A Bargain, A Book Review, and a Blue-ribbon Website

Part I: A Book Review
One of my favorite read-alouds from this year was the Grandma's Attic series by Arleta Richardson. I love that even though the books are recommended for ages 9-12, the stories appeal to everyone. I remember having and reading the second book in the series when I was growing up. When I was newly married, I discovered a friend owned the whole series and I devoured it! Somehow I forgot about the books, though, until last year. The series (which has been our of print) was re-released by the publisher, David C. Cook. Between my sister Kati's collection and the inter-library loan system, I rounded up the first four books and began reading to the kids.

The first four books (called the Grandma's Attic Series) are a collection of short stories each centering around the author's grandmother, Mabel, and her best friend, Sarah Jane. The girls usually end up in some sort of trouble or predicament, but each chapter ends with a resolution and a pointing to God's truths. The last five books (called the Grandma's Attic Novels) in the series are complete stories (not short stories) and deal with Mabel and Sarah Jane when they are older (college, marriage, etc.). They are still recommended for the same reading level, but I decided to wait awhile before reading these to the kids. However, I am still anxious to reread them myself which leads me to...

Part II: A Bargain and a Blue-Ribbon Website
I got two of the novels for Christmas this year, but these books are hard to find! Amazon is continually sold out, the library doesn't have them, our local Christian book store is hit-and-miss. In my search for these books, I stumbled upon Thriftbooks.com. I found the first book I need Sixteen and Away From Home (now published under the title Away From Home) for 1 cent. Yes, a penny plus shipping! The other books I need Eighteen and A School of Her Own (now published under A School of Her Own) and At Home in North Branch were also on the website for less than a quarter apiece! The only down-side I've found is that you pay for shipping per book as opposed to per order, but when you are getting books so cheap, that hardly matters.