Friday Finds --Books, Books, Books!

My first job was at the library. I was in 4th grade. I shelved books and I loved it.

I still remember how proud I was when I got my very own library card. It was paper and I printed my name on it in blue pen. I wish I still had that library card.

My favorite house in Fallbrook, the town where I grew up, was a house that was right next to the library. How wonderful would it be, I thought, to walk out of your house and in 10 steps you are at the library? I still think that would be pretty amazing.

I was so, so sad the night that the library burnt down. We knew the kid that did it. he got fired from his job as a dishwasher and decided to go burn down the library. Nice.

They rebuilt it. But I missed it while it was gone.

The library is still one of my most favorite places to be. I have a strange sense of peace and excitement the minute I walk in the door.

I am a book lover.

On Friday morning I remembered an email I got ages ago. The Santa Ana library was having a book sale. All children's books would be a quarter.

We dropped everything and ran out the door.

I thought the place would be crawling with people. I wondered how I would fit the stroller in. I couldn't carry Lilly and a bag of books.

Apparently not everyone is as in love with books as I am. The place wasn't very crowded. There were tables full of books and I was in heaven. The boys picked out a pile and laid down to read under one of the tables. Lilly read in her stroller. And I, well, I bought a lot of books.
Picture books, literature books, science books (see what we did with the magnet book here) and some books just for the illustrations. When books are only a quarter, you just can't lose.
This was one of my favorite finds. Not only is it the poetry of Robert Louis Stevenson, but the illustrations are incredible.
Look at this spread of Venice. I love it I will be using a lot of these pictures as art around my house.

But here is my favorite find.
Do you know Charles Harper? If not, google him after you read this. His art is amazing. Beautiful. Colorful. Modern. I love it. Love it.
He has actually become quite popular in the past couple of years. I even found his art on puzzles and tee shirts at Old Navy.
But that doesn't detract from his ability as an artist to bring birds, animals and much of nature alive.

I didn't even realize he was the illustrator of this book until I got home. I saw the cover and thought, "gotta get this one." Once I opened it and saw the first spread I knew I had scored.
I mean, he even turns the inside of the human body into something I want to hang on my wall. James loves this book. William loves Runaway Bunny.

We all had a really good time.

Used book sales might just be one of my most favorite things.

Happy Monday to you. Here's hoping you start your week off with a good book in hand.