April Caldecott Calendar: The Week of the Young Child™ + Roget's Thesaurus

Today I have another April installment of my Caldecott Calendar project. All of my posts for this project (including updates) can be found here or by clicking on 'Caldecott Calendar' in the header up top. My personal favorites will be marked with an asterisk (*). This post may be updated to correct errors, omissions, etc. as we go. Let me know in the comments if you notice anything that should be fixed or added!

The Week of the Young Child™

(This year: April 16-20, 2018)
Hosted by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), The Week of the Young Child™ celebrates early learning, young children, their teachers, and families. I had never heard of it before I started digging around for more events in April beyond the more popular/obvious ones. While one could argue that any and all picture books would be good to read for this event, I thought it would be a good opportunity to round up the Caldecott titles that deal more specifically with childhood experiences.

Waiting, written & illustrated by Kevin Henkes

2016 Caldecott Honor

Waiting is a pretty universal human experience, but it's often particularly difficult for young children.

They All Saw a Cat, written & illustrated by Brendan Wenzel

2017 Caldecott Honor

Learning to see things from different perspectives.

The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend, written & illustrated by Dan Santat

2015 Caldecott Honor

Imaginary friends.

Sam and Dave Dig a Hole, written by Mac Barnett & illustrated by 

Jon Klassen

2015 Caldecott Honor

Two boys, a dog, and an outdoor adventure.

Journey, illustrated by Aaron Becker

2014 Caldecott Honor
Boredom and imagination.

Flora and the Flamingo, illustrated by Molly Idle

2014 Caldecott Honor
Awkwardness, practice, and friendship.

Yo! Yes?, written & illustrated by Chris Raschka
1994 Caldecott Honor
Making a friend who seems different than you.

Ella Sarah Gets Dressed, written & illustrated by Margaret Chodos-Irvine

2004 Caldecott Honor
Expressing individuality, the beginning of independence, and making your own choices.

When Sophie Gets Angry -- Really, Really Angry, written & illustrated by Molly Bang

2000 Caldecott Honor

How to handle with big, scary feelings.

No, David!, written & illustrated by David Shannon

1999 Caldecott Honor
What child doesn't constantly hear the word "no"?

*Owen, written & illustrated by Kevin Henkes

1994 Caldecott Honor
Outgrowing a security blanket.

  

*Olivia, written & illustrated by Ian Falconer

2001 Caldecott Honor

For all the young children bursting with energy (and occasionally getting into mischief.)

*Where the Wild Things Are, written & illustrated by Maurice Sendak

1964 Caldecott Medal

Getting into mischief, wanting to run away, and coming back to those who "love you most of all."

*Frog and Toad Are Friends, written & illustrated by Arnold Lobel

1971 Caldecott Honor

Friendship and everyday adventures.

"More More More," Said the Baby: 3 Love Stories, written & illustrated by Vera B. Williams

1991 Caldecott Honor

Showcases three sweet, loving relationships between babies and parents/grandparents.

* * * * *

Two about losing a favorite stuffed animal:

Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale, written & illustrated by Mo Willems

2008 Caldecott Honor

Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity, written & illustrated by Mo Willems

2005 Caldecott Honor

* * * * *

Two simple counting books filled with childhood wonders and comforts:

Ten, Nine, Eight, written & illustrated by Molly Bang

1984 Caldecott Honor

*1 is One, written & illustrated by Tasha Tudor
1957 Caldecott Honor


* * * * *

The final five books are stories, lullabies, and prayers specifically for bedtime -- an important (and often challenging!) transition time for young children.

*The House in the Night, written by Susan Marie Swanson & illustrated by Beth Krommes
2009 Caldecott Medal

Sleep Like a Tiger, written by Mary Logue & illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski

2013 Caldecott Honor

*Hush! A Thai Lullaby, written by Minfong Ho & illustrated by Holly Meade

1997 Caldecott Honor

A Child's Good Night Book, written by Margaret Wise Brown & illustrated by Jean Charlot

1944 Caldecott Honor

*Prayer for a Child, written by Rachel Field & illustrated by Elizabeth Orton Jones

1945 Caldecott Medal

Anniversary of the publication of Peter Mark Roget's 1st Thesaurus
(April 29, 1852)

The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus written by Jen Bryant & illustrated by Melissa Sweet

