WWYD -- books from your childhood

[Kate in Arabia]

I'm trying to sort and sell/donate, I have several book sets that I loved as a child.  I held onto them thinking I would pass my love of them on to my kids -- well, that didn't work.  No interest.  Series like Beatrix Potter, The Dark is Rising, etc.  None of my three kids had any interest, and for some of these series my kids are now beyond that reading level.

 

So.  Do I keep or do I sell/donate?  I think it somewhat odd that I saved these books for 40-ish years in the hopes my kids would want them; they didn't, so now I'm going to save them for 30-ish more years in the hopes my hypothetical grandkids might like them?  Or maybe I'll feel nostalgic at different times over the years and want to read them again?

 

I can't decide.  I hate all the excess baggage in our house, but I'm so sentimental I have a hard time letting go.

 

What would you do?  :)

[Chris in VA]

Well, I still have all my Black Stallion books... :laugh:

Dd doesn't like "horse books."

 

I keep my favorites.

 

It doesn't sound like you really want to keep them--paragraph 2 of your post is pretty telling.

 

Can you identify why you don't want to let them go? I know you said you are sentimental, but digging deeper (you don't have to, and you don't have to share, just offering advice here), what do they represent that makes you feel sentimental. Can you live there in your head for a bit, recall all the good, and honor that time or those feelings or whatever it is, and then choose to let go?

 

That's me--years of therapy colors my world and my advice. :lol:

[Mnemosyne]

I've kept the books I know that I'll read again (the Tamora Pierce books, for example, read them many times as a kid and still will once in a while). I am keeping some for the kids, but they're young still, and Dutch language books are harder to find, so when they learn Dutch we'll have plenty of reading material. Everything else I get rid of, unless it's signed or for some reason very special to me.

 

 

[Farrar]

I'd keep a few. Pick the one or two or maybe three that are most important and sell the rest.

[marbel]

I'd keep the really special ones that were in good shape.   Anything falling apart, or on acid paper that is getting yellow, I'd throw out.  

 

If my  kids had no interest I'd really think hard about how important the books are to me.  I do think about burdening my kids with a bunch of cr*p to go through when I am dead or moved into a retirement home, etc.   If they are (or likely to go) out of print (hard to predict, I know), I'd consider keeping them but see above about them being in good shape.   I might also make a list of "Mom's favorite books" to put in my personal papers so if the topic of favorite childhood books came up, you would have it.  From time to time I have a flash of memory of some book, but not enough to find it.  I've often wished I had kept a log of books I'd read from childhood to now.  What a treasure that would be.   You could also take photos of covers, or scan them.  I had a few books that got mildewy and I wish I could have scanned the illustrations before I threw them out. 

 

 

ETA:  Just remembered:  my MIL has sent us books that were my husband's when he was a kid.  They  are garbage:  torn pages, dirty covers, loose bindings.  Most of them he has no memory of enjoying.  She paid to ship them and they went right in the trash.  So, try to use a critical eye when looking at them.

[jonnia]

Save your favorites. Think long-term.

 

I have a very young granddaughter who already shows all the signs of being as big a bookworm as I am. You don't know what little ones in your future might be thrilled to have a book that meant something to you.

[Catwoman]

Keep them, and if space is tight, carefully pack them away.

 

You'll be sad if you donate them.

[Carol in Cal.]

You don't have to justify keeping something that belongs to you and that you have enjoyed. 

It's like eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  Just because they are associated with childhood doesn't mean they are worthless to an adult.

 

Food for thought--my grandmothers each had a set of books that I tremendously enjoyed reading at their homes.  One had a series called "Dorothy Dainty" that gave me a unique window into the values of her childhood.  The other had one called "My Bookhouse" that she used with her kids, and that I was really happy to know about when I started homeschooling.

[rocassie]

If you do have grandkids down the road, I think passing on a favorite book(s) with maybe a personal note as to why it is a favorite would be a wonderful keepsake for a grandchild. 

[In The Great White North]

I save them.  Youngest is 17 but the books will be around for any potential grandkids.

[reign]

I keep special books. We have an attic though and that makes long term storage not such a big deal. It doesn't sound like you want to keep them all. Maybe just a couple? Keep the ones you love or are in the best condition.

[OneStepAtATime]

I would go through and decide which ones truly meant something to you and keep those around.  For instance, you might ask yourself the following:

 

1.  Did this book have a major impact on my life or does it remind me of a really important moment worth remembering?

 

2.  Is this book one that I would definitely want to read again someday?

 

3. Is this a book I would absolutely love to read with my kids even if they don't express interest in it right now?

 

4.  Did someone special give me this book and would I care about honoring that person by keeping it around?

 

5.  Does it have an inscription that means a lot to me?

 

The others you might donate or pass on to other families you know.  

