library stacks

Greedy eyes, during my most recent trip to the public library. I really just stopped in to drop off Voyage of the Turtle, as someone else was waiting for it (I couldn't renew, and it was a few days overdue). But of course daughter insisted on looking for books to bring home, and I started wandering the stacks. They've been rearranged a bit, since our library got remodeled a few weeks ago. I had to look up the call numbers of my favorite sections (pets and mammals, ha!) then I know which corner to go around to find them. At first I just grabbed Dewey, the book about the library cat, because I've heard so much about it. Then I kept seeing other books that looked good too, and brought this haul home:

Besides Dewey, there's another book on sea turtles, one on African predators, one about the origins of unicorn myths, and books about birdwatching, someone's amazing dog, kangaroos, and researchers who climb trees (my mom told me about this one). Now if I can only find time to read them all!

I'm pleased that my kid, although she's just barely beginning to read a few words, can already navigate the children's section by herself. She knows where to find her favorite books: curious george, max and ruby, mr. putter and tabby, anything by Mo Willems, etc. When she can't find a book she wants, she doesn't want my help, she wants to ask the children's librarian herself! Who knows her by name, as we go to the storytimes nearly every week. She also likes to help "beep the books" at the automated checkout station, and push the right buttons to get me a receipt. This all makes me very happy, in a silly kind of way. I remember knowing where my favorite stories were shelves, before I could read the titles, and being thrilled that "the library lady" knew my name, when I was little. I'm glad my daughter is having the same experiences, too.