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SeaStar
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| Posted: Sept 24 2010 at 9:13pm | IP Logged
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I periodically purge my bookshelves, and I have found that I have several DK books that are encyclopedia-ish.... you know, the kind with lots of facts and little pictures on each page.
Do I need to keep these?
No one at my house reads them or uses them, though my kids are still young.
If there is raging blizzard and we can't get to the library and someone has to write a report on rain forest animals right now, will I be glad I have these?
Or one day will I awake to find one or both of my dc reading this type of book with new love at breakfast?
Is there really a reason to have books like this in the computer/library age?
I think I would really like to never buy one again, as they make my head spin. But I am looking for the advice of those who have gone before me.
What do you think?
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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Lori
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| Posted: Sept 24 2010 at 9:22pm | IP Logged
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Personally, I can't stand them. The pictures and little fact boxes chop up the reading material so much my head hurts, too! 
My kids have never been the type to read "fact things" themselves, they much prefer narratives. I have purged our house of most of these, as well as the shorter Magic School Bus books, in favor of the longer Magic School Bus "chapter books" for science. My kids are eating those up!
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Kathryn
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| Posted: Sept 24 2010 at 9:51pm | IP Logged
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Wellll...I'd be in the camp to keep them. For some reason I do like them and I have my kids go to a book for info first before the internet. I think back to when I was a child and my mom had the whole set of Britannica encyclopedias and I poured over them quite often. Go figure! Granted, yes that was before computers but I feel that, in a way, the computer limits looking beyond the obvious.
For example, if we happen to be looking up dolphins, we may run across the page with cheetahs as we're getting there alphabetically and stop and read that. Or sometimes I have been known to give them the book and say "check this out".
I don't know...that's just my 2 cents. Whether these are the best source as an encyclopedia reference could prob. be debated but I do have several of these books and personally, I like them.
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Grace&Chaos
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| Posted: Sept 25 2010 at 9:57am | IP Logged
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I vote for keeping them (if you have the room). These are great for my littles especially when I get the usual "I'm bored...there's nothing to do..." I send them to pick one and before you know it we're off on some rabbit trail looking for some good books on something they got a glimpse at . They are also great conversation starters for us. And with so many little boys who can't read yet, they are good for skimming through pages.
I also agree with Kathryn (especially for my oldest dd):
Kathryn wrote:
| For some reason I do like them and I have my kids go to a book for info first before the internet. |
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I tend to be a worrier and there is so much available in the internet that you just can't be too careful. (sounds paranoid but, ..sigh)
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wifemommy
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| Posted: Sept 25 2010 at 3:42pm | IP Logged
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Keep Yes one day you may just come to breakfast and find them reading away. My kids read a lot and if we don't go to the library they will read more of the shelf books ..even the encyclopedias Annie
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allegiance_mom
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| Posted: Sept 25 2010 at 8:18pm | IP Logged
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My philosophy is that if the library has it available, we don't need it. Frugality combined with townhouse living.
My kids do like these books and enjoy the highly visual pages and fact boxes. We do own a few favorites that the library was selling, or that are on a very favorite topic (Knights, for example).
As far as books v. internet, give me a book any day. My kids are not allowed on the internet.
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SeaStar
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| Posted: Sept 29 2010 at 6:33am | IP Logged
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This has been interesting. It seems as if these books evoke a love/hate feeling in most people.
I am definitely keeping the DK Nature encyclopedia we have. It has wonderful pictures, nice and big, and only one or two animals per page.
Others I have, such as the "I Wonder Why" books I will probably pare down.
They are smaller paperbacks and just don't have as nice a look or feel to me.
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
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herdingkittens
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My kids go through phases where they just pour over books like that (esp. my 8 year old). I have our reference type books on a separate shelf and find them going to that section to find something to hunker down with on the couch. I think they would get less viewing if they were shelved with all the picture books. Plus, I still enjoy reference books over seeing something online.
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LisaD
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We have many, many of the large DK books. Not necessarily the children's DK books, but ones like Animal, Earth, Art, etc. My husband loves them, my children actually save their allowance money to buy them. We don't collect the children's DK books, since the library has so many, but we do have a few that were gifts and they are well-used and loved. My husband and the boys are all lovers of lists and facts...
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KC in TX
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We love the DK books. My son is all about facts. And, because of the layout, it works well for him. He has visual discrimination issues and it helps him.
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Erin
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Melinda
I was thinking about your question this morning as I tidied and culled my shelves. Being an ex-DK consultant we have many DK books and yet truthfully they don't get looked at enough BUT they are so useful to have because... although we can use the library and do, when my dc are interested in something I want to start with that interest immediately. Therefore when a child asks a question about space I have a book to hand to answer immediately. Now if child wants to delve further than the books on our shelves we can visit the library when we go to town.
Oh and another point to consider (just to make life confusing for you ) if I had made the decision to keep or not based on my two oldest interest I wouldn't have kept, they are fiction readers, but my third child is a very big reference reader. Definitely glad I kept for him.
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leanne maree
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| Posted: Oct 05 2010 at 5:03am | IP Logged
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I am reluctant to part with any books, particularly those that have a generalised over view, like DK.
They can lead to deeper reading and sometimes just a short reference is all that is needed.
I would keep them, handy to have and the way our libraries are at the moment- ( in our area), they are culling everything over 10 years old.
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Erin
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| Posted: Oct 06 2010 at 4:35pm | IP Logged
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leanne maree wrote:
I am reluctant to part with any books, particularly those that have a generalised over view, like DK.
They can lead to deeper reading and sometimes just a short reference is all that is needed.
I would keep them, handy to have and the way our libraries are at the moment- ( in our area), they are culling everything over 10 years old.
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Actually it is all books in NSW libraries, it is the new NSW library policy 
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leanne maree
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| Posted: Oct 06 2010 at 6:31pm | IP Logged
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I thought as much Erin,
But didn't want to globalise if I was incorrect.
 Its not good
Leanne
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: Tell me if I need these....
