Do you tell your children what to check out at the library?

[MorganClassicalPrep]

I like the idea of enforcing categories to encourage DD to branch out some in her reading.

 

When did you start with specific categories? Do you use the ones suggested in WTM?

[bettyandbob]

No. I certainly don't read all classics. Dd reads what she wants for pleasure. If there's something I want her to read I check it out and I assign it. If she checks it out it's her "fun" reading.

[Belacqua]

Not usually, but if I notice that he's checking out a bunch of things he's already familiar with, I'll encourage him to try something new, as well.

[NanceXToo]

No. I do pick out books to suggest we read together, and she almost always enjoys that and goes along with it.

 

But books she reads on her own, she gets to choose them.

 

Nobody ever told me what I had to read, and I'm glad of it. I grew up loving books and seeing reading as a great pleasure, something I did because I enjoyed it and wanted to, not because somebody made me!

 

Of course, I'd read whatever I could get my hands on and whenever my mom or another relative handed me a book they'd bought for me, I'd pretty much always read it even if I hadn't selected it myself. But I'd never been taken to the library and told "you have to choose this book or this category," and I don't think I'd do that with my kids either.

[sparrow]

Nah. I point out books that may be of interest due to our current history/science studies, but I let them have pretty much free reign at the library.

 

The library was one of the few places where I felt respected as a child by adults that were not my parents. I was allowed to go in, choose the books I wanted to read, and use my own library card to get them out. It was exhilarating and liberating to have that power. I remember being shocked that I could have "my OWN library card!!"

[gingersmom]

Its a free for all at the library. I want them to check out books to their hearts content.

 

I scan the shelves and get the books that we will use for school (mesopotamia, ancient rome, etc) and books that will be assigned reading.

 

We have 3 cards and can take out 50 books on each card. We have come close to having 150 books out at one time!!

[KrissiK]

No. If there's something I want them to read I'll check it out on my card. I only say "no" if it's a book we already own. Good grief. They've done that enough!

[In The Great White North]

Yes. I usually even check it out. They could choose "what they wanted" from the millions at home. If I'm going to bother going to the library (and probably paying a late fee because we didn't get around to returning it,) it has to be for a reason.

[Pretty in Pink]

Yes. I tell them to choose at least one book (but may choose more) in each of the following categories: biography, science, geography/culture, arts & crafts, and history. They can choose up to two 'fluff' books per visit. They may choose whatever they like beyond this.

[Luckymama]

No.

 

She has to check the "new book" table in the children's section before choosing whatever she wants from the regular stacks. I get all the school non-fiction and the literature books. She's a really good reader who enjoys all types of books (fiction, non-fiction, contemporary, classics, poetry, how-to, cookbooks, etc), so I don't have any worries about her selections.

[athena1277]

I choose a few books for dd from the lists in SOTW that I have her read. Otherwise when we go to the library each week she gets to pick 7 books, one of which must be non-fiction. She chooses each of these. I used to let her get a lot more stuff, but she since she is reading longer chapter books, she could not finish them all. It's kinda silly, but I have found that allowing my kids to get 1 book for each year old they are works well. DS was so excited on his last birthday to get 3 books from the library. :D

[Tap]

I have vetoed a few things that weren't age/topic appropriate for that particular child. I have limited the amount of items on a single topic ie don't check out every single magazine of a certain publisher, leave some for others, and get them next time.

 

 

If I want to check out a book for the kids, I check it out. I don't 'make' them.

 

 

The kids can pretty much read what they want when they want. There is some required reading in our homeschool, and except in specific circumstances those are not optional.

[JoyfulMama]

Yes. I tell them to choose at least one book (but may choose more) in each of the following categories: biography, science, geography/culture, arts & crafts, and history. They can choose up to two 'fluff' books per visit. They may choose whatever they like beyond this.

 

My dd10 chooses similarly to the above. I also require a poetry book. She enjoys this, and so we continue it. I also encourage myself to choose books outside my "normal". Now, my dd10 is an avid reader, so if I wanted to hand select each and every book she reads I'd be spending a lot of time making lists. Instead she is learning the DD system, she's getting exposure to books that don't fit into our scope of current study, and she is enjoying learning about new things.

 

Now, ds6 is dwelving into the world of books independently, and I see him scanning the non-fiction shelves independently.

