Library Book Sale!

This week the main public library is having their used book sale, where they sell library books that have been pulled from the shelves for various reasons, and used donated books to raise library funds. Yesterday I hauled my fleet of children down there. We spent nearly an hour in the library garage which was holding the children’s books for sale. It was a gold mine. I spent all the cash I had with me (there is no being scrupulous when it comes to used books, I am telling you) and we toted home two and a half canvas bags filled with terrific treasures, some of which you can view in the accompanying picture. There were wonderful children’s books, some of my favorite juvenile chapter books, and I was especially excited about some slightly damaged nonficition books published by DK. We snapped up a student atlas, a few children’s reference books, and to Ms. Crazy Preschooler’s delight, two new Where’s Waldo books. She and her magnifying glass are really on a Where’s Waldo craze.

Here was my personal favorite treasure, a monstrous book which was the only thing that did not come from the children’s garage: Chronicle of the 20th Century. My grandma had this book when I was growing up and I spent hours looking at it. When I taught English the school library had one and I used it often in my classroom. I’ve been wanting my own copy for a long time, and I was so elated to find it. I was engrossed in it all evening last night, and feel like I’ve brushed up on World History.