Best Day Ever

Today is National Read a Book Day...and if that isn't right up my alley, I don't know what is. To celebrate, I'll share some great book covers and some books I've been reading and some book crafts. 

First, I just finished reading the Young Adult novel, The Revelation of Louisa May Alcott. It's the first I've read by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed this one. It has some interesting details about Alcott's family and life as a teen, even though it's written in novel form. The author tells more about the timeline and accuracy of the details in her story.

One on my shelf right now is A Mad, Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller. It's another YA historical fiction book...I like me some historical fiction. It was when I found good historical fiction that I then started liking history. Now I watch the PBS shows and other documentaries about history...when I was a teen that was not interesting to me at all. I like how good fiction can transport you and make you understand other times, other people and other points of view. It has always been what I love about reading...that magical feeling of being elsewhere while being cozy in your own house.

Hmmm, I'm seeing a pattern in the covers...faceless young woman in her setting in history with lots of scenery. Interesting.

I just finished a creepy YA novel phase where I read about ouija boards and scary dolls, so I guess that phase is over for now. I am definitely pulled in by the covers of books, and while this one isn't nearly creepy enough, I did really enjoy reading The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender. I think the girl isn't sufficiently scary enough for the asylum background and scary font. Maybe if we couldn't see her face like the above covers...lol!

Now that we've discussed what I'm reading and the cover art, how about some book crafts? I absolutely hated the idea of tearing up books for crafts, but then I got some free books (because they were damaged and not selling probably) from 2nd and Charles and decided that instead of tossing them into a landfill, creating art with them was a better choice. I don't find it as painful as I did.

Ok, this is just too cute and looks super easy...and it's very timely if you're looking to decorate for Halloween, click here to go to BHG for more.

This one is clever because I know that there are tons of books where the spines fall off, so if you remember to look out for those books at yard sales and library sales, you can make these great bookmarks.

And this craft would be fab for an art journal, scrapbook page or card. I can even see this as a pin to wear or a fridge magnet if you were to seal the paper and adhere the text to some stronger cardstock.

I'll leave you on National Read a Book Day with a little bookish food. I'm not sure I have the time to make my mini ham sandwiches look like books, but if you do, I'll be impressed!

Happy Wednesday!

Chark

I Heart Libraries

So this month is Library Lovers Month, which I can so get behind. Loved going to the library as a kid because we weren't the kind of family who could really purchase lots of books, at least purchase all the books I wanted to read! Plus, my mom, dad, and sisters were all readers so the town library was our buddy.
                                                   

     

When I was a kid in the 70s and 80s, the library was tucked into an old brick storefront with a big display window, worn wooden floor and books crammed in everywhere. My favorite section became the young adult section as a teen and I read as many novels as I could get my hands on. The school library was a great resource too. And the middle school library is where I found Nancy Drew and fell in love with voracious reading.
                               
                                                 
When my daughter was born, my sister gave her books for her first Christmas, when she was three months old. I found it kind of funny, but actually started reading those Dr. Seuss books to our baby.

My husband turned into a big reader as an adult as well and our trips to the library could be legendary. We probably brought up their borrowing statistics all by ourselves. They did actually up his borrowing limit.

We attended the kid programs when our daughter was little and although she outright refused to dance when it was dance time, she loved the books. 

When she was three she asked us to point to each word as we read. By three-and-a-half years of age, she cracked the code and was reading all on her own. It was amazing.I credit a lot of it to the libraries and the endless books there. Plus the Dr. Seuss rhythm of the ABC book really intrigued her. I still have some of it memorized.

                         
The public library and a local family sponsor a teen writing contest each year and my daughter won it and $3,000 in her 8th grade year. She also won her very first ipod by joining in their summer reading club and got her first job shelving there.

Our son (5 years younger) attended the kids' programs as well and actually did participate as a toddler. He later received Honorable Mention in that same library contest, joined the Teen Advisory Board in 6th grade and continues to be part of that board. He gets his video games and graphic novels from the library and though he says he's not really into books, he will be once he finds something he loves besides Harry Potter novels and Walking Dead comics. 

And now, our little girl is 21, graduating college with two degrees and summa cum laude in both in just four years. She is planning to teach elementary school where I have no doubt in my mind that books will take center stage.

We continue to use the library for books, magazines, newspapers, classes, movies, tv series dvds, CDs, teen programming, and the summer reading clubs. We have cards to three different local libraries and use them all frequently. One of our favorite family activities is loading up the wagon with books from the library book sale and increasing our stash at $1 a book. 

So, yeah, we're library lovers. How about you?

If you're a book lover, you can see how to use old books in crafts here, keeping in mind you're rescuing books destined for the landfill, not tearing up a good friend. And if you really can't stand destroying a book for art, you could always make copies and then turn that into coasters like these.

Happy Friday,
Chark