2015 Caldecott Honor

* * * * *

Added since original posting:
The House in the Night

Last updated: April 16, 2018

Review: The Read-Aloud Family

The Read-Aloud Family: Making Meaningful and Lasting Connections with Your Kids by Sarah Mackenzie

Date: March 27, 2018

Format: Paperback + Audible audiobook

How did I get this book? Purchased

Goodreads | Publisher

It's no secret I'm a big fan of Sarah Mackenzie's Read-Aloud Revival podcast. I hardly ever pre-order books, but I pre-ordered this one so I could get her free bonus video class. (And so the book would land on my doorstep on publication day. Ahem.) The last time I started a book on release day was probably Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, but The Read-Aloud Family now has that honor as well. Though to be honest, I didn't actually read that pre-ordered paperback copy yet... because it was the Audible edition I dove into as soon as I possibly could. So yes, I purchased the same book in two different formats and I don't regret it one bit. Sarah narrates the audiobook herself and it was a really great way to experience her book because she is so friendly and encouraging -- just like on her podcast! I can tell you right now that I will be re-reading/re-listening -- and probably more than once. I'm a little over the top, I know.

As you can probably already tell, I absolutely loved The Read-Aloud Family. I found it to be inspiring and encouraging as well as giving me a boost of confidence that all the time I spend reading with my toddler son really is time well spent. As with the podcast, it makes a solid case for the value of continuing to read aloud even beyond the time he will someday be able to read on his own. I really loved having the RAR "philosophy" in one coherent place. This book pretty much ties together all the ideas and concepts and approaches from the podcast -- with some new material as well. I think it's important to note that there IS a lot of overlap with the podcast. There were parts I had heard before -- sometimes verbatim -- from previous episodes, but I personally don't feel this diminished the book. First of all, I'm probably in the minority of podcast listeners when I say I've listened to my favorite episodes multiple times. So, 1. I clearly don't mind hearing some of the same stuff on repeat and 2. I probably have a better memory for those repeated bits simply because I have already heard them several times before.

So, yes, I really enjoyed the audiobook, but I'm also glad to have the paper copy as reference -- particularly for the Ask Compelling Questions chapter and the book lists. (However, the Audible edition does include instructions for accessing a printable booklist divided by age if that's the only thing holding you back from going the audio route.) The booklist chapters were done in a really interesting way I haven't personally seen before. Each age grouping has 20 (or so) favorite read-aloud titles, but embedded in the descriptions of those 20 main titles are additional ones to try. So, I'm loving how I can go to the entry for a title I already know I love and find a few others that are similar in some way or that might complement it.

As an avid RAR podcast fan, I was curious how the recommendations would break down in terms of what's already in our home "library," so I did a little tallying:

TOTAL titles: 389

Titles I've Already Read: 96

TBR titles (own, but haven't read): 97

That leaves 196 books I've neither read nor own. Of course, I have heard of many of those remaining titles, but there were more than a few brand-new-to-me as well. Between the TBR books already on our shelves and the other 196, I shouldn't run out of recommendations any time soon!

One final thing to note is that this book is published by Zondervan, a Christian publisher. The author is Catholic and the book is most certainly written from a Christian perspective, including recommendations for favorite Bibles to read aloud. I think there is a whole lot that any family can get out of this book, but if you are of a different faith, this may not be quite what you are looking for. I personally appreciate how Sarah has woven her faith into this particular topic and enjoyed reading her perspective. If you're on the fence, maybe try borrowing it from your library first :)

A New Way of Thinking About DNFs

When I listen to Anne Bogel's What Should I Read Next? podcast, I typically enjoy the bookish banter and maybe come away with a recommendation or two. What I don't usually come away with is an idea that could majorly change my reading life. But I think that just may have happened with this week's episode.

Anne was interviewing Roxanne Coady, the owner of independent bookstore RJ Julia in Madison, Connecticut. As the pair chatted, they found common ground in frequently abandoning (or at least setting aside) books they start due to the nature of their work. Anne has talked about this many times before, but then Roxanne talked about a shift in her reading life since becoming a bookseller, saying: "I realized the number of books that I could read that were likely to be great was limitless and if I was struggling to get through a book, I owed it to the next book to drop the book that I'm not loving and go on to the next one." And it was one of those proverbial light-bulb moments for me. Her statement made so much sense, but I had never thought of it that way before.

