The number of books on little bear's bed last night - 201. And that is not all the books in his room, and there are even more in the rest of the house.
I need to cull.
One thing that bothers me. Do I involve little bear or not? It seems a bit arbitrary to get rid of books that I think he is too old for but he may still like. On the other hand, he isn't four yet.
I might do what I have done with toys. I took a load away and stashed them, they are ready to go to a new home. But I kept them for a while to see if he asked for them. He showed no indication that he had noticed that they had gone. I think I will do the same for the books. Though a less-than-four-year old with a minimum of 300 books is unlikely to miss some rag books and books about 'this is red'. Little bear can now spell 'red'.
4 comments:
300 books? Pah! That's not even a tenth what LB's dad owns, not to mention his mother's collection.
I wonder, if we could find a cheap building, whether we as a family could open our own private library? If you combine books, magazines and DVDs there must be enough to stock up at least one library. I wonder if our Great-Grandmama loaned books as well as running the village school and post-office?
Great Grandma not only ran the village library but saved a copy of Lady Chatterley's Lover for Mother to read (Great Grandma died when Mother was 17) so that Mother could see what the fuss was about. You know, some things run in the family and it can be very nerve wracking. WSx
Hmmmm. Great Grandma died in the 50s, before the infamous trial of 1960. Which would mean that Great Grandma had a copy from the original publication run in the 20s. Or one imported from the States or France. Then, again, ALL our relatives are eccentric. How depressing. I haven't even read Lady Chatterley's Lover!
Someone once proposed a very entertaining theory to me that LCL is actually based on Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden, which was published long before LCL. The elements are the same - a triangle between the aristocratic invalid, the similarly-bred free-spirited woman and the charismatic earthy peasant who lives on the lord of the manor's estate. Mind you, E.M. Forster wrote a very similar thing in Maurice. There must have been something in the waters in the early 20th century.
I've read LCL - don't recommend it. It isn't that good writing. Great Grandma died in, I think, 1957, and wiki has the trial in 1960. Or Mother could have told me wrong - she was the one that gave me a copy of LCL to read. Honestly, the things that parents tell their children... Or knowing Great Grandma's adventurous spirit... And she still regularly went to tea at the Vicarage! WSx
Post a Comment