I've only been subscribed to Money Saving Mom for a couple of weeks and this is a most wonderful offer I've seen since becoming one of her blog readers. I found this a bit late, just this morning, at Lisa's From Me blog but it's still available yet today, Saturday, February 28th.

Money Saving Mom has teamed with Behemoth:

"...a brand-new website offering cost-effective trustworthy, downloadable audio and video content for the Christian family, is giving away a free $100 value download to each and every reader here...the smartest websites and business ventures to have been launched in the last year--maybe in the last five or ten years. If you are looking for high-quality and affordable downloadable media including music, feature films, audio dramas, sermons, and more..."

and they are offering "The Best of the Entrepreneurial Bootcamp: Twenty Messages Explaining a Real-World Vision for Biblically-Principled Entrepreneurship and Families Working Together"

I also purchased two other audio books: the You Are There! World History Collection of Old Time Radio Shows by Joshua Phillips and one from the Landmark history series The Magna Charta by Newbery Award-winning author James Daugherty.

Hat Tip: Lisa of From Me

Winnie-the-Pooh never had his books made illegal or taken away. In fact, all he could do for a week was listen to the Christopher Robin read books. He preferred honey for eating but he wanted his books and stories for nourishment which sustained him in another way during his time of "great tightness":

"....'A week!' said Pooh gloomily. 'What about meals?' . . . 'I'm afraid no meals,' said Christopher Robin . . . but we will read to you.' Pooh began to sigh, and then found he couldn't because he was so tightly stuck; and a tear rolled down his eye, as he said: 'Then would you read a Sustaining Book, such as would help and comfort a Wedged Bear in Great Tightness?' So for a week Christopher Robin read that sort of book at the North end of Pooh...." Pooh Goes Visiting, my 1961 copy of Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne, E. P. Dutton & Co., Inc.

Now, more and more children are dealing with their own "great tightness" of inner, personal struggles from threats of and/or real monetary and job loss of their parents, for the day-to-day loss of needs, security and comforts in their family life. Not by their own design or fault they have become "wedged children in great, great, great tightness" as the threats and actual losses press in on them with great weight. Yet, our government has decided that another loss is necessary for the children so that they can be protected -- all pre-1985 books are hazardous for them, must be kept from them, and are illegal to sell because of possible harm from lead content. Books for the purpose of reading and learning instead of physically chewing or eating. Sequestering their favorite pre-1985 books means that the books will no longer be on the library shelves to borrow or found at a used resell book store to purchase. Many homeschool curriculum distributors will not have these books to supplement their curriculum and homeschool used book sellers will not be able to sell these books. Garage and rummage sales will be different with no books (and children's clothing & toys). Most of the small handmade businesses, crafts and clothes and toys were started precisely because of putting children and their safety first. Making all these products and books illegal to sell -- forbidding these books to children already in difficult situations takes away another comfort from them. When there has not been one child harmed by a book containing lead, how is this thinking of children's safety, security, well-being, and comfort?

BUT I have to admit, in our home, pre-1985 books ARE for chewing, eating, tasting, drinking -- we feast on them every day and some times it is quite a banquet. My personal collection of books began with books given to me by my grandfather when I was young (this is one of them). My two daughters and I have continued to build our home library the past 18+ years so we are surrounded by books. Those of you who feast on books yourselves won't need an explanation but for anyone wondering what that means, there is a simple, clearly defined explanation* at the bottom of my post. Through the years we've read many, many books -- wonderful books that nourish our souls with echoes of enduring and eternal ideas far more grand than our own. These books of stories, histories, lore, fables and tales have come from the mind-hearts of other people and entered inside us to touch our own mind-hearts. We've been introduced to people we would never have known, related to them and almost "know" them. We've been "stay-at-home travelers" and taken to places and times we've never been or ever will be able to go. Examples of the struggle between doing right or wrong and the consequence of each stir our emotions: we laugh with the silliness, rejoice at goodness, grieve with suffering, abhor and shun evil, become encouraged and directed to make our own moral choices of good and righteous works or take responsibility when we've failed to do so. The stories help us learn, freely and voluntarily, to have patience and sympathy and understanding with other people and their circumstances who are different than ourselves. Our storybooks and histories reflect our true selves; reveal our sins and imperfections, record our inability to measure up to the standard -- we fall far short -- not everything we’ve done has been noble. Reading and looking at both examples allows for precious moments, precious discussions, through the years, all for molding my daughter's character, teaching them to be either loving or hateful.