While I'm not completely opposed to DNF'ing books, it's very much a rarity for me. I am absolutely one of those readers who often finds myself wondering, as Anne pointed out, "but what if it's about to get good?" And while I'm well aware books don't have actual feelings, I DO often find myself feeling it's not fair to judge a book I haven't finished. I often feel it's not fair to "give up" on a book I'm already part way through -- especially if it landed on my TBR by way of a trusted source for recommendations. I've already invested time and oftentimes money in that particular title. I chose to pick that book up for a reason and let's be honest, who really likes to admit they were wrong?

So while I doubt Roxanne's philosophy is going to make me a master DNF-er, I am going to reconsider which books I'm thinking about when I wonder whether or not quitting is "fair." It's not like I've never heard similar arguments before: "there are so many good books out there" and "life's too short," just to name two. I've heard them before -- and I even agree with them! But it's still hard to make a judgement against a book that's right in front of me sometimes. It's hard to think of that potential "next great book," particularly if I'm not even sure what I want to pick up next. Sticking with a so-so book until the end often just feels easier, even when it's a slog. But I love Roxanne's optimism about the limitlessness of great books out there, so I'm going to give it a try.

April Caldecott Calendar: April Fools' Day, Easter, Earth Day, & Arbor Day

A week ago, I gave a little intro to this new Caldecott Calendar project I've started working on. I picked a pretty busy month to start with, so I'm cutting it pretty close here! I will do my best to post further in advance in the future to give some more lead time for anyone trying to read along with the various holidays and seasons. 

Please be aware that my intention for this project is to create an informational and organizational resource, not to curate a list of recommendations. I will mark ones I've particularly enjoyed with an asterisk (*), but will include books whether I personally like them or not. And while I am planning to read through all of the Caldecott titles, there will be some included I have not yet been able to read for myself. I will be as comprehensive and accurate as I can, but I still may miss things and need to add/revise lists later on. I will have a permanent tab up top for this project so you can find the latest updates. Please let me know if you notice any errors or omissions as we go!

April Fool's Day
(April 1st)

To the best of my knowledge, there aren't any Caldecott titles about April Fools' Day itself, but I decided the occasion works well for some nonsensical and silly titles from the award list. I've never been much into April Fools', but it still strikes me as an odd overlap that Easter falls on April 1st this year -- that probably won't happen again for some time!

Du Iz Tak? written & illustrated by Carson Ellis

2017 Caldecott Medal

Rain Makes Applesauce, written by Julian Scheer & illustrated by Marvin Bileck

1965 Caldecott Honor

Pop Corn and Ma Goodness, written by Edna Mitchell Preston & illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker

1970 Caldecott Honor



King Bidgood's in the Bathtub written by Audrey Wood & illustrated by Don Wood

1986 Caldecott Honor

A Very Special House, written by Ruth Krauss & illustrated by Maurice Sendak

1954 Caldecott Honor

What Do You Say, Dear?, written by Sesyle Joslin & illustrated by Maurice Sendak
1959 Caldecott Honor

Easter
Easter can be on any date between March 22nd and April 25th, but since it most often falls in April, it has landed on the April list :)

Juanita, written & illustrated by Leo Politi

1949 Caldecott Honor

The Egg Tree, written & illustrated by Katherine Milhous

1951 Caldecott Medal

Earth Day
(April 22nd)

*Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems, written by Joyce Sidman & illustrated by Beckie Prange

2006 Caldecott Honor
This is such an interesting mix of the environment, science, and poetry with really beautiful illustrations.

Gone Wild: An Endangered Animal Alphabet written & illustrated by David McLimans

2007 Caldecott Honor
The subtitle pretty much explains it -- this alphabet book features an endangered or vulnerable species for each letter. The illustrations are so clever!

In the Small, Small Pond, written & illustrated by Denise Fleming

1994 Caldecott Honor
This is a simple nature story following the inhabitants of a pond through the seasons.

The Desert Is Theirs, written by Byrd Baylor & illustrated by Peter Parnell

1976 Caldecott Honor

This picture book is about the Papagos Native American tribe's deep respect for and relationship with the land and all creatures they share it with.

Green, written & illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
2013 Caldecott Honor
A simple story with intriguing cutouts perfect for the littlest of bookworms with a subtle environmental message.

Arbor Day 
(Last Friday of April)

A Tree is Nice, written by Janice May Udry & illustrated by Marc Simont

1957 Caldecott Medal
This one certainly works for Earth Day too!

* * * * *

Stay tuned for another April list including books for National Poetry Month and Jazz Appreciation Month as well as a list for Spring!

