Little Windows

Ever since Jan Bloom was here, I've had this uncontrollable urge to scour used books at the library. There are hidden on shelves there, for $.50 or $1, unbelievable treasures. Just like little windows into the world around us, they wait to be discovered and opened once again to reveal their enduring contents.

This one was listed at $3.



The man told me "That one's been sitting there for a while, you can have it for $2."

SOLD.

Can you see, even just from the Table of Contents that it is 'living'?




Seriously, how can you not love a book with a chapter titled "The Beauties and Uses of Dust"?




And here is a poem in the first chapter by Longfellow for the fiftieth birthday of Agassiz, perhaps Louis Agassiz, the paleontologist, glaciologist, geologist?

It was fifty years ago
In the pleasant month of May,
In the beautiful Pays de Vaud,
A child in its cradle lay.

And Nature, the old nurse, took
The child upon her knee,
Saying: "Here is a story-book
Thy Father has written for thee.

"Come, wander with me," she said,
"Into regions yet untrod;
And read what is still unread
In the manuscripts of God."

And he wandered away and away
With Nature, the dear old nurse,
Who sang to him night and day
The rhymes of the universe.

And whenever the way seemed long,
Or his heart began to fail,
She would sing a more wonderful song,
Or tell a more marvelous tale.

So she keeps him still a child,
And will not let him go,
Though at times his heart beats wild
For the beautiful Pays de Vaud.

{sigh}

What a lovely way to introduce a child to a book on Nature; a story-book thy Father has written for thee.

Have you ever had the old nurse sing to you when the way seems long? Her song is so lovely, so soothing.

I have these moments... You can understand why :)

and, what could be better, we are reading Longfellow in YR3, Term 3. Love that AO!

I wonder what treasure may be sitting on the shelves at your library.


FYI, did you know the complete AO booklist from YR 1 - YR11 is available in an excel spreadsheet on this page? You have to scroll down under 'subject resources' where it says "Alphabetized Booklist Years 1-11 arranged by Title or Author" Quite the handy thing to have when scouring shelves!