And there's more sustaining "dainties" from "drinking ink" and "eating pages" of our books: the events of our own lives become a part of the big picture and we feel connected to our family and other people. As I grew up reading, I found stories reinforced some of the very values my own parents conveyed to me. I, in turn, passed them on to my daughters. One such example is that as humans we experience tragic, painful, uncertain situations, it's nothing new. The characters the stories come through it sharing a commonality of suffering - depending on one another and helping one another. An example we, the readers, can take to heart and experience too. AND, for our family, we found in some of our stories that even through these situations there still is The Someone who remains the same, has ultimate authority and wisdom; who governs all of life, sustains structure and order in the events of all life and is working in our behalf because He loves us, because we love Him and seek His mercy. Because of this, life can be lived at its best even though we are not perfect human beings and life is not perfect. There's something far bigger, far more grand than this good but temporary life. What security and safety and comfort we have known from reading these nourishing books.

These "meals" of books have made us more aware we are important and do have a valuable part in the large "Story of Life" but in a way that governs and directs us out away from ourselves, away from self-absorption so we voluntarily wish to love and serve each other, our friends and neighbors. Some of the crumbs under the table have been even more tasty, feeding us with realization we don't have much original thought after all and that our greatest calling in life is to "...do justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly..." -- in all areas of our lives, a continual day-by-day process, not having arrived -- all good lessons, making us hungry for more, to be related to and used in real, day-to-day life with our family, friends, and neighbors.

All these wonderful "dainties" found in books dated before 1985 -- all these books which are now illegal to sell -- at a time when the children could use these books most. They are going to be unavailable because of some unproven claim of harm from lead on pages -- all for children and their safety. Yes, there are other, newer books just as good but these older books are a part of us and our history too. Some can never be replaced once destroyed. These books are our precious gifts, to be read and enjoyed but will soon be lost forever unless this law is amended. This is about the books, yes, and small businesses, BUT it is as equally about the CHILDREN because of what children get out of and find within these books, what remains a part of them forever. Don't children need to meet these people, travel to these places, find encouragement and inspiration to be all they were created to be? These very books and stories are gifts to help them with all this. We adults need them too. I know I do. Children NEED these books and stories to be safe, secure, and protected. When will children be truly protected?

I love my two daughters. From the first day I held each of them in my arms, felt their breath on my cheek, and watched their tiny fingers wrap around my finger, I knew I would do all that is within my power to love them and protect them from harm. It was my desire to do so and something no one needed to tell me to do or how to do it. They were and still are my most precious gifts, unique and wonderful individuals, who have grown to be lovely young ladies. When they were young, I voluntarily decided which toys and items I allowed them to come in contact with or to keep from them if I thought unsafe. Most often it was the TINY easily broken toys and special items I didn't want broken. I most certainly never left them alone long enough to chew on items other than ones specifically designed for just that purpose. Now with more knowledge and awareness of toxic ingredients, I for one am certainly in agreement with protecting children from lead and phthalates. Even though my daughters are older and well beyond the "chewing stage", I think it is *my* responsibility to protect *my* daughters and would think myself negligent if I didn't. One of the things I did TO PROTECT them when they were young was to give them good books filled with all these wonderful ideas to help them and nourish their souls. I read good books to them, with them, talked with them about the *IDEAS* within the stories -- some of these very books that are now illegal, which occupy our home. We still read together, we still talk about the ideas, it's something we rarely miss -- my daughters and I are less protected and less safe if these books and ideas are destroyed. Not only because the stories won't be available to us but because our government is taking them from us and I never ask them to. I am putting children, my daughters first, I am protecting my daughters now by sharing and voicing my opinion to amend this horrible law.

If it seems this law can't possibly be used in a wrong way or preferentially to select a particular business, group or person, consider that it is *already* able to be used incorrectly by the field investigators because it's been stated it's not likely that thrift shops will be a priority for enforcing the law, which means it's OK for the investigators to randomly pick and choose other businesses and booksellers they will enforce it on:

"...an item-by-item enforcement at thrift shops is unlikely to be an enforcement priority any time soon for the Consumer Product Safety Commission's 100 field investigators..." Forbes: Scrap The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act

So what will determine which cottage industries, which small businesses this pertains to? How will a small used book seller be sure his business won't be one of the priority businesses? How are children protected when these businesses will no longer have the material goods they need? How will parents protect and keep their children safe if they can't supply basic needs of their children that they had depended on the thrift and re-sell stores for? Why wasn't this law designated for products specifically for children ages six and under, or for that matter three and under, those most prone to putting things in their mouths? Why are the things children need most being taken from them and declared illegal?