* * * * *

Added since original posting:
Green
King Bidgood's in the Bathtub
A Very Special House
What Do You Say, Dear?

Last updated: April 15, 2018

Caldecott Calendar Project: An Introduction

As many of you already know, I've re-discovered a of love picture books since my son was born -- almost 3 years ago now! In large part thanks to Julie's Newbery Challenges, I've been purposely seeking out Caldecott books and can hardly believe how many winner and honor titles there have been over the years. A great many of these books I'm actually just reading on my own, though I hope that more and more of them will capture my son's interest as he gets older. While he regularly surprises me with a longer attention span when he's really interested in a particular character or topic, a lot of the Caldecott titles aren't exactly toddler fare.

I love reading seasonally, especially when it comes to picture books, even if, ahem, my toddler isn't always on board (Christmas and Halloween books in March, anyone?) So I've been trying to figure out which Caldecott books fit various categories, holidays, seasons, etc. throughout the year. I've looked for lists of them online and been surprised by how little I've found. General lists that might include a Caldecott or two abound, but that wasn't really what I was looking for. So it seemed like one of those things I'd have to put together myself if I wanted to have it as a resource -- so here we are!
                                                                                                         
While it feels like I've read a TON of Caldecott books, I still have so many left to discover which is why I kept pushing off this idea. But if I keep pushing it off, I don't think it will ever happen! So please bear with me as I kick off this blog series in the next week or so with Caldecott Books for April. I will be as comprehensive as I can, but I still may miss things and need to add/revise lists later on. I will have a permanent tab up top for this project so you can find the latest updates. Please let me know if you notice any errors or omissions as we go!

I'll end now with just one Caldecott book for March to give you an idea of what I'm trying for with this project. Also, it is so perfect for this time of year (in northern New York, anyway!) that I don't want to wait a whole year to share it :)

First Sign of Spring

The Happy Day, written by Ruth Krauss & illustrated by Marc Simont

1950 Caldecott Honor

The world is still covered in snow when the animals start coming out of hibernation and find the first sign of spring. Perfect for those days when the calendar says spring is here, but it doesn't quite feel like it yet! This one has large illustrations and short, simple text, so it's one of the Caldecott titles that does work for the toddler set, at least in theory :)

When you finally read that book that's been on your shelf forever... and it's... fine...

{This is my third TBR-themed post inspired by Caffeinated Reviewer's March Take Control of Your TBR Challenge}

You don't love it, but it's not a complete disappointment either. Maybe it's a mixed bag sort of book. Maybe it's a decent read, but it doesn't inspire any strong feelings -- a middle of the road 'I Liked It' 3-star read. You know the ones I mean. The book is good. It's fine. But it's not all that special. I've read a lot of 3-star books over the years and there's nothing wrong with that. But there's something about holding onto a book for SO LONG only to find out it was just *fine* or *OK* that's feels different than if it had been a library borrow or recent purchase.

Unless a book was a gift or a freebie, if it's on my shelves, it's safe to say I think I'm going to love it. If I expected a book to only be a 2- or 3-star read, it wouldn't have survived all the bookshelf culling I've done over the years. I would have donated it, sold it, traded it in, or sent it off to some book drive or other. I don't intend to acquire and hold onto books I think will just be *fine* or *OK.* Don't we want more than that from the books earning a spot on our shelves? I know I do! It's unrealistic to think every unread book will end up being a 4- or 5-star read, but a reader can dream, can't she?

A few recent titles that fit the bill are....

My Ideal Bookshelf, edited by Thessaly LaForce & illustrated by Jane Mount

I've had this book since 2012. It's one of those titles I kept noticing on my shelf and wondering why in the world I hadn't gotten to it yet. I love books about books and I've loved the Ideal Bookshelf concept ever since I first heard about it and yet... there it sat. I finally cracked this one open because I've been reading more collections of shorter works alongside whatever other *main* book I'm reading -- essays, short stories, that sort of thing. And I hate to say it, but it wasn't as fantastic as I thought it would be.

