How do you decide which books to buy for DC?

[Ceepa]

We go to the library a LOT. Checking out tons of books. But lately I was looking at DC's bookshelves and realized that they don't reflect how much we all love books at our house. When DC were younger I would buy books they enjoyed listening to over and over and over as younger kids do, but now their tastes are so varied and evolving and it's hard committing to buying a book when I can just check it out from the library a couple of times before they're over it.

I assume as they become readers themselves they'll fall in love and want to own certain books and will communicate that to us? We still suggest books as gifts generally whenever someone asks.

I know there are a lot of book-loving families on this board.

[KBecks]

how old are they? Are they old enough to buy their own and make those decisions? I think I would be ok with collecting anything they are interested in and reselling / weeding once a year or so. I find lots of books at resale shops and buying used may be a good option.

[citymama]

Library books we end up reading a million times, borrow multiple times, and that I can still stand to read, usually make it to the must-buy list! For eg Blueberries for Sal was a recent purchase - borrowed it so many times, we needed our own copy. Great illustrations also make me think that we should own rather than just borrow. Ditto with the classics. Books that DD (2.5) can enjoy now and learn to read later (all the Seuss, PD Eastman series) are also ones we choose to own, although I usually get those at yard sales rather than bookstores!

DD must have about 150 books already, which is kind of insane, but we've read each of them at least 20 times, if not 100!

[n2ou]

We "splurge" a lot on books at Goodwill and Savers.

I have certain rules that the kids are aware of, like no "junk" books (just like food there are also junk books-lol) and they have to be in good shape.

Books range from 49 cents to $1.99 and I have found amazing titles. My dd is big into level 1 readers at this moment. I have no issues with used books since it is just as clean/dirty as a library book.

My kids love picking out books ...

Hth,

Simone

[egoldber]

I am trying to buy less. My main weakness is the Scholastic catalog and the $1 books. But if it's something that I know we can find at the library, I don't buy it. I am mainly buying non-fiction these days: encyclopedias, atlases, science experiments, etc. Things that I know will be used more than once. For Sarah there is no difference between a library book and one we own.

[brittone2]

The Read Aloud Handbook has been great in giving me ideas on which books to look for in the library, or to consider purchasing.

We buy a lot of 2nd hand books from thrift/consignment stores, and also a local flea market booth (the books are very organized there which makes it easy). We also buy from sortfloorbooks and similar. My favorite place of all is our library's used book sales. For kids' books, it is often insanely cheap like 10 books for $1. I found some incredible non fiction resources there recently.

Buying 2nd hand also makes it easier for me to part w/ books we don't love or need. Donating them is much easier when I haven't forked out a lot of money in the first place.

[kijip]

We buy a ton of books used. Library sales as well.

We limit library checkouts to things that are too expensive to buy new without a test run or look like one hit wonders mainly so they don't get mixed in and accrue fines!

I have been paying (over the last couple of weeks) $ for 2-5 chapter books (so anywhere from 20 cents to 50 cents for used paperbacks) for him to read on his own. He reads 1-2 of these an an hour and reads for a bare minimum of 2 hours a day at home on his own.

I bought some from sortfloor but it is a PITA to get a large cart together and each book is $1.50. So not so hot on that right now. I will keep checking back for workbooks from there, because he has just been loving that type of activity, especially if it has stickers included.

I am donating the ones we don't keep to my work or to his school. If I did not have a place to donate to so easily (and where the need is great) I would likely do more library books. I just don't want to only books he owns to be things from when he was 3. We save the pricey books on science and the like for gift occasions.

[egoldber]

Oddly enough, when Sarah started really reading on her own is when I stopped buying books LOL!! I realized after watching her sit and devour STACKS of library books in a DAY that I simply could not buy enough books to supply her "habit".

And then there was the day we had to get her her own library card, because the 50 book limit on my card was not enough.....

[kijip]

And then there was the day we had to get her her own library card, because the 50 book limit on my card was not enough.....

The library has a 50 book limit but mama has a 5 book limit because I am so paranoid about losing a library book. :wink2:

[egoldber]

I used to be paranoid about losing books, but then I realized even if we did lose a few (and we have) it was still more cost effective. :)

Plus with our library you can see what you have checked out on-line and renew on-line so that helps a lot.

[maestramommy]

Libraries are my favorite places, yet I still have not ventured into one to borrow books with the girls (I know I know). So all the books they read they own. As you can imagine they read them over and over LOL! Sometimes I ask for recs, and when people ask about gifts we always say books. In fact, for Arwyn's first birthday we asked for books. My BIL came up with a clever limmerick we put on the invite.

There are still a TON of books for little kids I have never heard of. At some point I will be brave and take both kids there. Probably during winter when it's too cold to go anywhere else;)

I was going to get Dora a subscription to Ladybug for Christmas, but now I'm wondering if you can borrow them from the library. Anybody know? I know normally mags are not in circulation but do they make exceptions for children's mags and have several copies?

