Building a Family Library (continued)

Reading posters. If you have space, you may want to keep art materials in your library area. Younger children especially will want to draw pictures inspired by their reading. Use their artwork to decorate the shelves and nearby walls.

Bookplates. Kids take pride in their books, and will enjoy identifying books as their own. On small, square pieces of paper, have them print a few words like, This book belongs to Elizabeth or From the library of the Robbins Family.  After decorating their bookplates, your children can paste them to the inside front covers of their favorite books. If you want to label all the books in your family collection, design one bookplate and make photocopies.

Bookmarks. A good supply of colorful bookmarks arranged in a jar is an appealing reward to young readers who have to put down a book but plan to pick it up again and finish it. Be sure to save room for some homemade bookmarks, decorated by the kids with favorite characters, slogans, and stickers.

Record a book. A cassette recorder is one way to enable younger children to enjoy a favorite book again and again. Grandparents, parents, and older brothers and sisters can record stories for younger family members, or the entire family can join in as characters of a special book. This also makes a great gift! Store the cassettes along with the books on the family bookshelf.

Where to Find Good Books You can put together a large collection of books without putting out a lot of money. 
Here are some tips for collectors:

New Books:

• Bookstores: Many bookstores are especially good sources for inexpensive new books. More and more publishers are issuing paperback editions of books that originally came out in hardcover within a year of their publication, so look for these first. And some bookstores offer children's books at very affordable prices.
• Book clubs: Many schools send home order forms for paperback book clubs that offer popular children's titles at very low prices.  Advertisements for such book clubs appear in numerous magazines.
• Toy stores and toy catalogs: These often have children's book sections; some of the larger chains have a wide variety and offer substantial discounts.
• Remaindered books: Sold at a discount after early sales have dropped off, these books are available in many bookstores or through mail-order catalogs.
• School book fairs: For many families, this is a good way to obtain inexpensive books, posters, and bookmarks, and benefit the school at the same time.
• Gifts: Encourage friends and relatives to give books and magazine subscriptions rather than toys on gift-giving occasions. Be able to offer several suggestions for each child in your family. For example, you might suggest special interest magazines, titles of favorite library books, or new titles in a favorite series or by a favorite author.

Used Books:

• Attics and basements: Do you have any of your own books from childhood? Find them! Take delight in passing them down to your children and enjoying them again yourself.
• Library sales: Many libraries have annual sales to make room for new titles. Check with your librarian for dates. 
• Informal trading: Encourage your children and their friends to swap books they have read for books they haven't. Or arrange a weekend book-swap among families from your children's school or neighborhood.
• Yard sales, flea markets, and church bazaars: You can find some surprisingly good books for very little money at these events. Comb through neighborhood newspapers and newsletters for dates and locations. Some organizations even sponsor yearly used book sales, sometimes with thousands of titles.
• Secondhand bookstores: These exist in most cities and can be readily found in the yellow pages. They can be a treasure trove of good, inexpensive children's books, and the selection is always changing.
• Thrift and resale shops: Stores like these run by the Salvation Army, Goodwill, and service and veterans organizations are good sources for used books. Check them frequently for the best selection.