We've been busy bees preparing for school to begin. Since we are a home~schooling family, we have a library and classroom in our home. Fortunately, our new house has loads of Craftsman era bookshelves built all around our family room. I get all giggly and grin-ish whenever I look at them. I feel like I'm in a public library...one of my favorite places in the world to be!
Yesterday, while I was putting away the final box of books, my mind wandered back to my childhood when I would spend HOURS in the library. I grew up in a small Ohio town and we had a haunted library.
The Pickaway County Library...isn't it awesome?!
There was a resident "lady in white" ghost who was known for tossing books around (especially in the children's area.) My aunt was a volunteer there and would tell me all about the spooky antics of the ghostie. It was a bit creepy if you were there after dark!
In the summer months, the Bookmobile would come to our neighborhood. I LOVED the Bookmobile!
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I'd get my paper library card (which I still have) and book it right to the Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden books. My heartstrings are still tugged everytime I see these books too...
I adored Pippi Longstocking, Eloise, The Littles and The Swiss Family Robinson. I would devour ghost stories, witch stories and tales of terror. I loved these two books so much that I kept my original copies.
I think Catherine and I will re-visit lots of these old favorites of mine this school year. I just purchased the complete Little House set last week. I want to do a pioneer theme week and know she will love Laura as much as I did.
One of the things I didn't want my kids to miss out on as home-schooled students was the thrill of ordering from the Scholastic Book Club. (yes...I'm that much of a book nerd...)
When I found out home-schoolers can get the circulars and order from them, I was all in. I remember how I would love to go through and circle all of the books I just had to have. I love watching Catherine do the same!
As luck would have it, both of my kids are avid readers. I love sharing their books with them. When Connor was reading the Percy Jackson series a few years back, he would hide them from me so I couldn't read ahead of him. When the final Harry Potter book was released, we were at the bookstore at midnight. We were first in line. After taking ownership of this prized possession, we went to Nico's Taco Shop for breakfast burritos (at 12:30 am!) What a great memory!
Every night, Catherine will read at least 3 books to her dolls. She also loves to read to my mother (who's away in OH) over the phone each night because she knows Nana can't sleep without a bedtime story.
Lately, she's putting on the heat about visiting our new library because we've lived in Tucson for two months and haven't been there yet. She thinks that is pure sacrilege.
So what about you? Do you have a fond book memories from your childhood?
Have you re-visited any of your books from "back in the day" lately? Do share!
XoXo
Comments
but i think these memories with your kiddos are AWESOME that you are making.. and they will remember them forever!
Funny thing though.... I have zero memory of EVER going to the library. My kids have a TON of books, But we do't go the library either.
I read the "Ramona Quimby" books, Anne of Green Gables, etc. Loved them!
Ordering from the scholastic book club was the BEST part of the year for me... tied with the book fair actually. I loved it! That little flimsy circular was tattered by the time I was ordering!
My mom and I lived far from my school... so every morning on our drive in I'd read to her. We read the Boxcar Children, Babysitters Club, Goosebumps, Ramona Quimby, Diary of a 5th grade fat kid, and pretty much any mystery/who-dun-it type of book I could get my paws on. Those were some of the greatest memories I have... I loved reading to my mom.
And I was such a voracious reader when I was younger. I loved all the mystery series. Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Encyclopedia Brown, etc.
And I was such a voracious reader when I was younger. I loved all the mystery series. Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Encyclopedia Brown, etc.
I loved the Little House series, Nancy Drew and all of the Roald Dahl books!
And we had a lot of the same books we loved. I love the Jennifer Hecate... etc. Did you ever read "From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler"? Loved loved loved that book.
And it is horrible that you haven't visited your new library yet. GO NOW!
My oldest and I have started reading some of my childhood favorites together, like James and the Giant Peach and just about everything by Beverly Cleary.
I've been hitting half price books and getting some great used books for him.
Blogging hasn't been on my radar this summer. Just actually remembered about it this morning, haha! I plan to post again, promise! ;-)
Sweetums has inherited my passion for the written word. We go to the library and the book store A LOT.
Right now Sweetums is reading the unabridged classic Little Women. It is a real challenge for her, but she's doing AWESOME! :o)
Stopping by to say hi.I'm following you now:) Hope to see you at my place sometime.