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MommyD
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| Posted: July 16 2007 at 3:38pm | IP Logged
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I'm trying to get things organized this summer and one of the things I've been going back and forth about are the kids books. Right now, most of our books are in the office. Each child has a bookshelf with books in their own room. I have room on the shelves in the office for their bedroom books but I haven't convinced myself yet to move them.
Right now we have *educational* books on a shelf, Usborne books on 2 shelves (I used to be a consultant and recommend it to anyone that wants to collect Usborne for their kids!!), kids books (a large collection of twaddle but they really love them) in their rooms and a shelf of adult books. I could mingle them all together by catagory and keep them in one room but haven't brought myself to do that yet. It makes sense to do that, doesn't it? I don't know why I can't get over this hurdle  .
Melissa
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Schoolrmacres
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| Posted: July 16 2007 at 5:59pm | IP Logged
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Here is how we have our book organized. I have two shelf units that are only resource books,and these are seperated by subject. I have one book shelf that has all of the FIAR/BYFIAR bboks that we use for that program and all of our other novels and other books that I want to use more just for school are shelved alphabetically. In the living room I have a shelf of my dd's favorite picture books and other books that I am not ready to part with but she can read anytime she wants (these are in no special order).(The other shelves are "off limits" to her as far as for free reading books.) In her room she has all of her beginning chapter books,Pony Pals, Junie B, Amber Brown and Boxcar Children. I do not necessarily like her reading some of these series but she likes them so they stay in hiding in her room.(This is my hidden secret as a Charlotte Mason mom.)
I do not know if that helps or not.
__________________
Darlene, wife to Shawn and mamma to Haleigh Elizabeth, our Gift from God through adoption.
Peace be with you
http://achampionfamily.blogspot.com/
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cathhomeschool
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| Posted: July 17 2007 at 9:06am | IP Logged
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We've done a variety of things over the years. Right now we have an office with desks, computers, a large table and bookshelves. Almost all of our books are kept in that room. I keep some "Mom" books (spiritual and curriculum/CM philosophy) in my room. Tim's spiritual and some other extra books are kept in another room. Library books and books that we're currently "working on" are kept in the living room (and are often carted off to other areas). We make heavy use of the library, so we don't have as many books as many homeschoolers.
For a while I did put the Magic Tree House, Hardy Boys and Star Wars on a shelf in their room, but moved them out really more because they have too much stuff in that room already and we need to keep it semi-clear for allergy/dust reasons.
I think that where you keep books has a lot to do with what makes sense in your home. If your dc will read more of what you want them to read if those books are in the bedrooms, then keep them there! If you want to discourage reading of certain books but don't want to get rid of them altogether, then put them with everything else and put something else (or nothing at all) in the bedrooms. Around here, if I want a book to catch someone's interest, I set it on the coffee table. I can't tell you how many times one of the kids has said that they aren't interested in ____ book. I check it out from the library anyway and set it on the coffee table. Eventually someone gets bored or fascinated enough to look at it and they snatch it up. If that doesn't happen, I "assign" the first chapter as school reading or I pick it up and read aloud (to myself) the first few pages.  Generally does the trick if it's an engaging book.
A question about the "off limits" books (for Darlene): Are they off limits because of questionable content for her age or because you want to save those books to cover at a certain point during the school year?
(Edited for clarification because I'm half brain dead and to add:) In the office we do group books by category: science together (and divided into general subject area), history, literature, picture books, craft books, art, poetry, etc.
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Janette (4 boys - 22, 21, 15, 14)
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humanaevitae
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| Posted: July 17 2007 at 12:28pm | IP Logged
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In the hall between the children's rooms we have 2 large bookshelves filled with mostly picture books.(a bit of twaddle, doubles, and other choices that we have found 2nd hand.)
The kids each have their own plastic bin that they fill with books for the night and then can put back and choose again the next night.
There is a basket of board books next to the toddler's bed.
Our media room holds the majority of our books. We have four cases where the picture books are seperated by subject. (Animals, physical science, math, art, music,etc...) and a few shelves of picture books that I don't want handled casually.
Chapter books are stored on our basement shelves as we only have one child reading them currently. He also has a tall case in his room that holds the ones he is currently interested in reading.
Next to our family room we also have a case that contains great picture read-aloud books. Our shelves with religious themed books are also in the same room.
A basket of board books is next to our couch.
I guess they are spread out all over but it makes sense to us!  I really wanted most of the books to be easily accessible to the kids and for myself not to be caught up in to strict of a system.
Good Luck!
__________________
Nicole-Zane 10, Elizabeth 7, Xavier 4, and John Patrick 2
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katilac
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| Posted: July 19 2007 at 9:27am | IP Logged
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Nope, doesn't make sense to me!
We have books in all of our bedrooms, for easy browsing before bed or when relaxing.
Unless you really need the extra room in their rooms, I wouldn't bother with moving the books. You'll fill those extra shelves in the office soon enough.
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nissag
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| Posted: July 19 2007 at 12:08pm | IP Logged
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We have four bookcases in our office (not enough - we could easily fill four more) that are sorted by category.
Parenting/teaching/health
Classics
Modern literature/Biography
History
Social Studies (culture, geography)
Religion
Children's classics
Reference (the Encyclopedia)
Children's literature (picture books, series, twaddle)
Science
Math
Art
Life Skills (crafts, homesteading)
Kits, manipulatives
Homekeeping
Binders
We also have two matching chests of drawers that contain the art supplies (lots and lots!), paper, completed work and portfolio items (one drawer for each child)
I just picked up a set of Harvard Classics and Great Books of the Western World as well as a collection of books by Thornton Burgess from our local used book store (a HUGE blessing). They were so reasonable that I jumped at the chance. But now we have to find room for them!
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Nissa
Deacon's wife, mother of eleven, farmer, teacher, creator, cook.
At Home With the Gadbois Family
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: Where should I keep these books?
