.
    


12. Pair a drawing book like Draw 50 Airplanes, Aircrafts, and Spaceships or Draw 50 Cats with a couple of nice sketch pads.
    


13. Pair Phineas MacGuire... Erupts! with a science kit, or the next book in the series, Phineas MacGuire... Gets Slimed! with the slime science kit.
    


14. Pair a spy-themed book like Steal Back the Mona Lisa! (picture book), The Case of the Climbing Cat (beginning reader), Harriet the Spy (chapter book) or Secrets, Lies, Gizmos, and Spies: a History of Espionage (nonfiction) with rear-view sunglasses and/or a fingerprint kit.
    


15. Bigger girls like stuffed animals too. How about Hoot with an owl, The World According to Humphrey with a hamster, or Room With a Zoo with a puppy?
    


16. Pair a magic book of your choice with magic tricks.
    


17. Pair The Crafty Diva’s D. I. Y. Stylebook: A Grrrl’s Guide to Cool Creations You Can Make, Show Off, and Share or The Girls’ World Book of Friendship Crafts: Cool Stuff to Make with Your Best Friends with a gift card to a local craft store, and maybe some shopping and crafting time together.
    


18. Pair Knitgrrl: Learn to Knit With 15 Fun And Funky Projects and/or Chicks with Sticks: It’s a Purl Thing with yarn, knitting needles, and a promise for some lessons.
    


19. Pair Ductigami: The Art of Tape with... well, rolls of duct tape.
    


20. Pair King Dork with a CD of The Mr. T Experience.
    


21. It’s not really a toy or separate gift, but take a special book, like Wow! It Sure is Good to Be You (which is about an aunt loving her far-away niece) and make a CD recording of you reading it.
    

Display Comments Add a Comment

All over the kidlitosphere, I’ve been reading about giving books for the holidays. Chasing Ray is keeping track of bloggers’ book recommendations. There’s even a Buy Books for the Holidays website. As it so happens, over the past couple of years, I’ve made lists pairing books with something extra to give it that fun factor. Each day this week, I’ll be posting those lists with updated shopping links. I’ll also be creating one with the newest titles. Altogether, I hope these ideas make your holiday shopping more fun.

The links to products are to make it easier for devoted online shoppers. Many things could be found cheaper at discount and even dollar stores. Today’s re-posted list has some classic favorites and some often new-to-you 2006 highlighted titles along with a matching gift idea.

---

1. Pair a classic Raggedy Ann or Winnie-the-Pooh book with its character stuffed animal.
   


2. Pair a book with a related stuffed animal, like Where’s My Teddy? with a teddy bear. Or Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type with a stuffed cow — or if you prefer, a slingshot cow.
   


3. Pair Bubble Bath Pirates or Beasty Bath with a cool rubber duck at Captain Quack... or hey, even a huge rubber duck.
   


4. Pair The Snow Globe Family with a snow globe.
   


5. Pair Lilly’s Big Day or Fancy Nancy with dress-up clothes.
   


6. Pair Toys Go Out with a red bouncy ball, or a stuffed stingray or buffalo.
   


7. Pair a nonfiction book about dinosaurs, like Boy! Were We Wrong About Dinosaurs, with a bunch of plastic ones.
   


8. Pair Amazing Sharks! and A Shark Pup Grows Up for beginning readers and throw in a shark on a stick.
   


9. Pair a book like The Spiderwick Chronicles with the DVD.
   


10. Pair a theme book like Katie and the Mustang with a horse charm and a satin cord from a craft store.
    


11. Pair a theme book like Fairy Realm with a charm bracelet.
    


12. Pair a detective book with a magnifying glass.
    


13. Pair Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon with a homemade coupon for a visit to the Air and Space Museum (okay, this might only work around Washington, DC) or astronaut ice cream.
    


14. Pair any book with another book from the bargain section, maybe something silly or crafty or gimmicky.
    


15. Pair a diary-format book like Lucy Rose: Big on Plans (3rd/4th grade), Amelia’s Notebook (4th/5th grade), or The Princess Diaries (6th/7th grade) with a journal with fun pens.
    


16. Pair a book like Eragon or Charolotte’s Web with a gift card to rent the movie.
    


17. Pair The Art Book for Children with watercolor paints or an art set.
    


18. Pair Poetry Speaks to Children with hot chocolate, a mug, and a gift certificate for time to read it together.
    


19. Pair a teen or tween poetry book with poetry beads, alone (provide some stretchy cord) or in a kit.
    


20. Pair a special teen favorite with a gift card to Starbucks and a promise to talk about the book over coffee.
    


21. Give a book all on its own, carefully picked and lovingly wrapped, with no excuses and no guilt.
    

Display Comments Add a Comment

While inexplicably lying awake in the middle of the night, I decided I need to buy more new books. I should do it to support a business I love and want a piece of. I should do it for the good karma. I should do it because there are actually a lot of books I'd like to have on hand to lend to friends and family when they ask for suggestions.

