Book sale finds

Yesterday a friend and I went to a "Friends of the Library" book sale to benefit our local library. You know I can't resist a book sale, especially a used book sale where the prices are great.

I got a book about a missionary for my oldest daughter, who is considering becoming one. I got a Harry Potter book for my oldest son, who loves anything about the series. I got a book about building fences and gates for my husband, who always seems to be building them.


And for me, I purchased three books. The first is one I have heard of from other people,. "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons." I am currently working on teaching my 6-year-old son to read using the ABC's With Ace and Christi from Accelerated Christian Education. But I am going to read through this book, and if the curriculum we are using ends up not working, or if he needs more supplemental material, I can use it.


The second book is a Lancaster County Cookbook (that's Lancaster, Penn., not Lancaster, S.C.). It is full of some great Amish and Mennonite recipes, and I can't wait to try some.


And the last book is called "What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew." I bought this book just for fun, but it is also turning out to be educational.

Did you know that many of the poor people, during the times of authors Jane Austen and Charles Dickens, really did survive on bread alone? The "breadwinner," or the man who worked, sometimes also got potatoes or bacon because he had to keep up his strength to work. But the mother and children often had only bread for a meal. "In 1864 a student of the matter found the average farm laborer had one hot meal a week," the book states.

That's a lot of entertainment and education for $2! I hear that tomorrow at 4 p.m. you can get a whole bag of books for $1. The best ones will be picked over, of course, but I think I'm going to try to go back. You never know what treasures you'll find in a building full of second-hand books!