Another day, another Amazon box!

There are so many good reads out there (and so little time), that I sometimes forget what I've ordered.  (Is that when book collecting becomes addiction?)  After attending a face-to-face meeting in San Antonio for a Library Science class, I came home to ANOTHER box from Amazon!  What present might await in this brown cardboard container of all things good?

A copy of Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Children's Book, edited by Anita Silvey--who just happens to be celebrating her birthday today!  (I found that out on Twitter, another tentative step into the digital age for me .)  So I started to browse the pages, and was delighted to find contributions from people renowned for their pursuits in the arts, technology, sports, science, literature, and even a bookseller.  They each write about a childhood book that inspired, motivated, entertained, or taught them something.  Excerpts from the books are included, and would make for great read-aloud teasers.

Ms. Silvey also includes short bios of the contributors, other books they recommend, and then goes one step further in organizing the recommended books by genre, subject, and reading/age levels.  I can use this book to introduce authors, stories, and help students make the connection between books and future success in adulthood.  I see my classroom library growing from the book recommendation list (and my wallet shrinking a bit!).  It may be an addiction, but is it really so bad?