If you aren’t checking out your library’s book sale shelf, then you are missing out! I cannot begin to express the number of wonderful books I have found on these shelves — ranging in price from 25 cents to $1. These are hard-bound books that often retail for as much as $20 online or in a store. As a lover of folktales, this is what I am always on the lookout for. And since I visit a LOT of libraries, I check out the sales at each place that I go.

Usually, I’ll find one or two treasures, but sometimes I’ll get really lucky. That was the case at my last stop during my Toledo tour. I had arrived early to get set up, but since the program was going to take place in the middle of the library, in a somewhat high-traffic area and not in a separate meeting room, I decided to hold-off on setting up so that no children would trip on any of my props, etc.

With time to kill, I veered over to the book carts holding the sale items and began to peruse. I couldn’t believe my luck! I found a couple of Anansi stories, a collection of Latin American tales, an Ethiopian version of a famous Asian tale, a re-telling of an African folktale I came across during my trip to South Africa, and some great stories that I’d never heard of but that quickly captured my attention!

I walked out with a stack of ten hard-cover books for the low price of $5! And I couldn’t have been happier! I can’t wait for my next treasure-hunting experience, and I hope that you’ll join in on the fun the next time you visit your library. You never know just what you may find!