Library Days: Not Just for Looking

Today, I took A to the Public Library to pick up some new American Girl Books for us to read at rest/bedtime. We are now focused on Molly, the World War Two Historical Doll. We have the Meet Molly book and finished reading it days ago so we were ready for the next adventure.

Thinking it would be a fun outing this morning after errands; off we went. A kept asking, "why the library mom? Why not Borders so we can buy a drink and sit and read." I explained that we had lunch plans and would be getting a drink there. However, first, I wanted to pick up a few books at the Library that we needed.

She didn't seem completely convinced. We walked in and she said, "So,we are just looking and not buying." I said no we'll take the books home with us to borrow for a few weeks. Still not sure, A said, "So we are not buying or touching anything just looking with our eyes?"

This is a girl who needs to go to the Library more often. She thought we were just window shopping.

I know she gets this from our frequent trips to the bookstore where she gets a stack of books and wants all of them and I say no we are just looking. In the end, I normally buy her just one or two knowing we have stacks of books at home. But today, here we are in a Library where she can get all the books she wants for free, no limit, and she's not sure.

We found the Molly books and a few new Dora Books for A. I then started looking at the books for M and wished that I had done a better job of remembering my favorite books from childhood. I use to read all the time and still do. However, I am one of those readers who gets really into the book, but a week later could not tell you the title or the author. I could recount all the characters just not the book jacket details.

The Library we went to is one that I frequented as a child. It is in a nice, older neighborhood and the books on the shelves reflect its age a little. Asking the Children's Librarian for a suggestion for M, she lead me a series she said was great. It is the Trixie Belden Mysteries by Julie Campbell and dates from the 1950's. The girl on the front cover looks alot like Gidget to me, but with blonde hair. I think M will love it and I love the fact that there are 38 books in the series.

Reintroducing myself and my family to the Public Library is exciting. Who knows what we might find on those shelves. Maybe, I'll even find a few of the books that I checked out 30 plus years ago. Good thing it's all on computer these days as I'd hate to see my name on the Library Card in the back of a book.

On our way to lunch with our stack of Library Books on the seat, A asked how long we get to keep these books. I told her about 3 weeks. Thinking she was having a great idea she said, "Maybe we should come again and look at books. I bet C and M might want to use their Library Cards too." I think she might be right.