[Pink Fairy]

We do all our ordering online at home, but I take requests. My boys are very into NASCAR, and my youngest dd can't get enough of the American Girl books. I use a lot of suggestions from here, plus I get ideas from Amazon about books we'd like. Right now everyone is hooked on Sherlock Holmes.

 

As far as assigned reading and library books, I'll order books on the subjects we are covering in school, but they aren't specifically told that they have to read them. Most of the time they will anyway, because they are (hopefully) interesting and well written. Plus we have many, many books of our own, including lots of living history books, and the kids read them without my encouragement (not realizing that they are "school" books).

[Miss Sherry]

When my children were little we went to the public library once a week.

I would look through the books they had selected and take out ones I thought were inappropriate.For example,some children's books give off snotty attitudes by the characters in the books. I have come across too many junky books in the children's section for it to be a free for all in the library. I believe what a child reads or has read to them will play a roll in forming their character. Also, I did not let my young children loose in a public library to wonder around all over looking at any and everything.

 

My youngest is 15 now. Sometimes we order what we want from the library online and go to pick it up without browsing the shelves. Once in awhile we still browse the shelves but I like already knowing what we are looking for better than looking through stacks and stacks of books. I guess I have been feeling rushed lately and don't want to linger at the library often.

 

Over the years we have collected so many books that we do not visit the public library as often as we used to.

Edited September 18, 2010 by Miss Sherry

[m0mmaBuck]

I check out books for literature, history, biography, and science and assign them as such. The kids pick out whatever they want.

[FO4UR]

I have veto power, and thanks to my local library for displaying books entitled "Butt Warts" and the like I've had to use it a few times.:glare:

 

When they are bigger, I might give them categories based on genre/subject. For now, I make sure to check out good quality stuff on my card and let them get what they want.

[Ravin]

I select books for our history and, sometimes, science topics, and try to give DD several options in them to choose from. Other than that, I insist she choose some beginning readers as well as her usual fare of picture books, and encourage any whims she has about topic (last time we went to the library, she wanted chemistry experiment books and the time before that, books about frogs, etc.).

[Daisy]

No.

 

If I think they might enjoy a particular book, then I put it in the pile.

 

I do have right of veto though.

[MorganClassicalPrep]

Yes. I tell them to choose at least one book (but may choose more) in each of the following categories: biography, science, geography/culture, arts & crafts, and history. They can choose up to two 'fluff' books per visit. They may choose whatever they like beyond this.

 

I think this is something like what I was envisioning.

I'm not even sure why I am considering something like this, since I always had free choice as a child. Then again, I would randomly pick a shelf and decide to read all the books on that shelf within a certain period of time... :tongue_smilie:

 

We read A LOT. Right now I think we have 70-some books out between her card and mine. But certain topics are being pretty left out. I guess I could just make an effort to check those out on my own... if it makes it to the library basket here at home, it'll get read.

[Jilly]

I allow the kids to pick out their own books at the library. It is their time to find books on their own that they think they will enjoy. :)

 

I do have veto power though if it is something that I don't think is appropriate.

[Supertechmom]

Yes. I tell them to choose at least one book (but may choose more) in each of the following categories: biography, science, geography/culture, arts & crafts, and history. They can choose up to two 'fluff' books per visit. They may choose whatever they like beyond this.

 

I have vetoed a few things that weren't age/topic appropriate for that particular child. I have limited the amount of items on a single topic ie don't check out every single magazine of a certain publisher, leave some for others, and get them next time.

 

 

If I want to check out a book for the kids, I check it out. I don't 'make' them.

 

 

The kids can pretty much read what they want when they want. There is some required reading in our homeschool, and except in specific circumstances those are not optional.

 

:iagree:

 

Most of our schooling in the elementary years is through reading, so I pick the history and science books ( a lot of them so they have do have some choice on what to read and I am happy if 2/3 gets read each week). then our library is set up in neat little sections just by design of the library and they must pick 2 books from each section of history, poetry, geography, hobby books, and science. Then the rest is whatever they would like. Works pretty good. They get to choose books and I get each section covered.

[dm379]

They're usually allowed 1 each of their own choosing. We're only allowed 10 at a time so we have to be very picky. The other 8 are stuff we need for history or science.

[Daisy]

They're usually allowed 1 each of their own choosing. We're only allowed 10 at a time so we have to be very picky. The other 8 are stuff we need for history or science.

 

GASP! Only allowed TEN?

 

We can check out 30 on each card and all 4 family members have a card. I usually have about 40-50 books out at a time.

