I Got A Present

You could easily say that I am a book hoarder.

Actually, I would probably agree with you.

When I wanted to be a teacher, I used to visit tons of book stores in the area to find tons of cheap books. The more the merrier. I wanted to have a huge classroom library that all of the kids loved.

Well, teaching did not work out for me (that in itself is a story meant for another day), so I didn't need the classroom library. But then I started looking at what I had. And I had some good stuff. Most of it, I sold to Half Price Books, and got probably a 3rd of what they were actually worth. But hey, who cares, right? It's like free money... that's not free.

The books I didn't sell somehow wormed their way into my heart. I thought for sure that I was going to get married soon. And then we would have kids. I want my kids to want for nothing, especially books. Now, will what I have be outdated by the time I have kids? Most certainly. But I try to make sure that I am saving things that have some type of appeal to me, and that I think my children will grow to love and appreciate one day. I can see my someday-daughter curled up on the window seat with Anne of Green Gables or the Secret Garden. I see my someday-son hiding under the covers with a flashlight reading The Hardy Boys or Treasure Island. I just want to save so many books for so many different reasons.

But one reason makes no sense to me, or anyone else I know.

I fell in love with a publisher. And that publisher is Dell Yearling. I looooooove the Dell Yearling editions of books. I love how they look, and the books they choose to print, and even how they smell. And I have made it a bizarre mission of mine: to collect as many Dell Yearling editions as I can find. It's a little like treasure hunting for me, in a way. When I find one I don't have, it just feels so special.

So imagine my surprise when people on eBay suddenly see the value in my sweet, little Dell Yearlings?! It makes it that much harder to find something I love.

Except when someone has no idea what they were doing. Cut to Monday. I am surfing around eBay, as usual, and find a seller selling 16 Dell Yearling Classics (those darling red cover editions that are just so fun). Starting bid is 2.00, but I could Buy It Now for 35.00.... you better believe I'm starting the bidding at 2 bucks. And guess what- no one else bid!! Yay! So I just bought 16 books for less than a dollar a book.

Here are my dear gifts arriving at the house today:

 

 

 

Add all of these lovelies to the four I already owned, and we are well on our way to finding some new favorite books. I just love the Classics, and I hope that if you ever find one, you won't just glance over it. Give it a try. Pick it up and read it. I guarantee you will find out what makes each of these books so very special.