Storytime

Snow falling, fire crackling, good book unfolding.

Fresh from bath, cotton pajamas, snuggling while reading.

I love reading almost as much as I love reading to kids. That feeling of being swept up and transported to another place and time, or hearing a child recite along with you a funny line in a book - Is there anything better? 

Writing is a gift and good writing is a blessing! Authors deserve to be paid for it, but my love for books far outweighs my wallet. Also, I married a man whose livelihood depends on him being well read or as he likes to say "a carpenter has his tools". Well he has a full "workshop". And yes, he has read everyone of those books on his shelves.

There are many wonderful resourses now to obtain books for a reasonable price - Amazon, Ebay, garage sales, CBD, friends and family, thrift shop - actually that is where he ends up while I am clothes shopping. But one of the best resourses for a wide variety of books is the public library. It came to me last night as I was doing my taxes - what a great way for the government to spend my tax money - it might be the only one!!

Libraries can be a best kept secret! You go in sample a variety of literature and media and can leave with 30 books, 5 Dvds,  10 CDs and 10 magazines and you have 3 weeks (1 for dvds) to enjoy them. What a bargain!

I like to go to the new arrival rack and it is there that I discover new authors and topics - if it at all interests me, I check it out. When I get home and start reading it and I decide I don't like it - I stop - I have lost nothing. 

Once, while packing for vacation I loaded my canvas bag full of 30 books into the van and was challenged by one of my kids (probably the one that was trying to pack the van with all our stuff) that I would never read all those books in 1 week. Well,  I did - some more read than others - but who cares - it was all for free.

They also have some great books on tape - we try to get one if we are going on a trip - it makes the time fly by and we can all enjoy and discuss a book together. Just make sure the trip is long enough - we have gotten half way through a book and then tried to finish it at home - it was hard to get everyone together and to sit still long enough to finish. There is nothing like the captive audience a long car ride brings.

The children section of the library is a great resourses to introduce your little ones to a variety of authors and characters - without breaking the bank. Some branches even have story time - what a great activity to enjoy together. Or if you start reading aloud to your own child, I'm sure you may become the story lady. They also lend puppets, puzzles and toys - check with your branch.

Every teacher I have ever worked with will tell you the best thing you can do for your child is to read to them. Kids love repetition, and could probably listen to the same story again and again. I once worked with a student and we read the same book after lunch for 4 months straight - every time we would look for something new in the pictures and story line - I never thought I could enjoy a book so much! But with the library you have variety! And if you find a favorite and after you have checked it out at least 3 times - look for it on Amazon or ebay to put into your library. A child's library of their very own is a treasured keepsake.

Magazines are expensive and once read, really are disposable, why not borrow them or if you have time, spend a leisurely hour sitting down at the library to read one.

Their movie section isn't the greatest but it is definately worth checking out - especially for children's movies and classics. I will find movies I haven't seen in a while, or ones that I might have missed. They also now lend TV series, instructional videos, exercise and travel tapes. Thinking of learning Zumba? Borrow it first from the library!

Once you get your books and have checked out, put that "receipt" on your fridge and circle the due date on your calender. With little ones, it is a good idea to keep library books in a canvas bag so they don't get lost in your house. The "Free" library isn't free if you are paying overdue fines.

Take advantage of your local Library - it makes really good cents!