[oldskool]

They're usually allowed 1 each of their own choosing. We're only allowed 10 at a time so we have to be very picky. The other 8 are stuff we need for history or science.

 

Yikes! We can take out 100 per card. And yes I have come very, very close to that number. It stinks to try and find them all to return though.

 

Lesley

[elise1mds]

I have vetoed a few things that weren't age/topic appropriate for that particular child. I have limited the amount of items on a single topic ie don't check out every single magazine of a certain publisher, leave some for others, and get them next time.

 

 

If I want to check out a book for the kids, I check it out. I don't 'make' them.

 

 

The kids can pretty much read what they want when they want. There is some required reading in our homeschool, and except in specific circumstances those are not optional.

 

 

This is more or less what I do. Last week DS was fascinated with hurricanes, so he picked out all but one book on that topic. He also had books on other topics, some relevant to topics we were studying in school and some not. Then we moved to fiction, and he picked up several other books.

 

I *do* try to limit the "fluff" reading. For a while, he was picking up nothing but Hank the Cowdog, Hank Zipzer (what is it with characters named HANK???), and a couple other easy-to-read series. I put up with it until I knew his reading level had surpassed those, and then I told him he could only have two brain candy books per week. He actually doesn't mind that limit because it makes him branch out a bit more, and he likes to read a wide variety.

 

I do check out one week a book for him to read for school, things like "Mary Poppins" and, this last week, "The Trumpet of the Swan." So far, he's enjoyed them. If he starts to seriously dislike them, we'll discuss options. I don't want to force him to read! :)

[dm379]

GASP! Only allowed TEN?

 

We can check out 30 on each card and all 4 family members have a card. I usually have about 40-50 books out at a time.

 

You have to be 10 yrs. old to get a card. DH can get 10 on his but the library is rarely open when he's home. Sometimes they'll override the system and let me slip in one or two extra. Luckily it's practically in the back yard so we go almost daily. The up side is no late fees.

[Ellie]

Nope.

 

Dds were allowed to check out anything they wanted when we went to the library (weekly), as many as they wanted (or none at all).

 

I read aloud to them the books I thought it was important for them to experience.

[Miss Sherry]

You have to be 10 yrs. old to get a card. DH can get 10 on his but the library is rarely open when he's home. Sometimes they'll override the system and let me slip in one or two extra. Luckily it's practically in the back yard so we go almost daily. The up side is no late fees.

It's always been a drive for us to get to a public library. I think if I lived with a library practically in the back yard I would be going there a lot more often. My 21 year old son lives just a few blocks from a public library and goes to it pretty frequently.

[Farrar]

Our biggest limitation is often how much I'm willing to carry from the subway station to our house so I do veto books based on that.

[Miss Sherry]

Our biggest limitation is often how much I'm willing to carry from the subway station to our house so I do veto books based on that.

If I were carrying the books on the subway I would limit the number too.

 

When my children were little we checked out so many books that we had to bring them all back in a laundry basket. It was a challenge at times to be sure that I found all of them to return them. My husband still teases me about the time the library left a message for me saying "Sherry @@@@ You have 120 over due books......." :lol::lol::lol::lol: They took off the fine for me. They were not enforcing paying fines at the time, lucky for me. :blush:

We don't live there anymore, but I read in the paper awhile back that if you have over due fines in that city now, they will turn you over to a collection agency and it goes on your credit report. :tongue_smilie: I like living in a smaller town so much better.

[Daisy]

You have to be 10 yrs. old to get a card. DH can get 10 on his but the library is rarely open when he's home. Sometimes they'll override the system and let me slip in one or two extra. Luckily it's practically in the back yard so we go almost daily. The up side is no late fees.

 

Oooh, no late fees is nice.

[IsabelC]

I don't have categories or tell the kids what books to borrow. The only way I control it is that I ask them to bring me everything they like and I have a quick squiz before they check it out, in case there's anything I consider totally unsuitable for them (very rarely happens). If I particularly like a book for them I will take it out myself, and I also suggest things I think they might like. If I don't do that, they tend to keep borrowing the same ones again and again, which is fine, but it's also nice for them to have some variety.

 

We can get 15 books out on each card, but kids can get them at birth (well, as soon as the parents get to it!) so with three kidlets we can borrow 75 items at once, which is usually adequate for our needs.

Edited September 19, 2010 by Hotdrink