I love the illustrations, but I didn't know a lot of the contributors. My predominant feeling while reading was that I was woefully under-read to appreciate most of it. And many, many times when I recognized a title on someone's shelf, it wasn't one that was discussed in the accompanying essay! The vast majority of children's books scattered throughout were not elaborated on and those are the ones that intrigued me most. Why did Roseanne Cash put Little House in the Big Woods on her shelf? Why did an artist/urban planner choose a Richard Scarry book? What's the story behind the legal scholar/professor including The Phantom Tollbooth and Now We Are Six? Only one person chose a Harry Potter book (how?!?!), but there wasn't any story behind it. One shelf included A Wrinkle in Time, Harriet the Spy, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, but not a word about any of them. And the Childcraft encyclopedias! Does anyone else remember those?!? They were a throwback to my own childhood I had completely forgotten about until the moment I spotted them in these pages -- and I wanted to know more!

I still marked a lot of great quotes and there were a few essays that were real gems, but overall this averaged out to a 3-star book, rather than the 5-star home-run I expected it to be. I do understand that if each contributor elaborated on a dozen or more titles the book would have gotten unwieldy and my own areas of interest are not going to be the same as everyone else's. I just wanted more from this one!

Country Living Barefoot Summers: Reflections on Home, Family, and Simple Pleasures, by Faith Andrews Bedford

I can't even tell you how long I've had this one because I bought a used copy from the now defunct Half.com website. But it's been many, many years, I know that much. Summers came and went and for one reason or another I kept not picking this book up during those warmer months -- and it went completely off my radar for the rest of the year because I thought it was a "summer book." When I finally picked it up, I quickly discovered I was wrong! The essays are organized by season of life (Child, Mother, Grandmother) and include all different times of year, holidays, etc.

As with almost all essay collections, I enjoyed some better than others. These are all personal and obviously come from the author’s own specific experiences, family, and memories. As such, I found some more relatable than others. There were some outstanding stories that brought tears to my eyes and plenty of other interesting ones even if they didn’t speak to me in quite the same way. I originally rated this book 4-stars, but then knocked it down to 3. Maybe it really should be 3.5? The stories I loved I really, really loved, but the rest were just OK for me. And in retrospect, I can't shake the feeling that the book is almost too idyllic. I don't wish drama and dysfunction on anyone's family and I'm not saying the author was being dishonest either, but we all look back with rose-colored glasses sometimes, don't we?

Greenglass House, by Kate Milford

I bought this at my local indie and it sat on my shelf for about a year. When I was reminded it has a snowy/winter/Christmas setting, I went so far as to buy the sequel with the idea that I'd then read them both during the 2017 Christmas season. Anyone else ever buy a sequel for a book they haven't read yet, because you just know you're going to love them? Please say it's not just me! And oh, how I thought I would love this book! And it ended up being... just... fine. It was good, but it wasn't great (for me). For a middle grade novel with a mystery/suspense element, it took me a really long time to finish. And by the time I did, I didn't jump into the sequel because I needed a break from Greenglass House and I had too many other books I wanted to get to. A month and a half later, I actually just picked it up today during my son's nap, but wasn't sure if I was actually going to commit to reading it. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the shorter chapters and how engaged I was feeling early on, so I'm sticking with it. I'm starting to feel like winter's days are actually dwindling, so I'm glad I gave this series another chance this season after all!

* * * * *

What is a book you had on your TBR for a long time that didn't blow you away as much as you had expected? I'd love to know!

When you finally read that book that's been on your shelf forever... and you love it!

{This is my second TBR-themed post inspired by Caffeinated Reviewer's March Take Control of Your TBR Challenge}

When I finally dig into books that have been sitting on my shelf forever, thankfully it's not all DNFs and disappointment. Sometimes it feels like a treasure hunt. Like I've uncovered a diamond in the rough and I just can't believe I didn't pick that book up sooner. What was I thinking?!

I'm going to use a loose definition of "forever" for the purposes of this post, but let's call it at least a year, though I'm sure I'm not the only bookworm who has unread books hanging around a lot longer than that! Here are a few I've read since December that fit the bill:

A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeline L'Engle

According to Goodreads, I put this on my "Have a Copy" shelf in February 2013 -- that's 5 years ago! I had found a matching set of books #2-5 of the Time Quintet at my local used bookstore and felt I should remedy the fact that I missed out on them as a kid. Whether because the person who traded them in held onto Wrinkle or because another reader snapped it up before me doesn't really matter, but I wasn't surprised to see the most popular first book was not there. And it certainly didn't deter me from scooping them up and then tracking down the missing title elsewhere. And even though I did that rather promptly, the entire series still sat unread on my shelves for 5 long years. My mom even borrowed, read, and returned most of the series before I ever cracked the first one open! (Side note: She started feeling lost in book #5 and gave it up. I've since learned there is apparently some controversy over whether or not books #4-5 are *really* part of the series as it was originally a trilogy? I don't know enough about it to comment, but if you have any insight, please share!)