DeputyHeadmistress of The Common Room has her say about the attempt to exploit actual children's deaths for the purpose of emotionally manipulating and marginalizing small business people, seamstresses, craftspeople, booksellers, and others opposed to the CPSIA.... Also see her current CPSIA Wednesday and an update on the sub-committees cancelling the meeting with Rick Woldenberg.

Tristan Benz writes about her concern of how this will destroy our connection to our past and also shares her five favorites destroyed by CPSIA.

More info: Children's Books In Dumpsters: Washington's Madness Continues, Dr. Suess Meets The CPSIA, For The Children?, Death Warrants For Thousands Of Companies, and here.

There's still time to contact our representatives to encourage them to amend this law, to make it better so it can truly protect children and be a law we are confident in and proud of.

Senator Jim DeMint introduced/sponsored his Senate version reform bill S.374 or here. See actual House version bill H.R.968 here or H.R. 968. Also more info here: United States Senator Jim DeMint.

The list of names below are the members on the House Committee - they are the people to contact to tell that this bill can be fixed, amended, and made better - links are to their online email or twitter:

Sen. John Rockefeller [D-WV] Phone: 202.224.6472 Fax: 202.224.7665
Sen. Kay Hutchison [R-TX] Phone: 202.224.5922 Fax: 202.224.0776
Sen. Mark Begich [D-AK] Phone: 202.224.3004
Sen. Barbara Boxer [D-CA] Phone: 202.224.3553 Fax: 202.228.1338
Twitter: Barbara_Boxer
Sen. Samuel Brownback [R-KS] Phone: 202.224.6521 Fax: 202.228.1265
Sen. Maria Cantwell [D-WA] Phone: 202.224.3441 Fax: 202.228.0514
Sen. Byron Dorgan [D-ND] Phone: 202.224-2551 Fax: 202.224.1193
Sen. John Ensign [R-NV] Phone: 202.224-6244 Fax: 202.228.2193
Twitter: JohnEnsign
Sen. Daniel Inouye [D-HI] Phone: 202.224-3934 Fax: 202.224.3934
Sen. John Isakson [R-GA] Phone: 202.224.3643 Fax: 202.228.0724
Sen. Mike Johanns [R-NE] Phone: 202.224.4224 Fax: 202.228.0436
Sen. John Kerry [D-MA] Phone: 202.224.2742 Fax: 202.224.8525
Sen. Amy Klobuchar [D-MN] Phone: 202.224.3244 Fax: 202.228.2186
Sen. Frank Lautenberg [D-NJ] Phone: 202.224-3224 Fax: 202.228.4054
Sen. Mel Martinez [R-FL] Phone: 202.224.3041 Fax: 202.228.5171
Twitter: MelMartinez
Sen. Claire McCaskill [D-MO] Phone: 202.224.6154 Fax: 202.228.6326
Twitter: clairecmc
Sen. Bill Nelson [D-FL] Phone: 202.224.5274 Fax: 202.228.2183
Sen. Mark Pryor [D-AR] Phone: 202.224.2353 Fax: 202.228.0908
Sen. Olympia Snowe [R-ME] Phone: 202.224.5344 Fax: 202.224.1946
Sen. John Thune [R-SD] Phone: 202.224.2321 Fax: 202.228.5429
Sen. Tom Udall [D-NM] Phone: 202.224.6621 Fax:
Twitter: tomudall
Sen. Mark Warner [D-VA] Phone: 202.224.2023 Fax:202.224.6295
Twitter: MarkWarner


Get your own real button from Geek Details or see here and Hat Tip to 5 kids and a dog

This is one of my favorite books, A Cow in the House by Mabel Watts, illustrated by Katherine Evans, copyright 1956 Follett Publishing Company -- a short, simple story of a farmer and his wife who became uncomfortable in their small house and how they were able to make it large enough to their satisfaction and contentment. Farmer went to Grandpa Wiseman for help and advice and found an interesting solution to the problem. I won't tell the solution to their problem. I hope you can get the book and read it yourself. *IF* you still can, I don't know.


