Is it possible to have too many children's books?
A few years ago, I would have never thought so... but maybe I am truly becoming a minimalist. I have purged so much stuff in the past few years, but I never dreamed of touching the children's book collection. However, as I was unloading the fifth box of children's books this past weekend, it struck me that perhaps it was time to weed down.
I am certainly not suggesting abandoning A Snowy Day or Llama Llama Red Pajama or any Dr. Seuss book... but can I tell a dirty little secret? I really can't stand Robert McCloskey books. I know his books are classics, but as I was pulling Blueberries for Sal out of a box, I realized that I never ever want to read that book again. It is boring. And slightly disturbing that the mother has no clue that her androgynous child is off galavanting with a bear.
There are some children's books that I actually hide because I don't want Anna to ask me to read them. Like any story where the animal parent is telling the animal child how miraculous they are or how crazy in love they are with the aforementioned fabulous animal child. They are usually books that I bought pre-parenthood because I liked the art. But here's what I have discovered: those are obnoxious yawners and kids don't like them either. They are for adults, not kids. And I don't have time for that anymore.
But yet I still keep them around because they are CHILDREN'S BOOKS, and in my world, you do not get rid of CHILDREN'S BOOKS.
Oh, the guilt.
4/5/10
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Haha I am becoming minimal in nature too Ellen-though my shoe pile complete with "obnoxious yawners" would suggest otherwise.(love it)
ReplyDeleteDid you move already? I hope you would have asked us for help if you needed it. Or still will. We must get a local chat group going again. I miss those times....
I have boxes and boxes of children's books too. It is very hard to get rid of any of them.
ReplyDeleteDonate the ones you don't want to a local elementary school! I'm sure any teacher would want some free books (ok, maybe not the yawners that are made for adults...) Gifts for friends with new babies, perhaps? :) They can enjoy them for a while like you did...
ReplyDeleteMe and MY book collection for school? It's a little out of control. I have a major scholastic addiction and I think someone should probably stage an intervention!
Since you confessed your dislike of Robert McClowksy, I will confess my dislike of Dr. Seuss. We own maybe 2-3 Dr. Seuss books only - and we never read them! My kids don't like the nonsensical words any better than I do. There... it's off my chest!
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing to me that my child has a book collection to rival my own before he is even two. But I guess that is what happens when you are book people. Noodlebug has many of the books I had when I was a child so I'm glad that my mom kept the special ones. He actually adores the same books that I did at his age.
ReplyDeleteI try to hide books from him too. I will lose my mind if I have to read GOOD NIGHT WASHINGTON DC one more time. And I also hide ANIMAL BOOGIE because I have to sing the whole thing and he invariably asks to me to do the whole thing AGAIN when we are done.
We hide a few books around here. Rob's aunt gave us a huge stack of early reading books which would be great for Katie if she was into reading them herself but she's just not quite there yet so we have to read them and the overly simple language is painful.
ReplyDeleteIn the kid's rooms we have about 10-15 books right now each but on a bench in our room there are at least another 100. And another 50 in a box in the closet and another stack in a basket on teh first floor and more in the basement... Many are total snoozers or painfully too long or have messages we don't like and yet there they are. I think it's time for some culling and donating!
LOL obnoxious yawners - good description :o)
ReplyDeleteI put my favorites up on the Pea's top shelf, and I know those are the ones I'll never part with. But, man, there are some stinkers out there.
ReplyDeleteI'm a book hider too...and a book collector. I love our used book store here so I don't feel as bad if I pass on a book we got there that turns out to be a snoozer because likely it only cost me a couple quarters and not $30.00. However as the youngest in the family I totally would have loved any books my mom kept for me from my childhood. I think I may have 3 and they all have a siblings name in it. I'm sure though if you gave them to a school or church or even a friend Anna won't miss them one bit once they are gone.
ReplyDeleteI have such a hard time throwing out books. Any books, actually, but my house is in desperate need of decluttering, and maybe I should do some sorting and hiding, so the really good ones stick out.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I love Dr. Seuss, and so do my kids. (We're not Americans, but we have lived in the US on two occasions.)
GOOD........................................
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