We are lucky enough to get many materials donated to us here at the Manteca Branch. What we cannot use at the library goes to the book sale run by the Friends of the Manteca Library. They sell books, dvds, cds, magazines, and children's materials at very reasonable prices. I think most things sell for below $2.00 each. It is a wonderful service run by volunteers and the proceeds support the library and our services.
A book that was donated to us this last week is Barbara Cooney's Miss Rumphius. I recognized the cover very quickly and soon realized it was a book I loved from my childhood. The story is about Miss Alice Rumphius, who at a young age was taught by her grandfather to do something in her lifetime to make the world more beautiful. Miss Rumphius has many adventures (she even works at a library!) but decides she needs to take her grandfather's words to heart and spread beauty around the world. She decides that she is going to plant flowers in as many places as she can and is soon known as "the Lilac Lady." When she is older, Miss Rumphius teaches her niece that she also needs to spread beauty during her lifetime.
This is a really beautiful story with very detailed illustrations. It not only gives a nice lesson to children that will hear or read the story, but adults can apply these lessons to their own lives as well. So if you're in the mood to make the world a little more beautiful, go plant some flowers and read Miss Rumphius!