I've shared more of our favorite illegal to sell pre-1985 books (amend the CPSIA) here and here. This Mister Linky is a way for anyone to share their own "Favorite Pre-1985 Children's Books (CPSIA Illegal To Sell)" from a post at their personal blog or site. If there are memorable books that touched your heart and life and you wish to participate, after you've posted about your "Favorite Pre-1985 Children's Books (CPSIA Illegal To Sell)" (as many as you'd like) at your own blog/site then:

1. add your name
2. add the actual *POST* url to your "Favorite Pre-1985 Children's Books (CPSIA Illegal To Sell)" post, not your main blog/site url
3. leave a comment (optional)
4. contact your representatives with phone call, email, and letters (strictly up to you and your conscience)
5. spread the word and tell others to share their favorite books here too
6. read and enjoy the precious gifts of "dainties bred in books"







(*explanation: of course we don't physically or literally eat or chew on books or drink ink but have done so only internally, in our mind-hearts.)

Here is a wonderful book, Time Was, with a copyright 1941 by Hildegard Woodward. Five different families live without one of the modern conveniences for a time until they are able to acquire the "foolish, frivolous, costly contraptions" as Grandfather Swift calls them in the first story: The FAMILY who had never had a clock". Eventually each family improved their lives for the better with the "new inventions and technology" of their day: The FAMILY who had never had a sewing machine", The FAMILY who had never had a bath-tub", The FAMILY who had never had roller skates", and The FAMILY who had never had an automobile".






And here you can find out from DeputyHeadmistress of The Common Room about the "BIG TOYMAKERS" who helped this law along:

"From my own research and reading, it appears to me that the big toymakers came on board after realizing they couldn't stop the CPSIA trainwreck. They didn't lobby for it as much as they lobbied to have some say in it, and to avoid looking like greedy businesses unconcerned with the little guy. Look where that got them...."

Distinctly Different has pictures of more wonderful "pre-1985 illegal to sell" books at CPSIA Illegal Books.

Val researched and found this information and posted at her Bookroom blog:

Lead poisoning can cause serious harm and has hurt many people throughout history. At high levels, lead can cause disability, even death–but there’s an interesting side to the recent history of lead “toxicity.”

In 1960, the toxic lead level was 60 micrograms/deciliter (mcg/dl)
In 1970, 40 mcg/dl
In 1975, 35 mcg/dl
In 1985, 25 mcg/dl
In 1991, 10 mcg/dl

Yes, lead levels that were considered safe and healthy just 20 or 30 years ago are now considered toxic and, yes, the “toxic” lead level did drop by more than half in just the six years between 1985 and 1990.

There’s a push right now to drop it to 5 mcg/dl–or lower.

In 2000 (the last year for which I could find complete data), 0.001% of American children had a blood lead level that would have been considered toxic in 1985, and all estimates point toward a further decrease since then. You can imagine that there wouldn’t be many lead programs left to fund if we didn’t keep changing the definition of “lead poisoning.”

The effects of lead on the human body haven’t changed and lead levels under 40-50 mcg/dl still generally call for no treatment other than discovering and avoiding lead and repeating the testing. What are we told time and time again about modern lead poisoning? “Lead poisoning is invisible. There are no symptoms, and it can only be detected by testing.” (There are now and always have been symptoms over 60-70 mcg/dl.)

The progressive decrease in the lead toxicity scale has been based almost exclusively on large studies detecting very small and weak correlations between blood lead levels and IQ. Two points in one study, four points in another, eight points in a third–and from those we, supposedly, somehow know that minute quantities of lead actually cause deficiencies in mental development.

Medical researchers would very much like to be exempted from the rules of logic, but even for them, the principle applies: correlation does not imply causation. Or, post hoc ergo propter hoc, which is a fancy Latin way of supposing that because the rooster’s crow precedes the sunrise, all that noise wakes the sun.

Maybe minimal amounts of lead cause a lower IQ, but maybe children with slightly lower IQ’s have a slightly greater tendency to chew on paint chips.

A population with “toxic” lead levels and IQ’s 4-8 points below average shares many other characteristics. A child with a blood lead level over 10 mcg/dl tends to be the child of lower income unemployed or minimally employed immigrants who speak English as a second language, lives in an urban area in run-down rental housing, tends to be less well-nourished than the general population, tends to go to an inferior public school, and tends to be dosed with folk and herbal remedies. Besides these kinds of characteristics, which are repeatedly stated in the literature directly or indirectly, there are likely dozens if not hundreds more correlations, probably including such things as sleep habits, food preferences, and entertainment choices.

Within a group like this there may be millions or more possible relationships among combinations of lifestyle data points. This being the case, it’s impossible to assign one particular characteristic as being the cause of another particular characteristic. For all that we know, within this group, the difference in IQ has nothing whatsoever to do with (even) relative intelligence and everything to do with differences in culture, language, and life experience.

At these very low levels, which were formerly considered entirely benign, lead may still be a harmless variant.