[shukriyya]

I'd keep them if they were well illustrated. But straight-up novels I'd probably donate. However if when you look at them you find they nourish you then keep them until that cup is full.

[shawthorne44]

I love that my mother kept my favorite books.  It was a great start to a child's library.  

There are a couple of books that my husband had loved as a kid, that his mother got rid of and then he later bought when he was in high school from the library sales.  It makes me sad that he had to rebuy them.  

I said to keep them for the grandkids.  They will likely be special to them.  Even more so if you die before they really get to know you.  I would have loved to have had a childhood book from a relative that my mother had really loved but died before I was born.  

 

[LostSurprise]

Since books have had a deep impact on me, generally I'd keep them. I'd pack them away carefully and then put them on a shelf for the grandkids to explore later (or read them aloud to them). 

 

My experience is that condition, while it doesn't mean a lot when you love something, does make a difference as the years go by. I've had to throw out many originally-loved books and get copies. This has made me much more picky about condition that will stand the test of time when I put something away. 

 

Other things to think about: Is this book or series still being printed (or is printed regularly)? Do the new editions have the same illustrator? Do I like the new editions? Will it matter if you replace them later? Sometimes you get rid of something only to find it's an out of print collectors edition. Other things are as common as grass.  

[candicane]

I'm iffy on this now. I'm at a point where I'd keep them if I absolutely can.

 

I had the complete set of Alphapets (books using animals that were simple to read along the lines of the alphabet) that I gave up to this classroom along with other books. I've regretted it ever since and have gone out of my way to find the complete set online to buy.

[TrixieB]

Keep, keep, keep.  Although there is no guarantee that future generations of family will enjoy your beloved books.

 

Shocking but true:  my dds don't care for Trixie Belden. 

 

:glare:

[Kathryn]

I'd keep them. I have one shelf of my childhood books and there are others I wish I'd kept. My dad have my older son his favorite childhood book that had been a gift from his own grandfather for Christmas. That was really special.

[Carol in Cal.]

The other thing is, libraries are changing.

Locally our children's sections are full of video tie ins and series books.  They toss the old stuff.  And some of it needs to be around for the next generation.

[shukriyya]

This thread is reminding me of a particular edition of 'A Child's Garden of Verses' I had as a child. It got pitched by my mom in one of those decluttering purges as it was falling apart. I didn't realize how much the associations of that book meant to me until it was gone. I have never been able to track it down because I can't remember the name of the illustrator. I've looked at hundreds of editions but have yet to come across it.

[Amira]

I had several boxes of books like that.  We have to declutter ruthlessly here so I got rid of them after choosing a few special ones to keep.  I did love those books, but I couldn't keep moving them. In your situation, I don't think I'd store them for another 30 years.

[MiMi 4under3]

In college, I finally gave away my boxed set of the Anne of Green Gables series.

 

I'm still mourning the loss.  :o

[nd293]

Hold onto the ones you still think about sometimes. After many moves I had got rid of pretty much everything. Once we were settled here, had bought a house and were heading towards citizenship, I started buying copies of books I remembered from adolescence and early adulthood. Having things I remembered from childhood was an important aspect of making a new home here. Every few months I'll pull a few of them off the shelf, get into bed early and browse.

[readinmom]

I originally kept most of mine but donated them on to others. After having to sort through my dad's belongings, I evaluated my own things. My dc did not share the enthusiasm or love for the Bobbsey Twins, All of a Kind Family, etc.  I donated my Nancy Drew series to my nieces when I thought I would never have any more children.  Dd came along five years later.  She and I started reading the series last summer.  Nothing was lost because the books are readily available through library, Kindle, etc. 

 

 

[Ewe Mama]

I would definitely keep them. I was given some books belonging to my great grandmother when she was a young lady. I cherished those books. Sadly, they were destroyed in a flood. I would love, love, love to replace them.

 

If you do store them, be very careful where you keep them.

[kubiac]

Donate, unless you have reason to believe the books will be out-of-print and scarce in the future. For example, a series like Nancy Drew remains in print and very cheaply available in many many formats, but the Happy Hollisters are out-of-print and hard to find, especially as a complete set. Keep HH, donate Nancy Drew.

 

If you aren't sure about the availability of a title, check BookFinder.com to get a rough idea of how many copies are on the market.

 

As meaningful as these books were to you, I wouldn't curate the collection for another 30 years in the interests of sharing with a kid. If you want to save them because you like having them, then by all means hang on to them, but from a commercial standpoint they are likely bargain items that can be easily replaced in a few years if your grandchild take an interest.

 

We live in the best time in history to try to find any book that ever existed!

