Need Book Storage? Make a Book Box

This is a great project you and your child can do together.

If your child's bookshelf looks anything like S-man's used to, it is overflowing with books. I used to just stack the extra books against the wall. Then, a friend told me about something she had done to deal with the book overflow. She and her son decorated a box to put the books in.

Here are some ideas:

• Cover the box with construction paper.
• Use stamps, markers, crayons or paint to draw pictures on the box.
• Stencil your child's name onto the box.
• Use stickers and glitter.
• Use scrapbooking supplies like die cuts and embellishments.
• Recycle old greeting cards by cutting out the pictures and pasting them on your box.
• Cut pictures out of old magazines.
• Use foam stickers.
• Use paint to let your child make handprints on the box.
• Glue on beads or buttons.
• Glue on uncooked pasta and color it with paint or markers.
• Copier paper boxes work great, and you don't have to worry about cutting off the flaps.

*The beads, buttons, and pasta should not be used with young children who could choke.

How to incorporate learning:

• Have your child trace shapes and cut them out.
• Have your child identify colors, shapes, letters and numbers as you construct the box.
• Let your child practice cutting.
• Count everything.

Display the box in a prominent place in your child's bedroom, and let your child help you put in the books.

This project will give your child a sense of pride and ownership. It is also a great way for the two of you, or the whole family, to spend quality time together.

If you make one, I would love to see it! Send me a picture at beasbookbuzz@gmail.com and I will post it. I would love to hear any comments or ideas you have as well.

Have fun!

Bea

Great Book for Children

As a foster mommy, all signs of singledom have been pushed aside (shoved in corners, wadded up in closets - you get the idea) and replaced by the wondrous gifts of childhood. You know, stinky little socks crammed in corners, stacks of Walmart bags filled with "wet" clothes, an unknown substance with a ripe odor sticking to the chair cushion, and of course, the equivalent of the entire stock of a Toys 'R Us store crammed into my 880 square foot house.


Single no more, I have embraced the joys of motherhood (okay, some of them) and I have even come across a few genuine treasures in this storage unit that was once my house.

One particular gem that comes to mind is a book I received from my friend, Blondie Mommy. Blondie Mommy is the greatest single mom I know. She is also gifted in the art of bargain hunting. I have no shame, so when I opened up the Christmas present she brought over and saw a book, I asked her where she got it. Naturally, she did not spend huge amounts of her hard earned cash at Barnes and Noble like I would; she got it at a thrift shop.

Well, I am here to tell you that Blondie Mommy knows how to shop.

Go Blondie Mommy!

The book she got me is called, The 20th Century Children's Book Treasury: Celebrated Picture Books and Stories to Read Aloud selected by Janet Schulman.

This book is awesome!

Let me say that again.

This book is awesome!

All of the stories you think of when you think of great childhood books are right here in this one volume! There are classic stories, contemporary stories, picture books and long read alouds. It is a great book for the whole family. Inside, you will find actual reproductions of the original stories and illustrations.

The great thing about this book is you can use it over and over again. S-man just loves it. We read a few stories each night. Some of his favorite stories are: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Goodnight Moon, Curious George, and The Snowy Day. It also includes: Guess How Much I Love You, Where the Wild Things Are, Freight Train, Amelia Bedilia, The Sneetches and many other stories you would probably recognize.


So, in my cramped little home, I welcome this book. It is something that S-man and I can enjoy together. And when I finally clean out this storage unit, this book stays. It is a true treasure of childhood that I will continue to enjoy for years to come.

Bea

Diary of a Bibliophile - Day 1

What I am reading: Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult
Coffee Consumption: 3 cups (pretty good)


Any Jodi Picoult fans out there? Right now, she is still my favorite author. The first book I read by her was My Sister's Keeper. I have read some other good books recently, but Jodi Picoult is the only author I have found who satisfies me with each book she writes. Her quality is consistent.

At the moment, I am reading Picture Perfect. It is a good story, though admittedly not my favorite. It is about a young woman who loses her memory and slowly begins to reclaim a past she soon realizes might have been better forgotten. The plot has kept me interested, but I am just not into in the movie star thing (one of the main characters is a celebrity.)

I think this book has disappointed me only because her other books have cut deeply into some very controversial and thought provoking social issues. I love how she can weave a story from so many different perspectives. My Sister's Keeper is a prime example of this.

Jodi Picoult is the only author I know who has left me questioning my own values. She researches her topics carefully, and her characters come to life on the page. You can feel their pain as they struggle with dilemmas of a magnitude most of us will hopefully never have to face. Picoult forces her readers to look at an issue from so many different angles, that it can only leave one confused and troubled. Having said that, confused and troubled is not always a bad thing. Sometimes we need someone to push us to our limits and force us to rethink what we have so firmly believed for so long. Jodi Picoult has the power to open a mind. To me, that is a good thing!

If you are new to Jodi Picoult, I would recommend My Sister's Keeper. I guarantee you will be hooked after reading that!

I have also read: Mercy, The Pact, Plain Truth, Salem Falls, The Tenth Circle, and Nineteen Minutes. As I have said, I love Jodi Picoult, so I would highly recommend any of these.

If you are an educator, you might enjoy Nineteen Minutes. In this book, Picoult takes a look inside the life and the mind of a school shooter.

And, if you are in a book group of some sort, some of the books come with a P.S. section in the back which has some thought provoking discussion questions. Even though I am not in a book group, I enjoyed reading the questions when I was done with the book. They gave me a lot to think about.

I would love to hear about your favorite Jodi Picoult book.

Love you Jodi!!!

Bea

Carry a Big Purse

If you are a woman and you are a bibliophile, this is a necessity. God forbid you should get to one of those appointments (you know the ones) where you have to wait an ungodly amount of time to be seen for whatever it is you are being seen for. Now, if you follow this advice, the wait is not a problem at all. In fact, it could be quite pleasurable.

Carry a big purse.

Because you are carrying a big purse, you have room for your favorite novel. You can sit up a bit straighter and display a sly smirk as you gaze around the room looking posh with your New York Times Bestseller. Ah, the satisfaction of seeing envy in the eyes of those who must also endure your seemingly eternal wait.

Posh.

You take one last look around the room before delving into your novel. Baby purses.

"Next time," you think, "Bring a bigger purse."

Symptoms of Bibliomania

1. You have 10 or more books piled on (or around) your nightstand.
2. Your children share a bedroom because your books need a room of their own.
3. "Just Say No" is your bookstore mantra.