Kids’ books work hard, don’t they? I often blanche and grumble at the price of books, but the right book will earn its keep.
How often, I was wondering at storytime tonight, have our bookshelf favourites been read? Frequently enough for everyone in the house – even 20 month old B – to know some of them by heart. We can all join in singing out quotations. I can’t even begin to quantify it: dozens of times? Hundreds?
Thicker, shiny paper can help to keep childrens’ books durable for their marathon work. Even so, some pages pull clear of the stitching (last time this happened was in a signed first edition – sigh – but books were meant for reading).
Sticky tape, stripped spines, loose pages, bent covers and dog-eared corners – hopefully my kids are reasonably respectful of books and all these are signs of some long-cherished reads.
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