My husband says I have a prejudice against libraries, but that isn't really true. I do like libraries. But I love making friends with my books. I love the comfort of selecting a well-worn and familiar volume from my shelf and holding it in my hands.
Since I'm not in the habit of getting rid of friends, most of my books stay with me. So, Paityn and Olivia have inherited a small library. Combined with the books I have bought them or they have received as gifts, it's quite a bit.
This is in Paityn and Olivia's playroom.
In addition to the two shelves, the green box on the shelf in the right-hand side of the picture holds dozens of board books. I just pulled out a container of soft books for Livie, but I forgot to take a picture of them.
Then there's the shelf in Paityn's bedroom. (I apologize for the poor quality; I snapped this photo before work this morning, and Paityn's room doesn't get a lot of natural light in the morning.)
Paityn loves books, too. But I found she was reading the same ones again and again. When all she can see is the bindings, it's hard to select a new book to read.
I found this wall bookshelf at Pottery Barn and thought it was just perfect. I like how books are displayed with the covers facing out, inviting and intriguing, practically begging to be read.
Yes, please. I'll take one.
Dan got it up last night, and I could hardly wait to put some books out. I'm going to rotate though every week or two so that different ones are visible. Once Livie is mobile, I can place her books in the lowest shelf for her to grab.
It seems to have worked. Paityn brought several to me this morning to read to her, looked at a couple others on her own, and was in there asking her nanny to read more to her when I left this morning.
Mission accomplished.
Do your children like reading? How do you encourage them to read more than just their favorites? Do you have a way of organizing them all?
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Love your photos, and we love books too! I've been an avid reader since the third grade...now trying to get my soon to be 3rd grade boy into reading is another story.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh! I love the book shelf and the little cushions Paityn is sitting on. We have a tupperware box filled with books. Baby C loves reading. She digs through finding the one she wants. But the box is almost overflowing. I need a shelf like that! She loves the book Brown Bear Brown Bear that we won from you! In fact, she can't say the words yet, but she makes noises in the same tune as I read. So cute!
ReplyDeleteThe wall book shelf is fabulous! I've found we have the same problem with finding different books when they are all lined up spines out. I have to try a wall book shelf, it looks like it would solve our issue, as it did yours. We love love love to read in our house, too, at lease the daughter and I (the hubs would be satisfied watching only TV for eternity. Pssht.) I was also starting to think I was the only one who preferred to have my own books rather than go to the library, so your "aversion" (as stated by hubby) made me smile.
ReplyDeleteAdorable playroom!! I saw that bookshelf & it's on my husbands list of projects to make. We need a couple as my Liv is a bookworm as well.
ReplyDeleteThat is so nice your husband can make it I had considered making it, but with us, it never would have happened! We're just not big DIY people. There's just not enough hours in a day. :)
ReplyDeleteHave you tried incentives for reading? Maybe do a summer reading program with him and offer different prizes for number of pages read or books read.
ReplyDeleteOh our family is the same way! I have 2 bookshelves, one for toddler board books and one for regular books. I definitely read to my daughter every day and she loves it. It makes me so happy that we can share a love of books. :)
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm so glad she's enjoying the books! Paityn still enjoys Brown Bear.
ReplyDeleteI had to laugh at your comment on your husband. Mine is the same. He enjoys reading to the girls but doesn't read in his own.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's so nice to share that! Sounds like you have a ton of books at your house, too.
ReplyDeleteEverything is so neat. It makes me want to organize my daughter's room.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to say it always looks like that, but it'd be a total lie. :)
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