To keep books, or donate them - WWYD?

[Everydayaschoolday]

What do people do with their read children's books? We're talking children's 'classics' and popular: Various picture books plus Roald Dhal, Enid Blyton, Jaqueline Wilson, Jeremy Strong etc mostly all excellent condition box sets. Store them for the next generation, or donate them to school? Thanks for opinions.

[AnotherStitchInTime]

I am currently reading books my parents have kept to my own children. I say store, but I am bookworm.

[Twowrongsdontmakearight]

I've just taken two huge boxes to the Oxfam bookshop. A couple of sentimental books have been kept along the way but we just don't have room to keep everything!

[amarmai]

Donated tons of children and adult books to the Salvation Army when i downsized. They sell them in their stores and use the $$ to help people in need.

[NotCitrus]

Anything that comes in box sets and won't be rare ever gets donated to school. A few of my own childhood books will be kept for my gcs if any, and a few unusual kids ones or a couple hardbacks, but 99% go to school or charity bookshop, especially the popular stuff.

[BackforGood]

I've kept a few - only one or two favourites / real classics - but it's just not realistic to hang on to them all.
I've done all sorts over the years - given to families I know, given to charity shops, but mainly I've taken them in to schools for their libraries or "wet play box"

[HarrietSchulenberg]

I'm afraid I horde them. There's so many that my dses loved that I couldn't get rid of them.
I do occasionally cull stuff that they bought, read then discarded but that's about every 2 years and only when I'm feeling especially ruthless.

[Everydayaschoolday]

4 for donating, and 2 for keeping so far. I might have to compromise, but then to choose…. aargh.

[motherwithheadache]

It is with great heartache that I have just gotten rid of some (more) of my childhood books, that my children are unable to read (different language).
My children's books; most (but certainly not all) get given away.
I'm having the same problem with toys, some I just can't part with...

[wannabestressfree]

Keep them ...... (I have a book problem) :)

[MoreTeaPenguin]

Donate them - that way they will be enjoyed by more children. You can always buy more copies in the future (and by my reckoning buying a few books is probably cheaper than the cost of storing a big box of books for years)

[cariadlet]

I feel that I should donate them, but can't bear to. I'm hoping that any of my childhood ones that dd didn't respond to might prove more popular with grandchildren.

dd is far less sentimental than I am and would give all her outgrown books to charity shops. We compromise and I'm allowed to box (my) favourites up and put them in the loft.

[Everydayaschoolday]

Thank you for lots of different opinions. I'm loving hearing of your own stories behind your answer too.

[emmaMBC]

International Book Giving Day is coming up - you could use that as an excuse to give some of them away to charity.

[SkyShadow]

I'd keep a few favourites, but donate most of them.

[AugustRose]

Our DC range from 19 to 4 so we have kept many favourites for a long time but I think we will start passing some of the younger books on now as we have far too many in our house. It does mean that the books for older children will have to stay for a while though.