I just bought my 8 year old daughter 50 books for the summer holidays

[mamalife1990]

As its the summer holidays I decided that I would let my 8 year buy some books for over the summer. She absolutely loves to read and I realised that it might be nice for her to have some new books to read over the next 6 weeks.

So I ordered her some books. However most of the books I ordered were series. I got a few individual books. But most of the books were series. Meaning I didn't really calculate how many books I was actually buying. My plan was, wait until all the books arrive, put them all in one big box and give the box to my daughter.

The last box arrived today so I went into my room and got every book and series out of their boxes....and I realised...that's a lot of books. So I decided to count and there is 50 books. 50! When you're buying book series, it's easy to forget how many books you are actually buying.

I gave my daughter the box and she is extremely happy. So seeing her smile was worth the financial cost of all these books.

Let's just hope my husband doesn't want a divorce after seeing so many books. Was this financially responsible? Nope. Do I regret anything? Nope.

Now my 4 year old wants some new books too 😭 Thankfully the books he would read are a lot cheaper lol

The Hotel Flamingo series might be a good idea, there are five in total. My daughter has loved these and others by the same author, Alex Millway. They have nice illustrations too.

I've been browsing one of those online bookshops that sells cheap boxsets since reading this thread! I wish my youngest would get into reading, I keep hoping the next book I get him will be the one that gets him hooked.

I think this sounds wonderful!

I was going to mention the library too but see you already use it too!

The Mr Dog Series
Michael Rosen 8 Book Collection
If you google, you can get these fairly cheaply.
Also these 3 are comic style book series, my 7 yr old loves
Bunny V Monkey
Dogman
Catkid comic club

I would have been in heaven if my parents had bought me 50 books at that age! You have done a lovely thing.

Brilliant👏.
I hope she enjoys them, what a treat. Avid reader and writer - i so wish more children were readers.

She's a lucky little girl and you are a great Mum. I was a huge reader at her age (and I still am) and so many books all at once would have been my idea of heaven. I tended to get them one at a time; (apart from holidays and birthdays) and would get in from school to find a beautiful new paperback waiting for me. Libraries should be utilised as much as possible of course - they allow you to try things out without taking a financial hit if a book doesn't suit you, and many charity shops and secondhand outlets have a lovely range. But having your own, brand-new, fresh off the shelf books is very important when you are a young reader. I'm far from that now, and I still love unpacking new books and finding shelf-space for them. I love having physical copies of books I particularly value and can go back to, time and again. I wish your daughter a lovely summer with her new books; if they carry her over the holidays, they will be good value for money (think how much a pile of plastic tat would set you back) as well as a good way of embedding the reading habit.

don’t forget to do the summer reading challenge at your local library. My DS is volunteering - asking the children about the books they’ve read and giving out the stickers, certificates and medals. It’s a great thing to do over the holidays.

I recommend Podkin One Ear, my Y3 classes always loved it in the summer term. They loved The Abominables too.

New school this year, we've read some Roald Dahl, The Boy who grew Dragons and The Iron Man.

Just wondering, if at 68 I am too old to be adopted for the Summer holidays... I promise to make my bed and then spend all my time in my room reading... I can at a pinch, lay the table for dinner and do the washing up @mamalife1990

We are definitely participating in the summer reading challenge!

That's amazing that your daughter is volunteering

Ah how lovely op!
my dc were all keen readers even as teens (although ds14 is stuck in an endless loop of the Harry potters and then lord of the rings at the moment and doesn’t want to pick up anything else!) and the 2 adult girls even now have books they read on their bedside tables.
as a girl about your dds age I used to be deposited to my grandparents house for the majority of the 6 week holiday and they used to take me to smiths to get myself a few new books every week. I didnt do much while we were there, helped them look after the garden, we’d go for a walk most days, I’d watch telly sometimes go to the park and the most exciting was a trip to Pizza Hut! I was about 10 when I discovered sweet valley high books (anyone else remember those?!), I loved the tv programmes and devoured the books, I remember buying about 5 at a time and they’d be read cover to cover in about 2 days. Simple and very happy days.
Your lucky dd!

I love seeing kids reading and enthusiastic about books. It's so important.

Growing up, we never just bought toys but books were rarely said no to. My 15yr old can't walk past a second hand book shop. Her and my Dad going shopping are dangerous! They just encourage each other! 🤣

That’s brilliant! But do you have a library card? Free, and its sustainable.

I’ve just done similar for me and DS12. Got 8 books each to last us a couple of weeks hopefully.

When I was about 15 my mum gave me a box of books for Christmas. Not 50, but a couple of extra special editions of books I loved then 20 or so books she thought I’d like. One of my best Christmas presents ever.

You have a very fortunate daughter!

Easily done! I did the same thing earlier in the year when buying books for myself, accidentally ended up with roughly 25 new books, a happy accident.

Currently got my eye on a few more, one of which is in a series of 8 so I’m be sure to only buy that on its own, I’m running out of bookcase room

You could spend that amount on a day out for a family, but these she will get to keep and reread a few times maybe.

I think that's a great thing. I hope she will happily devour them. When children get to secondary age the reading often drops off, so it's wonderful if she can read huge amounts at this age.

I loved reading as a child.One Christmas I had 2 copies of Black Beauty.We returned them to the store .I chose a book on Dinosaurs ,Nan was aghast .She thought I would prefer something else.Chap in Book store agreed with me and said exactly what he would have chosen as well!

Aww this is lovely. I remember when I was about 12 my mum saw an ad in the local paper for someone who was selling the entire collection of Sweet Valley High books - we went round and picked up the entire lot, plus extras for a fiver I think.

Never regret buying a book or cat.

Mine are younger and I try to make a really big deal out of books in the hope they become readers! I read around them as much as possible and there’s nothing more fulfilling than reading the stories you read as a child but to your children.
Any time my children go through a new interest phase I try to find as many cool books on it as I can, right now I’ve been buying any vintage or new fairy book.
Awesome books is great for really good quality used books.

I remember working my way through all the sweet valley high books in my local library in the 90s!

You are an ace mum!