So Much for Downsizing.

Well, it happened again. I went crazy in a pair of Half Price Bookstores, Barnes and Noble, and Wild Rumpus. I already have more books than I know what to do with and I just bought 17 more. Seriously!

Seven of them are for my classroom. Two of those I already owned but I lost one copy and the other is a favorite I FEAR losing. Three of the other books are biographies: Jim Henson, Beatrix Potter, and P.L. Travers. Two are book club picks for upcoming months. Eat, Pray, Love is on recommendation of Marci. Three Cups of Tea is on recommendation of Muriel. the Miranda July book is one I knew I wanted. The Francine Prose book is all in the spirit of the class we just did since it's about reading like a writer. I love anything Nick Hornby writes. Probably would read his grocery lists if it wouldn't earn me a restraining order. Maybe he should write a children's book and they'd probably accept those documents AND his grocery lists for the Kerlan Collection (some of Karen Hesse's work was written on the backs of envelopes and lists too).

The best bookstore in the world has to be Wild Rumpus. I've talked about this store before. I realize this. On Thursday we got to visit with the owner and hear the history of her store that has managed, in 15 years, to earn a national reputation. It's a visual delight and a very hands on place. Part of its renown has to be the animals.

Meet Alice. She was our pal for most of the visit. All the animals are introduced into the store at birth and so they are used to the activity and little children chasing them around the store. All of their cats are Manx cats because of their temperament. As you can see from these images, the crowds don't seem to bother them one bit.

Of course their range of animals also extends to a tarantula, a chinchilla, a chicken named Elvis, and some rats who live under the floor where kids can watch them through clear panels and see them playing. They see the animals as "coworkers" and are protective of them, but also want the store to be a place where no one is shushed or scolded.


Wild Rumpus is a treasure for more reasons than atmosphere. The collection of children's books extends beyond what many chain bookstores carry. They have the standards one would expect to find in any bookstore, but they also carry many new titles carefully selected and everyone who works there reads and recommends. The store has a little purple door for kids within the main door. And the ceiling looks almost like a cracked egg opening up to the universe beyond. Quite deliberately the store takes on an increasingly wild appearance the deeper one goes in. A visit to Wild Rumpus is a memorable experience from start to finish.