I love books, but I don't particularly want to own them unless I know I will refer to them often. I just reviewed our bookshelves and these are the books that we own that I would buy again if our house burned down:
The Chicago Manual of Style
The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brother's Grimm
The Best American Poetry 2005 (It was a good year, trust me.)
The complete collection of plays by Tennessee Williams
The Making of a Poem
The scriptures
Several of my cookbooks
I love going to libraries, and since I am quite comfortable with inter-library loan I don't see much use in keeping books. I know that is boringly practical of me, but there it is.
Lately, however, I have been thinking a lot about Sophie's reading habits (Five Little Ladybugs, Curious George's ABC's, Everybody Poops...). Especially if we travel I would like her to have lots of other fun and exciting books at her fingertips. So, I am going to start a library. I just joined Paperback Swap which is a free online organization that you trade books, cds, and dvds on. It seems the perfect place to start building up a library for the Boapers.
I have started to compile a list and am looking for recommendations. I am looking for anything that would appeal to a sweet and gentle girl who is also a loud screaming barbarian who will one day be tough enough to bite through tires if she wants.
Here is what I am thinking of so far:
Fablehaven series
Maniac Magee, Wringer and anything by Jerry Spinelli
Holes
all of Gordan Korman's books (Losing Joe's Place)
Laura Ingalls Wilder books (Little House on the Prairie)
Louisa May Alcott books (Little Women)
Chris Van Allsburg books (The Mysteries of Harris Burdick)
Taran Wanderer
Anne of Green Gables
Enders Game
A Wrinkle in Time
The Hunger Games
Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry
The Boxcar Children
The Borrowers
Pippi Longstocking
And...I am tired of making this list now.
What are your favorite children's books that Soaps should read?