When I finally picked up Wrinkle for two different read-alongs, it only took a couple of pages to know it was going to be a really special book. The writing is excellent and I found it so very engaging -- the kind of book I just want to get lost in. I almost want to compare it to how it felt reading Harry Potter for the first time, though that might be a slight exaggeration. I did get a tad bit lost with some of the science-y stuff later on and I struggled a little bit with concentrating on book #2, but overall, I've been so glad to finally be experiencing this new-to-me series.

Christmas Days: 12 Stories and 12 Feasts for 12 Days, by Jeanette Winterson

The Snow Sister, by Emma Carroll

I bought both of these in December 2016, thinking I'd read them during that Christmas season... and I didn't. Womp, womp. I brought Winterson's short story collection with me to my grandmother's house for the holiday, but never made it past the introduction which I didn't find all that inspiring. I tried again for Christmas 2017 and I'm so glad I finally did! Not every story was a hit for me, but I really appreciated the variety and breadth of the stories as well as the excellent writing. Even with a few meh stories, I book dart-ed a TON of memorable quotes and passages.  I even loved the little anecdotes that accompanied the recipes -- which I originally thought I would skim or skip in favor of the *real* stories. Lesson learned.

As for the Emma Carroll book, I can't say I'm surprised I loved this slim heartwarming Christmas novel (novella?) My love of middle grade has only grown in the past year though, so maybe I was better off waiting? But still, its short page length really left me kicking myself for not picking it up sooner. I find that seasonal books have an even higher likelihood of languishing on the shelves because if I don't get to them the first time, that typically means a whole year will pass before I even consider picking them up again. Those seasonal/holiday reading windows always feel so short! And if I miss the boat a second time, we're talking another whole year, and so on and so forth. I'm trying to establish a habit of pulling out all the seasonal books well ahead of time so I can see what my options are at certain times of year. It's a work in progress, but it definitely helps focus my reading choices and if I do skip a book, it's more likely to be a conscious decision rather than me just forgetting I had it until the season has come and gone.

* * * * *

Do you have a book you ended up loving after it sat around for awhile? I'd love to hear about it!

When you finally read that book that's been on your shelf forever... and it stinks!

{Inspired by Caffeinated Reviewer's March Take Control of Your TBR Challenge I recently joined, I thought I'd do a series of TBR-themed posts. Keep an eye out for at least two more coming up soon!}

Has this ever happened to you? It just happened to me last weekend with The Books They Gave Me, edited by Jen Adams.

It might be a bit overkill to say it stinks, but it sure was a letdown. I didn't rate it on Goodreads because I didn't finish it, but I was hovering between 1- and 2-stars when I DNF'ed it instead. A few stories were good, but there were far too many others I just did not care for.

Reading an underwhelming book isn't exactly breaking news -- it happens to all of us at times. The thing about this particular book is that I know it has been sitting on my shelf for over 5 years. It's a book about books I thought I would absolutely love. AND it's basically just a collection of short snippets, so it doesn't make a whole lot of sense that I didn't at least dip into when I first bought it. But nope. I didn't read a single story (that I can recall) until last weekend. After putting it aside and picking it back up a few times thinking maybe I should just power through since it's so short, I finally DNF'ed it. I'm not a big DNF-er, but I'm trying to be better about admitting defeat and cutting my losses in terms of time invested in books I don't really care for. Because with all the great books out there, why not move onto something better?

I really am fine with having a DNF, but couldn't help thinking: I can't believe that book has been taking up shelf space for 5+ years! Forget the (minimal) time I spent trying to enjoy the book, it took up bookshelf real estate for sooooo long. I don't know about you, but when that happens, I can't wait to get that book out of my house and on its way to a used book shop or donation bin. Just because I don't like it doesn't mean no one else will like it. But it is making me wonder just how many other duds are lurking on my shelves that I should be clearing out. Thankfully picking up those lingering books doesn't mean all DNFs and disappointment -- there have also been hidden gems lurking on my shelves, but that's a post for another day :)

* * * * *

What book did you end up not liking after it sat on your shelf awhile? I'd love to know!

