As many of you know, we recently moved. That involved a lot of sorting and boxing. It involved going through all my books, and even finding a few I think I can let go of. This is huge, people. I’d say you have no idea, but then, I know most of you are homeschoolers and probably suffer from a similar weakness for acquiring books faster than you can read (or even shelve!) them.
Anyway, I thought the whole separation process would go much better if I found a happy home for them to go to, so welcome to my first “This Book Needs a New Family” giveaway. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment somehow indicating you want the book and I’ll pick one random winner on Friday, February 12, 2010.
My first book to give away is a fun little adventure story: Tom Swift and His Airline Express by Victor Appleton. What can I say about this book? Well, to begin with, the author definitely listened to his fifth grade English teacher when she told him to never to use the same word twice. In the very first chapter, just after learning young Tom, an inventor and owner of quite a factory, has excellent eyes, he’s caught quite by surprise.
That’s the queerest thing I’ve seen yet!” exclaimed Tom, rubbing his organs of vision. p. 4
And that is why you want this book. The children loved it, and my husband and I laughed all the way to the end. In fact, after stopping for a break from reading in the car it was my husband who called out, “Aw, do we have to stop now?”
It was first published in 1926, as part of a series of books about the inventor Tom and his escapades defending his ideas from the enemies of the Swift Construction Plant. It was actually quite popular in its day, with over 100 titles celebrating Tom Swift. As a homeschooling mom, I thought it provided an interesting peek into the early twentieth century, with its faith in science and technology, honor of wealth and the fruits of hard work, and views toward blacks.
Eradicate, the colored man, is presented as somewhat childlike, fiercely loyal but lacking much of any real purpose (not to mention intelligence). You just don’t get characterizations like this these days:
Of course, Koku and Eradicate insisted on joining in the search, and had it not been that the matter was now getting serious it would have been laughable to watch the giant and the colored man. Each was jealous of the other, each was fearful that the other would be the first to discover Tom. p. 71
So yeah, the book is just begging to spur all sorts of discussions. I know you can’t wait to get started, so leave a comment letting me know how much you would just love to have this book.
Open to anyone in the US or Canada.
Oh, and it is definitely pre-1985 and I know how much y’all love CPSIA, so just imagine its pages dripping with lead and don’t give it to your children.
Roscommon Acres is a place to stop and discuss news and information related to faith, family and particularly education. Turn your children out on the pasture, pour yourself a cup of tea and join the conversation!
Monday, 8. February 2010
would love to have the book
Monday, 8. February 2010
This sounds like a good one! We would all love to have it!
Kristina´s last blog ..Free Thinkers
Monday, 8. February 2010
My son would love that book! He is obsessed with planes and flight and is determined to become a pilot–we have to hear about it each and every day LOL In fact, in the situation that I don’t with
I will just have to note that title down for an Easter gift!
Shawna´s last blog ..EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
Monday, 8. February 2010
I think my son would enjoy this story very much. He is all about science and experiments and technology. He just devoured a biography of Albert Einstein so this would be a fun way to wrap up our study.
Thanks for the opportunity to win!
And I bet you can find at least a few more to get rid of.
Since most of our books are still in the garage it doesn’t seem like we have very many, so I keep buying more. Whoops!
Renae´s last blog ..Introduction to Biblical Poetry
Monday, 8. February 2010
My husband’s philosophy is that since it has been in a box for a month or more and no one has suffered any ill effects, we could just give them all away.
AAAAAHHHH!
Dana´s last blog ..Book Giveaway!
Monday, 8. February 2010
Oh, this sounds awesome! I’d love to read this book to my kids!
Thanks!
roseinthemorning [at] gmail [dot] com
(BTW, My last blog post is not showing up correctly in the “comment luv” forms. Does anyone know why?)
Anita´s last blog ..A Little Blog-Hopping
Monday, 8. February 2010
Weird. And no, I have no idea. I know they’ve changed some things and technically you can choose a post to have come up, but I haven’t played with it. Only noticed an update in my email I didn’t read.
Thank you so much for entering!
Tuesday, 9. February 2010
This sounds good for a young boy like my nephew. Thanks for the chance to win!
Tuesday, 9. February 2010
Sounds like a neat book, thanks for the giveaway!
Tuesday, 9. February 2010
I would love to read this book to my son! Thanks so much!
Tuesday, 9. February 2010
Oh fun! I’m thisclose to being a children’s librarian and love picking up new and old children’s books!
Tuesday, 9. February 2010
I’d love to read this book!
Tuesday, 9. February 2010
Sounds like a awesome book! Thanks for the chance
jason(at)allworldautomotive(dot)com
Tuesday, 9. February 2010
Oh man, I love the cultural anthropology inherent in books like this. We had a grand old one called “Why Shoes Squeak”– the ideas and theories it suggested were wonderfully insane, while being completely logical if a person happened to have been an adult in the 1940s.
Plus, I’d love to go through this one and count up actual Swifties.
Carapace´s last blog ..No Ring on This Finger, No Walls on the This Sky Dark Goddesses Lilith Print
Tuesday, 9. February 2010
Looks like a great book!
I would love to win it & read it to/with my son, he very much enjoys books with “old” covers. He was upset that the library copy of the “Land of Oz” wasn’t an old looking book like the “Wizard of Oz” we took out. This book looks perfect!
Thanks for the opportunity
Wednesday, 10. February 2010
Sounds like a great read. I would love to add this to my book collection.
Wednesday, 10. February 2010
Would love to own this book. I’m a mom of a 9 year old boy, collector of rare and collectible books, AND a librarian….Can you tell, I’d really love it?
Wednesday, 10. February 2010
My kids beg us to read books (until our voices give out). It sounds like a really neat book. Thanks for the giveaway.
Thursday, 11. February 2010
I’m game to enter. I have an almost 12yo (“aspergerish” kiddo) who LOVES to read & is constantly asking for new reading material. Being I’m choosey for them (which he does appreciate
) it’s tough to find the good stuff. Sounds like a goodie here he might really enjoy. And he has 6 other sibs who might appreciate it as well. It even might make a nice read aloud… my severe boys tend to enjoy that. And it would make it to the “keep up high out of reach of autie sibs & twin toddlers grabbing range!” LOL… 
Michele´s last blog ..And Piccolo Sings
Thursday, 11. February 2010
…ooops, meant 5 other sibs (not inferring anything in the slip LOL).
Michele´s last blog ..And Piccolo Sings
Thursday, 11. February 2010
Ooooh Book! I am such a bibliomaniac. Please enter me. Thanks!
Anna-Marie´s last blog ..Best PrincipledMom Posts of 2009
Thursday, 11. February 2010
Would love to read this.
Friday, 12. February 2010
Would love to read the book. Thanks for the wonderful giveaway