Have you ever sat in a cozy room, surrounded by the comforting presence of thousands of books?
If you’re like me, this is the perfect escape from the world outside; and it’s not just a place to relax but also a private haven of learning and exploration. As a book collector, I know how rewarding it can be to fill up your home with books. The digital age may have its merits, but nothing quite compares to the feeling of building your very own home library, especially for kids.
In this article, we’ll look at the benefits of having a personal book library at home, along with some tips to help you get started. We’ll also explore how to stay on top of book trends, so you can make the most of your collection. By the end, you’ll have a better understanding of how to create a home library that feels both comforting and educational for the whole family.
For the Love of Books
Written by Felice Gerwitz
My house overflows with books. I am a collector, and I have enjoyed the years of homeschooling as an “excuse” for feeding my passion! Now, I know times are tough, and the home-library mentality is slowly being eroded by the E-Book craze, used book sales, and trips to the library. While all those things are good to an extent, there is still nothing like the experience of a child starting his very own book library.
Children Curating Books
My children have a shared collection of books. These include those passed down from their older siblings, inherited books, and even books passed down from mom and dad. The children also have their own personal collection of books.
My youngest, an avid reader, currently houses the collection of my youth, which is proudly displayed in his room at the very top shelf of his book library. Do you remember The Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, and Trixie Beldon? Well, I had most of those books.
The Hardy Boys were left over from my New York cousins’ visits to Florida. Space was tight, and they couldn’t leave their books behind. I couldn’t imagine how they could leave their prized possessions so easily, but at the time attributed it to their being “boys”. It didn’t matter to me. I easily read and digested those books as well, and any book for that matter that came close to within my reading radar.
Personal Books Collections
My book collection began late, in the Third grade. My cousin, a college professor, who was married but childless, felt it was her mission to introduce me to the world of reading. She later went on to adopt two children, but in the time that she waited for her own to mentor, she practiced on me. The trip is as vivid now as those years past. Instead of our normal shopping and ice cream, we began at the bookstore, where she promptly selected and reminisced about each title.
It began over ice cream the week before when she asked me if I liked reading. When I answered in the negative, I thought she was going to drop her rocky road as she looked at me in horror. When I assured her I could read but disliked it as a pastime, she quickly masked her shocked expression and turned the conversation to what was a passion at the time, drawing and artistic pursuits. That all changed with that first trip to the bookstore.
Volumes of Volumes
The sheer volume of books purchased, eight titles, was mind-boggling to me at the time. Little Women, My Friend Flicka, Bobssey Twins, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farms, and the like topped my pile of books. I couldn’t bear to hurt her feelings and say I didn’t want any of these books. When I arrived home, my mother was so excited to see them as she was an avid reader but a working mom. She and I sat down together to examine each book, and my father promptly built me a wooden bookshelf to house my collection.
I still have every one of those books that have survived all these years. They have been read and enjoyed by my own children and hopefully by my grandchildren someday. I think the idea of keepsake books was at the back of my mind when I penned the Truth Seekers Mystery Series with my daughter Christina. The number of children who have read the series is astounding; many borrow the books from a friend but then urge their parents to obtain their own copies. They don’t just read the books once, but many times.
The Incredible Joy of Curating Your Own Book Collection
I think each child’s book collection holds special meaning. It is by far one of the best and long-reaching investments in their education that you can make. Author (Secret Code Time), Paula Stevenson, is a librarian. She discusses the ways she was able to talk to her daughter, Sky, about life truths, through the pages of a book.
Begin your children’s book collection today. You won’t regret it!
Do you sit at the side of a crib and wonder what your relationship with your child will be in years to come? Do you wonder what it will be like; will you have a communication relationship that has no boundaries? Or have the years slipped by too quickly, and you now feel like there is an impenetrable wall that goes up anytime you try to talk to your child? Join this mother-daughter team as they recount hilarious antics and reminisce about heartfelt moments that forged an unbreakable bond that would last a lifetime. Come along on their journey as they take you step-by-step through how to build a bridge of communication with your children from an early age and how to mend and restore a broken parent-child relationship.
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