Historically, the main reasons I haven't bought many new books were:

a) The price. But now that I'm a grown-up with a "real job", I can pay off a new hardcover book with an hour or so of work. Awesome!

b) The space. We already have dozens upon dozens of books boxed up in closets because we don't have the shelf space, and I've been telling myself, "No new books until we move to a real house." But who knows how long that will be? Screw it. I'll banish more books to the closet if that's what it takes.

c) My own peculiar desire to buy only books that I have already read and want to reread. I've been this way since I was a kid. I didn't feel like I properly owned a book unless I'd already read it at the library and then decided it was worth spending my birthday money on. But I can currently name a dozen books that qualify, so what what am I waiting for?

A related issue I've been mulling over lately is my lack of time, in my current reading routine, to reread books. When I was a kid, the shelves built into my bed's headboard were reserved for my all-time favorite books: the Prydain Chronicles, the Chronicles of Narnia, The Dark Is Rising series, Robin McKinley's books, Mildred D. Taylor's books, Madeleine L'Engle's books, Where the Red Fern Grows, The Giver... These were all books I read three, and probably six or more, times over.

Since coming to work in a library, I've had such easy access to thousands of books I've never read before, and I've been trying to stay abreast of new books. I haven't taken the time out to reread old favorites. I'm thinking of reserving a few weeks this summer to take a break from new (or new-to-me) books and revisit the old.

Of course, knowing my habit of putting at least one book on my library reserve list every time I go through my blogroll, I doubt that will last more than a couple days. But maybe having some shiny new/old favorites on my shelves will help.

Add a Comment

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury depicts firemen burning books. It is what they do. In a story that is disconcerting for those of us who believe in the right of freedom to read, MSNBC reports that firefighters are being trained by Homeland Security in the USA in a test program. They are being trained to look for illegal materials and report people who may be "hostile, uncooperative or expressing hate or discontent with the United States."

While law enforcement officials have stringent rules that control their access to private property, fire fighters have access in order to make inspections for the purposes of preventing fires. The ACLU is concerned about the implications of this program with regard to first amendment issues.

According to New York City Fire Chief Salvatore Cassano, information related to terrorism has been passed on from firefighters to law enforcement since the program began three years ago.

It would be interesting to see what kind of information officials are collecting that they believe relates to terrorism and to what degree one needs to be "discontent" before one is reported to the government.

This would be great fodder for a dystopian novel. Oh, wait....

MTV Movies Blog reports that Tom Hanks is showing great interest in starring as Guy Montag, the “fireman” in Fahrenheit 451.

Add a Comment

SHANTE KEYS can be ordered via your local bookstore or online at the following book sites. 

ONLINE BOOK SITES:

Book Sense Independent Booksellers

Amazon.com

Barnes and Noble.com 


BOOK DETAILS:

If you are going to your local bookstore to order the book, or want to recommend this book for purchase by your school or library, take this information along for easy ordering:

Shanté Keys and the New Year’s Peas
Albert Whitman & Company
ISBN 13: 978-0-8075-7330-3
$16.95 • $21.95 Canadian
Age Levels: 5-9
Grades: K-4
Pub. Date: November 2007
Pages: 32 • Size: 10.75 x 8.5
Illustrations: Full color
Library Binding

Add a Comment

Newspapers around the world yesterday reported the death of writer Kurt Vonnegut at the age of 84.

His books such as Cat's Cradle, Breakfast of Champions, and Slaughterhouse-Five faced many challenges over the years, likely for their dark, satiric humour.

The Columbus Dispatch describes his novels as "classics of the American counterculture" and go on to compare his humour to that of Mark Twain.

Like Mark Twain, Vonnegut used humor to tackle the basic questions of human existence: Why are we in this world? Is there a presiding figure to make sense of all this, a god who in the end, despite making people suffer, wishes them well?
He also shared with Twain a profound pessimism.

He was the author of 14 novels and wrote in other genres as well.

His experience of the fire bombing of Dresden during the war was the basis of Slaughterhouse-Five, which was published in 1969, just as America was experiencing the war in Vietnam, racial unrest, and other social upheaval. It struck a chord with American society. The author became a cult hero when Slaughterhouse-Five became a best seller. It was challenged in schools and public libraries for its violence, sexual content and rough language. Vonnegut took on censorship as an active member of the PEN writers' aid group and the American Civil Liberties Union.

Boing Boing offers a podcast of the very first reading of Breakfast of Champions by the author.

A number of people who are signed up for the "Banned Book Challenge" are moving the order of their books or adding a Kurt Vonnegut book to their list, in honour of his passing.

Add a Comment