Happy 60th bday Boxcar Children

It's no big secret that I love reading. I can spend hours lost in a new story and ignore everything, only returning for the basics - food, water, bathroom.

Just as clear as I remember having peant butter and banana toast for breakfast, I remember the first chapter book I read from front to end. I think it was a whole 90 pages. Thank you Gertrude Chandler Warner for your Box Car Children series, as cheesy as they seem when i now read them. I was in second grade and one of the "slow" readers in the class. We had 20 minutes of silent reading everyday and while my girlfriends fought over who got the Ramona Quimby or Box Car children chapter books, I opted for the short, picture books. I didn't understand the big fuss. And then my friend Francine talked me into try the first Box Car book. Something clicked - I went from struggling to focus on each sentence to being a part of the adventure. I haven't been able to stop reading since those 20 minutes of silent reading in Ms. Bastiani's secondgrade class, - although I have moved on past my Boxcar series.

I tend to have more things I want to read, than I do time. And here are some books on my reading list now:
"Emily of New Moon" (almost done for the third time)
"The Kindness of Strangers" (half way through, but on hold)
"New Moon," (just started)
"The Inheritance" (patiently waiting on my book shelf)
"The Border Legion" (also patiently waiting on my book shelf)

I just love books: I love buying books, I love organizing them on my book shelf, I love cruising shelves at the library, I love visiting second hand book stores, I even love smelling old books. So is it any surprise that I was excited to learn how to make my own books?

That's right - I'm learning how to cut the pages, sew them together and glue to a binding. Scott took a book making class a couple years ago and has offered to teach me how several times. It wasn't until I saw some cute, handmade books in ShopSCAD that I took him up on it.

I don't know who else is interested in learning, but it sure is fun. Here are some book binding directions. Here is another blog I found by a woman who makes handmade heirloom books. I'll be sure to share some pictures of mine once I take some.

PS - Word on the street is that the Box Car Children books are celebrating their 60th birthday! Happy Birthday Henry, Jessie, Violet , and Benny.