When I was a young child, I remember going to our local free public library about once a week with my family. My parents thought reading was important and that was their way of encouraging my sister and I to read. Also, it didn't hurt that it didn't cost them anything but their time.
Since our lives are so busy and hectic, we actually rarely have time to go to the library, except during summer vacation. I find it easier to just order books for my children through their school to support their classrooms and to shop for books online. I buy the most books for our oldest son, who is currently 9. Even at an early age, he was an avid reader. I actually do not mind buying books for him because he loves them so much and these books will get passed down to his two younger siblings.
It seemed like overnight that our son went from reading his first book with chapters to reading books written for 7th and 8th graders. I quickly realized that I should not bother buying him books that were under 150 pages, otherwise he would finish the book in one sitting. Now most of the books I buy for him are 300+ pages long. Another thing I started to realize is that longer books also cost more, even in paperback. That's when I transitioned from buying new books to shopping for bargain books and like-new used books whenever possible. This was a big step for me because I rarely feel comfortable with buying anything used, aside from cars and wood furniture. I have to admit that it has worked out well for us. My son still enjoys the books just as much as if I had not paid a fraction of the price for them.
Were do you shop for books?