[shukriyya]

Somewhat tangential but the OP and a few pps have mentioned Beatrix Potter. I had all these books as a child, the small hardcover kind where the cover is linen and the pages are that shiny white with a nice font and lovely original watercolor illustrations. I kept some of them as I treasured them. When ds came along I thought they'd be wonderful to share with him. However when I began to read them with him in mind and as a mom I was totally put off by something I couldn't quite identify. So strange because I loved them as a child, teen, young adult and pre-children adult. We read a few of them and he did enjoy the story of Peter Rabbit but he much preferred the Brambly Hedge books as did I when I read them to him.

[Tutor]

Some of mine are on the bookshelf in the living room for anyone to read when they would like (Little House On The Prairie, Anne Of Green Gables, etc). I am pretty sure I am the only one who reads them, but I do from time to time and read them out loud to the kids when they were younger. 

 

Some books (ones that were also our kids' favorites) I set aside in "treasure boxes" for them when they have their own kids. I keep a box for each of our kids with special treasures in them. I refuse to buy bigger boxes (since we move so frequently), so once we fill the box I either have to stop adding to it or I have to re-evaluate the contents.

 

Anything left, I donate to the library.

 

I have a few of my grandfather's story books from when he was little plus a family hymnal and some great-grandparents' school books and treasure them. I probably would not have appreciated them as a kid or teen, so I am glad my mom and grandparents saved them for when I was an adult and could appreciate them.

[magnificent_baby]

This thread is reminding me of a particular edition of 'A Child's Garden of Verses' I had as a child. It got pitched by my mom in one of those decluttering purges as it was falling apart. I didn't realize how much the associations of that book meant to me until it was gone. I have never been able to track it down because I can't remember the name of the illustrator. I've looked at hundreds of editions but have yet to come across it.

 

Eloise Wilkin? She is my all time favorite illustrator. I've paid an obscene amount re-collecting her books over the years (most are reasonably priced, my favs happened to be more rare). They were my favorites and got tossed, like yours. 

[shukriyya]

Eloise Wilkin? She is my all time favorite illustrator. I've paid an obscene amount re-collecting her books over the years (most are reasonably priced, my favs happened to be more rare). They were my favorites and got tossed, like yours. 

 

No, it's not her though I do have several of her books as I, too, like her illustrations. This was a large hardcover with a linen cover in a pale peach. I was just doing yet another search a couple of weeks ago but came up empty-handed wrt to that particular book though I did enjoy seeing lots of the illustrations that have accompanied this children's classic. I currently have the Tasha Tudor version which is also lovely.

[gaillardia]

My Tolkien books from high school, kept, but not in the best shape. The covers are neat looking, black linen or cotton, with the EYE in a different color on each of the LOTR books. The Hobbit is in pretty good shape and the Silmarillion. Did I spell that right?

My favorite books from elementary school were falling apart and I sadly pitched them. Jerome, Miss Twiggly's Tree, Mr. Willoughby's Christmas Tree, a few others that I got from school book fair. We ordered books. I loved that.

I wouldn't necessarily pitch them if they were not in the best shape, but I would definitely keep the absolute favorites.

[Melissa in Australia]

I would keep them, in the futute your grandkids might enjoy them

[Jenny in Florida]

Since you asked what I would do, I answered honestly: I'd keep the books on my shelves. 

 

I love books, and I have a lot of them, including some favorites from my own childhood (mostly copies I re-purchased as an adult, since I didn't take much with me when I left my parents' house) and a number of books my kids loved but didn't want to keep in their own rooms. I love seeing them sitting on the shelves like old friends. I love knowing I can pick up one of them and re-read it whenever I wish. 

 

I've had too many bad experiences when I donated or sold books, assuming I'd always be able to buy another copy or get it from the library later, only to discover that book is out of print or unavailable. (It's one reason I've ended up buying copies of some of the books I loved as a kid when I saw them become available.) Nowadays, I don't get rid of a book I care about or think I might possibly want to re-read.

[texasmama]

I've kept almost all of my childhood books. They were some of my best friends. :)

[kubiac]

No, it's not her though I do have several of her books as I, too, like her illustrations. This was a large hardcover with a linen cover in a pale peach. I was just doing yet another search a couple of weeks ago but came up empty-handed wrt to that particular book though I did enjoy seeing lots of the illustrations that have accompanied this children's classic. I currently have the Tasha Tudor version which is also lovely.

Etsy is photo-driven, so you might spot it someday even if you don't remember the illustrator?

 

https://www.etsy.com/search?q=Child%27s+Garden+of+Verses

[Jenny in Florida]

  Nothing was lost because the books are readily available through library, Kindle, etc. 

