A Library Book Sale, or How I Got Away with Grand Larceny

Our library recently had a book sale. It has one every three months, and we never miss 'em, youknowwhatimean? Well, if you're on a similar home education path, as outlined by Charlotte Mason, I know you do. And, if you've been on this path for more than a year, you know exactly how the living-book eagle-eye works, too, the eye that can spot a fantastic book from across the aisle and beneath a pile of twaddle entirely based on the type of the print on the binding and the smell of the ink wafting beneath your nostrils; you've an out-of-print card file readily accessible in your frontal lobe, with an alphabetical listing of the finest authors for children, dating before 1950 of course; and you cherish and gather to your bosom those dear-hearts coldly stamped "DISCARDED" like red-headed orphans from the potato famine.

Oh, is that just ME??

Nope.

I'm not alone . . . not anymore.

This fantastic find was caressed and held close by my darling son, who caused a few appreciative although unbelieving eyes to bug when he claimed it at the cashier's table as his very own "First Book Free for Kids!" I'm certain the cashier thought it was I trying to get the high priced, $2 book for free. I'm certain because she asked him, "Is that book for you? Did you pick that out yourself?" And offended I could not be when he looked at her with an enthusiasm that could only swell the heart of a true, blue (although I'd rather be red) bibliophile and replied, "Yes! Last year I found a book of the Brothers Grimm's fairy tales and read them all. Now I'll have a collection."

The cashier's gaze sought mine and I thought I'd give her a li'l wink and a smile. Yep, I'm definitely not alone. Oh, and there was ice cream for dessert that night, youknowwhatimean?