That Time I Accidentally Organized My Bookshelves

Last weekend, I was looking at my shelves and realizing how many of them were precariously doubled up to such an extent that I couldn't see half of the books on many of them. I remembered I had a small, lightweight bookcase I hid away in a closet after I got tired of constantly re-shelving it. For some reason, my son was particularly attracted to tearing everything off those particular shelves. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. He still loves to pull his own books down, but for the most part, the "adult" books don't hold as much appeal. Nor does the simple act of pulling everything down just because he can (for the most part).

So this small bookcase was a $5 garage sale find many years ago. Instead of flat shelves, each level has two wooden slats that hold the books on a backward slant (hard to explain, but bear with me). It is the perfect setup for small books like mass market paperbacks. So I was indeed using it for my mass markets which meant it held a mishmash of genres. Sorting books by size doesn't exactly result in an efficient or logical organizational system. But there was one benefit of this system: it actually wasn't full -- in fact, it was only about half full. So I figured that just by using that bookcase again, I should be able to declutter my main shelves a bit, as long as I figured out what to put on it so I would be utilizing the whole thing.

I started thinking about how many Newbery books I have in my collection, how I want to read more of them, and how disorganized and hard they are to find and it hit me -- this could be my Newbery shelf! So I told my son we were doing a "project" and he helped me carry all those shiny medal-ed books from all the places they were haphazardly occupying all over the house. After I saw approximately how many there were, I made the decision to keep series and sequels together even if all the individual books were not Newberys.

Don't mind the makeshift quilt/blackout curtain.

Hardcovers and over-sized paperbacks fit as long as I put them on the top shelf. From the left, I started with stand-alone Medalists, followed by stand-alone Honors, then filled in the rest with series/sequels that include either Medal and/or Honor books. Boy, do I have a lot of Newbery reading to look forward to!

So once I had this Newbery bookcase all set, the rest of our books were even messier than before I started. The only other spot in the house with extra room was my nightstand bookcase. It had been housing a completely random assortment of old ARCs (::hangs head in shame::) and newly acquired books with no where else to go. I pulled those all off and decided I wanted to do another themed bookcase: poetry and novels-in-verse. 

Hey Julie, that top shelf is starting to smile! :)

I just love how both of these turned out! I can now so easily navigate two categories of books I'm actively interested in reading more of. I can actually see what all my choices are when I want to pick up my next Newbery or novel-in-verse, or I'm looking for my next poetry collection to dip into.

So the "accidentally" part of this blog post title comes into play because I really thought I was just going to fill up one bookcase (which turned into two!) that had some extra space so I could de-clutter the main shelves a bit. But once I was underway, everything just got messier and messier and I ended up pulling down almost all of the YA, Middle Grade, and Children's books from my main shelves, so I could do a revamp. I finally figured out where to stash away the rest of the Christmas books because as much as I'd love to keep them out, I just don't have room for all the seasonal stuff year-round. (A privileged problem to have, I know.) My shelves are not alphabetical, but they are back to being grouped roughly by type rather than like an archaeological site where you had to dig around for various piles grouped based on when they were added to the collection. There is still a lot of doubling up, but not so much that I can't see what's in the back layer anymore.

Once I had most of the books back on the main shelves, I realized there was still a bit of overflow if I wanted to keep the doubling-up in check. So I moved a few classic middle grade series (Paddington Bear, The Borrowers, The Moomins, and Enid Blyton), a random anthology that didn't fit anywhere else, and my short stack of library/read-soon books to this little shelf in the guest room.

Of course, everything now fits with basically no wiggle room, so I now need to: 1. keep myself in check with the book buying (hello, budget!) and 2. do a real clean out. I know the best way to organize any kind of stuff is to first get rid of some of it, but I did not have the brain power to make culling decisions that day, so I didn't even try. But a student at my church is running a book drive at the end of the month, so I'm thinking by then I will make a better attempt to see what books should move onto a new home.

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How do you organize your bookshelves? I'd love to know!

Also, I'm so excited to see if any of my middle grade books need to migrate to the Newbery shelf when the winners are announced tomorrow (Monday, Feb 12th)! There will be a live webcast of the ALA Youth Media Awards, including Newbery, Caldecott, Printz, and more starting at 8AM Mountain time. Are there any books you're rooting for?