Monday, June 5, 2017

Passing Books Down To The Next Generation


My dad and his sisters were avid readers when they were kids (and still are).  My grandmother kept a lot of their old books (mostly old Nancy Drew mysteries), and when my siblings and I would visit her, we would always have something to read.  My sister and I were voracious readers; it didn't matter that these books were 25 or 30 years old.  We enjoyed the books, and what was even more special was that they belonged to our dad and aunts. 

It got me thinking - what books from my personal collection would I want to save and pass down to the next generation?  What books do I love enough or think are important enough to keep for any future children, nieces, or nephews?  They don't necessarily have to be classics.  Maybe they're popular books today that could become classics for the next generation, or maybe it's just a book that I loved.

I know they could just go to the library and they'll probably all be reading e-books by then, but I like the idea of my younger relatives coming over someday, picking out a book from my shelves, and settling down for a read.  So what books do I envision them reading? There are a particular few that I know I would want to hang onto for them (trying to take into account various ages):


Harry Potter series: I think this one is obvious.  These books are already modern-day classics.  JK Rowling has created something magical and timeless, and I think everyone should read these books.

I Capture the Castle and Jacob Have I Loved: Both of these are coming-of-age stories, although with different feels to them.  One is a bit quirky and the other is more atmospheric.

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe: I first read this as an adult, but it's obviously suitable for all ages.  I would love to see my niece get enthralled by Narnia!

A Treasury of Best-Loved Fairy Tales: What kid doesn't love fairy tales?  The sheer number of fairy tales in this anthology and relatively short length of each one makes it perfect for kids.

My leather-bound Shakespeare collection: It's arguably the nicest book I own.  It's just a beautiful book, and I think everyone should read at least a little Shakespeare (when they're a bit older - I would hate to see this book go to waste!).


What books from your collection would you want to pass down to the next generation?  What's your favorite book, and would you pass that book down?  Do you have any books from older relatives?

21 comments:

  1. What a great discussion! I don't have any books really to pass down but Since I just read Harry Potter I want to get the set of those as well as get the illustrated editions to share with my kids. I actually liked reading/discussing Shakespeare in school but we only read two or three of his works. That does look like a beautiful book you have!!

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    1. I have a paperback set of the Harry Potter books, but I would love to get a nicer set or the illustrated versions. Those would be perfect to share with kids! My 9th grade English teacher was a Shakespeare buff and I really enjoyed the class, so my mom got me that really nice leather-bound book.

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  2. I wish we still had our Babysitters Club books - we loved those when we were kids and with the way Luna loves to "read" she would probably enjoy them too in a few years.

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    1. I know, and we had so many of them, they would last her awhile!

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  3. Interesting discussion. I inherited a few of my older sister’s books when she moved out. No one else in my family is a reader. I’ll pass down my Harry Potter books for sure. Though, I’ll probably have to buy new copies to pass down. Mine are very beat up and falling apart.

    Aj @ Read All The Things!

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    1. Yeah, I would also like to get a really nice set of Harry Potter books.

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  4. I have all the Oz books that I loved reading when I was growing up; I would want to read those with my kids and grandkids if I had any.

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    1. Those would be great! I want to get the hardcover collections of those from Barnes and Noble.

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  5. Hmmm, good question. Definitely the Harry Potter series and the The Chronicles of Narnia, and I have a gorgeous Shakespeare as well that I'd love to pass down. Staring at my shelves now, I'm thinking maybe my Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit, and maybe a few of my favorite classics like Pride and Prejudice, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Of Mice and Men.

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    1. Yes, the classics are always a good choice. Of Mice and Men makes me cry!

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  6. Harry Potter is the only thing I've saved for my son. He's 7, and he loves carry them around and flipping through them all when he's watching the movies. We've been buying the illustrated versions for him to read (with us of course), but it's still fun for him to have the whole series.

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    1. Yes, I think the books are perfect to read together! It's fun when a whole family can share books!

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  7. I don't think my kid wants me to pass on any books to him because I'm sure I would think every book I loved needs passed on. I'm bad at choosing favorites. I also don't have a lot of super pretty copies of books. The Illustrated editions of HP will definitely be something to share though!

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    1. LOL, can you imagine giving your kids hundreds of books? Yeah, any kind of collectors' edition or signed book or something would definitely be good to hang onto. The Harry Potter books are definitely a popular choice!

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  8. This is a great question, and now I need to go look at my shelves and ponder this! Narnia definitely for me, and HP as well probably (even though I've only read the first one- eep!) A choice Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew might make the list, too. :)

    I had the same thing, my grandparents had books around the house and I used to love to explore them!

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    1. I really loved those old Nancy Drew books - the retro covers were so cool.

      I love that your grandparents did the same thing!

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  9. What a great discussion topic. I'd say Harry Potter for sure. I'd also hold on to The Little Prince, Peter Pan, To Kill A Mockingbird, The Hunger Games tirlogy and a handful of others.

    Who am I kidding? I'd probably pass down my entire book collection. LOL

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  10. What a great discussion topic. I'd say Harry Potter for sure. I'd also hold on to The Little Prince, Peter Pan, To Kill A Mockingbird, The Hunger Games tirlogy and a handful of others.

    Who am I kidding? I'd probably pass down my entire book collection. LOL

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    1. I love all those choices!

      LOL, basically, right??

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  11. This is such a great post! I'm so sad that I don't have my old childhood books. I had a huge Golden Books collection and a huge Enid Blyton collection from my early years and I would have loved to have been able to let my daughter start in on reading these. I'm going to make a point of putting her books away for her when she is older - even if she doesn't want to keep them, maybe she would like to give them to someone else or donate them - at least she will have the choice!

    I don't think you can ever replace physical books - there's just something about being able to browse the covers and pick up a book on a whim.

    I just love the idea of having a collection around for whoever stops by. Your Grandma had the right idea!

    I'm currently in the middle of making new collections of physical books - both for my daughter and for myself. I'm going to be including Harry Potter (of course), Some basic children's books including some of my own favourite Australian books that I grew up with (Possum Magic, Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, Jackie French books ( a lot!)) and of course some classics.

    I can only hope that they will be used well.

    Again, great post!

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    1. I love that you're starting a collection for your daughter, I think she will love it!

      My sister posted above that we had a bunch of Babysitters Club books when we were younger and she wishes our mom had saved them (although she did give them to a friend for her daughter, so they went to a great place!).

      I just love books, and I want everyone to enjoy them!

      Thanks for stopping by, Di, and for your fabulous thoughts!

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I'm so glad you stopped by, and I would love to hear your thoughts! Comments are always greatly appreciated!