11 replies to this topic

[Beau]

Okay - I have £100 to spend on books for the storycorner. Most of the books we have at playgroup are old books, many of them donated and in poor condition. I really want the books I buy to be appealing to the children for storytime as well as being a good resource for themes etc. You've probably all got your favourite books that both you and the children love, which get used time and time again. What are they??? :)

[trea]

I got a lot of my books from The Book people, they deliver very quickly and are very reasonably priced, my favourites include

Billy's Bucket
Oliver Find his way
Come On daisy!
Crunching Munching Caterpillar
Sophie's Masterpiece
Any Alfie story!
Big Bear Little Bear

I could go on forever!! Happy spending :D

[bubblejack]

The childrens favourites are.Walking through the Jungle. Bears in the night. The Bear Hunt..AT the moment they prefer the Big Books. Do you have A shop called" The Works "near you. They sell these big books very cheaply now?

[Linda McDowell]

HMMMM, I am a bit of a book fiend! Give me some spare cash and it goes on books.
Some favourites are
Shhh!-don't wake the sleeping giant
The train ride-lovely rhythmic rhyming book
Any books by Mick Inkpen and Neil Butterworth-Lullabyhullaballoo is a good one!
The very hungry caterpillar
The bad tempered ladybird-both good for minibeasts

If I think of any more I will let you know!
Happy spending!!!!
Linda

[Mimi]

The trouble with books is that they go out of print so you can't always get what you want. Our local schools Library Service always have an exhibition of newly published books, it is worth asking if your local schools service does the same. We can also borrow a box of books each term. I keep a note of the popular books so when we get any funds I have a list already. We have also bought some big books very cheaply from Matalan and Costco.

[Linda McDowell]

Oh Yes, if you have a Costco locally then do use it. They have some lovely books at very reasonable prices! I bought some last weekend with sound effects!
Linda

[diane]

'The Book People' is the same lot as 'School Link' (latter selling to parents, etc., and giving free books to setting). Nearby to me (in Cambridge) there is a wonderful shop that sells 'remainders' (a bit like 'The works' but even cheaper) and they sometimes have Big Books for £2. It is a good place to get nice (i.e. lovely authors') books for 50p or so (we use these as Christmas and leaving presents). It just amazes me that books can be so cheap in some places - my children are avid readers, so I buy rather than borrow when buying is 50p. They always want to re-read, anyway.

Recommended books? My favourite for nursery rhyme/fairy tale topics: Each Peach Pear Plum.

It gives a starting point (or run-on) for so many.

If you've never come across this book (it was popular in the late 1970's to late 1980's) it is lovely rhyming text, introducing fairy tale and nursery rhyme characters. I don't have it to hand, but, from memory, it introduces Tom Thumb, Cinderella, Mother Hubbard, The Three Bears (not Goldilocks, lol), Jack and Jill and Baby Bunting (also has Robin Hood and wicked witch). I'm not sure if it still available.

It is one of those books (like Hairy McClairy) that get recited in unison.

Diane.

[Beau]

Thanks for all the ideas - it's given me a good starting point. £100 sounds great until you actually try to spend it and then you realise it's not going to buy as much as you thought. Thats why I want to make the books that I buy count. I had seen the big books in The Works Diane but had completely forgotten so thanks for reminding me about that. :)

Do any of you make up your own storybags? Have often looked at these and thought they looked great but don't know if it's worth the effort.

[bubblejack]

Making up your own story sacks is well worth the effort. Whether used in the book corner during the morning, or a circle time, or when they need calming down quickly, they get all the childrens attention,even the most reluctant listener.I also use finger puppets a lot. I have found a lady at a craft fair who makes the most amazing finger puppets to all of the poular stories. She operates a postal service also.

[hali]

Hi

Do get some big books the children and Ofsted love them, our favourite is the Bear Hunt.....

[Beau]

What books have you used to make up story sacks? Presumably you need non fiction books too - another area we're completely lacking in.

[Sue R]

Carol -
Several points.
1)Definitely worth the effort to make story bags. Good to let children take home as a loan, too, involving parents etc etc...
2)Don't need specific non-fiction. We tend to have a story/rhyme central focus, then include a toy or toys as appropriate,a game, an appropriate tape and a non-fiction book or resource on an appropriate theme. E.G "Who am I" contents: book, by Judith Nicholls; beanie baby frog; ELC'Look how it grows FROG' lifecycle figures(no frogspawn - shucks!!); cassette tape including "Five little speckled frogs"; 2 non-fiction books "Frog" by Moira Butterfield and "In the Pond" by Sarah McKenzie.
3)Nice book suggestions - "Bumpus Jumpus Dinosaurumpus" and "The Commotion in the Ocean", the names of both authors completely elude me. Possibly the same person!

2 and 3 have obvious uses with topics; 2 has advantage of extending with the non-fiction books, as well as involving families and 3 are just plain fab! Also virtually anything by Philippe Dupasquier, who is the most amazing illustrator, with lashings of detail to discover and discuss together.

I could go on forever, books are my passion!

May be back with more, but, as I've said before, happy shopping!!
Sue :D