 

Ah, but I discovered too late that so many of the books I loved and wanted to share with my kids were out of print.

 

I ended up buying very expensive used copies of a couple of Noel Streatfield's "shoes" books in between the time they went out of print and when they were reissued after You've Got Mail was released. It took me years to remember the title and find a used copy of a book I remembered loving about a girl at a boarding school who convinces her schoolmates that she is a witch. I wanted desperately for my son to read The Hero from Otherwhere a few years ago when he was first getting into fantasy novels, but the least expensive used paperback I could find was selling for something like $75 on Amazon. (It's now down to $20, but he's past the age.)

 

There are so many more!

[Guest]

I just gave a bagful of my son's books away. They were all paperbacks. I kept my own Narnia paperbacks from college and by the time my son was ready, the binding glue had failed. As had my eyes--I needed bigger print. So I've liberated the paperbacks to some friends whose children will use them. Any books my son ADORED, or books I read aloud to him, I got in hardback and noted the dates he/we read them.

 

I still have about 10 books from my childhood--all hardbacks.

[Rosie_0801]

I would keep them and say nice things to my brother every time I move house. I <3 my brother. :D

[foxbridgeacademy]

I have nothing left from my childhood, everything got lost along the way especially after my parents divorced.  I found a set of books that I used to read to my sisters, it wasn't the same edition (covers are different) but I couldn't help myself I bought them.  My youngest sister finally got to see them the other day, we spent an hour looking for her favorite stories(she's much younger then me so I was like a mini mom to her).  So yeah, I vote keep them.

[Aiden]

I would look at each book individually and ask myself a question or two.

 

Why do I love this book? Is it the story? The illustrations? The memory of sitting with this book in my hand and enjoying it so much?

 

For me, personally, most of the time, it's the words. I don't care if it's the same physical book I read as a child, or if it has the same illustrations, or even if it's in a completely different format--it's the story itself that matters to me. So I see if it's available on Kindle, and if it is, I buy the digital copy and sell/donate the hard copy.

 

If I did love that copy for some reason, I'd keep it. But I'd have a specific area designated for those "nostalgia books," and if it got full, I'd have to pare down more. We move too often and tend to have too small a house to keep around a bunch of nostalgia items that don't currently serve a useful purpose. (If I read it regularly now, it wouldn't have to go in the nostalgia section; it could go with my other books--but there's a limit on those as well; space is limited and books are heavy ... when we move, we have weight limits on what we can ship, so the weight matters as much to me as the space it takes up.)

 

I'd also consider exactly what I intend to do with this book--am I saving it for someone who I know will love it and just isn't old enough yet? I'll make an effort to keep it until that person can appreciate it. Am I saving it for a hypothetical someone who doesn't exist yet and who may not ever exist and who if he or she does come to exist may or may not love it? In that case, I need to recognize that I'm really saving it for myself, not for this hypothetical someone, even if I would love to pass it down one day, and make my judgment based on my needs and desires, not on the potential desires of some person who doesn't exist yet.

 

If I was stable and stationary, in a large house with little likelihood of moving again soon, I'd love to have a room that was a dedicated library, populated with books I loved and wanted to pass down or loan out. (I do my own reading on the Kindle; the light weight and not having to damage the spine of a book to keep it open enough to read it easily, for me, outweigh the tactile pleasure of paper in my hands.) But most of us don't have that luxury, and I've learned to be pretty brutal about what I get rid of ... at least of my own stuff. I'm having a much harder time deciding which of my daughter's former favorite toys to get rid of ...

[Lucy in Australia]

I voted to keep them (unless space is really, really tight) At least until your children are grown, with their own children :laugh: 

[Kate in Arabia]

Thanks for all the responses!  It's given me more to consider, not sure yet which way I'll go, lol...

[lavender's green]

I'd keep the best-looking and/or best-loved ones.  I think that grandma's things tend to be cooler than mom's things, so there' still hope for them!  Said by a girl who spent entire summers in grandma's basement reading the damp old books and loved every minute of it!

[shanvan]

I would go through and decide which ones truly meant something to you and keep those around.  For instance, you might ask yourself the following:

 

1.  Did this book have a major impact on my life or does it remind me of a really important moment worth remembering?

 

2.  Is this book one that I would definitely want to read again someday?

 

3. Is this a book I would absolutely love to read with my kids even if they don't express interest in it right now?

 

4.  Did someone special give me this book and would I care about honoring that person by keeping it around?

 

5.  Does it have an inscription that means a lot to me?

 

The others you might donate or pass on to other families you know.  

I would add to this list:

 

6. Is this book likely to be easy to find again?

 

But, I'm horrified at the idea of getting rid of Beatrix Potter.  For me, they rank as classics as both art and literature.