Too Many Books? No Such Thing!

I went a little crazy today. Although I’ve gone crazier before.

I went to a library book sale. Not just ANY library book sale. THE library book sale at Glastonbury’s Public Library. They hold a gigantic sale twice a year, and I’ve gone for the past three or four years now. BOTH times.

You would be amazed. People line the streets and sidewalks around the ample front yard of the library, yearning to get their fingers on the stacks and boxes of books packing the entire space. The children’s books are lined up in copy paper boxes at least 18 boxes long and probably 14 rows deep! That’s a lot of picture and chapter books!

This is just ONE row!

Nine o’clock and the crowd surges forward. Suddenly you find yourself kneeling in front of a box of books, blindly grabbing Maisy, Eric Carle, Boynton, and shoving them willy-nilly into your bag. Don’t stop to see if you really want them, because if you hesitate they’ll be gone! Just look for interesting covers, favorite authors, familiar titles! You  flip through titles with one hand, keep your balance with the other. People step over you to get to another box, and you often ask permission to switch spots with your neighbor. Kids are everywhere, and you hear parents saying, “You already have that title at home,” or “You can only shop for 5 more minutes, and then we’re leaving!”

The books are in like-new condition, and the variety is astounding – Usborne, DK, Scholastic… recent releases, classics, fiction, non-fiction… a book lover’s smorgasbord. (Oh, and this is just the children’s section! The adult section is 3 times larger!). Nothing is organized in the children’s boxes, so you’re likely to find Spiderwick Series in the same box as Sheila Rae the Brave (which I bought today!)

I flip through titles in one box, keeping an eye on people flipping through boxes on either side and across from me. Can’t let a good title slip through my fingers. I hear someone tell their friend, “Let me know if you see any McClosky books,” and I smile secretly, knowing two of those treasures are buried in my bag.

I hear a boy say he’s looking for Hot Wheels books, when suddenly, one appears in my box as I’m frantically flipping like a file clerk… I pull it out triumphantly and hand it across the aisle to people I don’t know, but who must be kindred spirits! Mom and son grin with delight and say thank you – I LOVE finding books for strangers I searching next to me! (It’s a fun kind of eavesdropping!).

I drag my rolling cart overflowing with books under a shady tree, meet my other teacher friends, and do our “discards.” Here’s where I finally read a few pages of each book to determine if it’s what I’m looking for. Sadly, I have to let some go back to their boxes to be loved by another reader, because I am afraid of the final cost (and if my bookshelves will handle the strain!).

Amazingly, my huge stack of FIFTY-TWO children’s books costs me only $20!!!! What a steal! I am once again triumphant as I load up my books and take them home to peruse with my son!

I so look forward to this bi-annual book sale. I always find such treasures! One year, I found a mint condition McGuffey Reader set like-new in the box for only $15!! That was my best find yet. Here’s what I found this time:

Several Patricia MacLaughlin books!!

Non Fiction Picture Books: A Mount Everest picture book and several Usborne titles!

Fiction Picture books: Mo Willems, Eric Carle, Cynthia Rylant, Patricia Polacco and more!!

Also in above photo, some interesting alphabet books and a counting book. I even found The Truck Book, which my son already owned but has pages missing, so I can replace it! There were also two Little House on the Prairie picture books that share single stories from the novel – how awesome! I love Little House! Boynton , Maisy, and more Carle!

My husband just raises an eyebrow at me every time I go to the sale, and when I return loaded with books. I know, we have enough books, but… can you really have TOO many books? I don’t think so!

Do you visit book sales? What’s been your favorite find? Do you have any of the same titles you see pictured? Can you tell I LOVE books!?