[KpbS]

but now I'm wondering if you can borrow them from the library. Anybody know? I know normally mags are not in circulation but do they make exceptions for children's mags and have several copies?

Yes, our library has these and loans out all but the current month's issue (all back-issues). Also you may ask the children's librarian what happens to the old issues (when do they discard them)--I left my name w/ our children's librarian never believing I would ever hear from her but one day she called with a small stack for us. It was great.

We find books at thrift stores, garage sales, library sales, etc. I have justified my purchases b/c our library has a very limited selection and it drove me crazy looking for books there. But I think I have almost maxed out our shelves for 0-5 and I am now trying to be really disciplined about what comes into the house in hopes of making room for big kid books.

[egoldber]

There are still a TON of books for little kids I have never heard of. At some point I will be brave and take both kids there. Probably during winter when it's too cold to go anywhere else

I don't do a lot of library browsing any more if I have Amy with me. She is NOT a librarian's best friend LOL!!! With my library I can put books on hold on-line. I do that and then just run in and quickly check out. I'm often in and out in less than 10 minutes.

I try to take Sarah alone on the weekends so that she gets some quality time there to browse and explore.

My library does have magazines, but I'm too afraid that Amy will rip them up.

[Momof3Labs]

We have many, many books. And now that DS1 is moving up to chapter and science books, we seem to be on a buying binge again. But most of the books have come from library book sales and consignment sales for 25-50 cents each. When we go to the library, we tend to come home with many books similar to what he's read recently (which is fine) but when the books sit on his shelf, he's more likely to grab something different to try. And for that price, who cares if they sit for a year or two and then go in our next garage sale!

[Asianmommy]

Our library does carry magazines. You can check them out for a week at a time, except for the most current issue. One year I scored a huge stack of magazines (Ladybug, National Geographic Kids, and World) for a few bucks from the library's used book sale. What a great deal!

[citymama]

Our public library system is so the enabler....with a kid's card, there are no fines ever for late books, and - get this - not for lost books either. We've benefited from the first policy many times, but I'm still scratching my head about the second one. I think the SF libraries have lost many, many books to people just deciding never to return them!

Scholastic is good but hit or miss as well. About a third of my DD's books are hardcover books my MIL saved from my DH's collection as a kid - and amazingly, those are pretty much DD's favorites. Think multi-generational inheritance! ;-)

[Ceepa]

I'll hit up the library sale table and keep my eyes open for more used books. DS does have a growing reference section on his shelves, but I'd like to bring in more fiction, too.

I like the idea of just regularly culling through the used books that are out of favor so someone else can enjoy them next.

[DrSally]

Also, I get ideas from book reviews in newspapers. The NY Times has a lot of reviews on kids books.

[Corie]

In fact, for Arwyn's first birthday we asked for books. My BIL came up with a clever limmerick we put on the invite.



Melinda,

Would you mind sharing the clever limerick your BIL came up
with for Arwyn's 1st birthday invitations?

Thanks!! :)

[jk3]

We have tons of books. I have a slew that I bought as a classroom teacher and many more we've bought for the boys. The grandparents also buy books for the kids. I try to only buy what we love.

[maestramommy]

Melinda,

Would you mind sharing the clever limerick your BIL came up
with for Arwyn's 1st birthday invitations?

Thanks!! :)
Wow, I was afraid I'd lost the one copy of her invite in our move!

Arwyn is turning one.
Increase her literary fund.
in lieu of toys,
help her discover the joys,
of reading books for fun!

And I just wanted to add, one day after this thread started I spontaneously decided to head for the library because it was right across the street from our playdate. I LOVE THAT PLACE! 3 story hours a week for 3 and up, stacks of all the mags from Cricket you can borrow, a little relaxation corner for parents with two toy tables, and books books books. They also have a model train that you can turn on by pressing a button. Dora couldn't get enough of the place or the train! The Children's section is on the lower level, kind of by itself, and right outside is where you can actually eat and drink.

I borrowed 6 books and 1 Ladybug. So glad I didn't subscribe. The only thing memorable for Dora in the whole thing was singing "This old man." I'm singing it a lot these days.....

[Corie]

Wow, I was afraid I'd lost the one copy of her invite in our move!

Arwyn is turning one.
Increase her literary fund.
in lieu of toys,
help her discover the joys,
of reading books for fun!




Melinda,

I love the poem!! It's absolutely perfect! :)

[elephantmeg]

I buy library books he loves (recently things that go-we had it checked out like 12 weeks straight between various family members) and books like ones he likes (he loves the John Deere ABC's so I just bought 1-2-3) we're also working on counting so I figured it was a good choice.