Why is it that there is a tiny difference in IQ between very low and low lead levels–and an almost equally tiny difference in IQ between very low and moderate lead levels? Why does a much greater dose of lead not make a more severe impact on intelligence, if it is really lead that is making the difference at low levels?

There’s actually a fascinating set of correlations among 1) the dramatic disappearance of symptomatic lead poisoning in the United States, 2) a decrease in federal funds directed against lead poisoning, 3) progressive revisions of toxicity standards, and 4) vigorous appeals for more federal money. Not that correlation implies causation here either, but what’s good enough for the gander’s certainty is plenty good enough for this goose’s tentative hypothesis.

I tend to think that if less medical research were funded by the government there would be far fewer efforts to use weak correlations and remote, relative risks to create useless headlines and a great deal more interest in the far more naturally lucrative business of relieving people of painful and debilitating illnesses.

Without government funding we most likely wouldn’t have the enormous and tremendously expensive Nurses’ Health Study, which recently released the latest “relative risk” gem among many. They’ve now discovered that women who drink four or more cups of coffee per day have a 20% lower risk of stroke. In fact, this correlation proves nothing about either strokes or coffee. This data notwithstanding, for all we know about causation, four or more cups of coffee per day might not be such a good choice for some stroke-prone women.

A lead level over 10 mcg/dl (or 20 mcg/dl) might decrease IQ. It’s certainly possible, but we have no evidence that it’s so.

Read more about Children's Books in Dumpsters: Washington's Madness Continues from the LewRockwell.com also linked at Val's blog.

Now for another CPSIA "illegal" to sell, beautiful old book:


































































from pages 16-17: "Francois helped his grandmother wait upon the stranger. Many times wanderers came to their door, for they knew that Grandmother Louise Jumblin would never turn them away without food and a warm place to sleep. When the stranger had been cared for and was resting by the open hearth, Mother and Father Millet came in from the courtyard with Uncle Charles and sat down with the children to hot bowls of soup and crusty bread. But Francois could not wait for the others to finish their evening meal. He slipped down from the bench and taking the heavy Bible to the bright firelight, he stretched out before the hearth and with a piece of charred wood, began to copy the pictures that he found on its old worn pages. This was always the best part of the day for Francois, for now he could draw to his heart's content. Soon Mother Millet and Grandmother Louise were busy with their spinning. Father Millet, too, was seated near the warm fire. In his hands was a ball of clay that he had dug from the earth and moistened with water. He liked to spend long evenings molding animals or whittling flowers from wood with his sharp knife..."

See more of our favorite books which are now illegal to sell here.

Get your own real button from Geek Details or see here and Hat Tip to 5 kids and a dog

Love Lives

Sweet Valentine's Day Kahlua Cake

I have many, many books I wish I had the time to share here. Some I have done so at our "Favorite Picture Story Books" and my "Wanted List".

At my Seven Pillar Book Nook I have lists of a few of our various favorite series:

What is a ___? by Benefic Press

How They Lived.... by Garrard Publishing

Real People Biographies by Row Peterson & Company

The Buildings of.... by Helen and Richard Leacroft

The Young.... by Roy Publishers

and a few of our favorite authors:

Frank North Shankland

Mary Chubb

Olive Earle

The Children's Hour 10 Volume Set by Eva March Tappan

The Children's Hour by Henry Wadworth Longfellow from the above set

Squirrels and Other Fur-Bearers by John Burroughs and Friends of the Forest by Frank North Shankland

The Apple Dumpling from The Story-Teller by Maud Lindsay

Lo and Behold!, A Cape Cod Mystery by Myna Lockwood

Millet Tilled the Soil by Sybil Deucher and Opal Wheeler

Time Was by Hildegard Woodward

The Cow in the House by Mabel Watts & Favorite Pre-1985 Children's Books (CPSIA to Sell) Meme - join in and add your own pictures of your favorite pre-1985 books.

....all of these books will **NOT** be available to purchase or read or own. They're not illegal to own or read but they **ARE ILLEGAL** to sell or trade.

DeputyHeadmistress of the The Common Room started sharing wonderful books from her home library that are now illegal to sell (not own) and even more here at The CPSIA Could lead to a paucity of language -- which motivated me to share some of our own favorite books. Thank you for sharing your books DeputyHeadmistress! Love2Learn has her own "Illegal Books".

Hopefully, some thing can be done to keep all these books from being destroyed and small businesses from closing their doors.

Right now, there are two bills being introduced to amend the current CPSIA law.

Congressman Roscoe Bartlett and Congressman John Shadegg are currently introducing/sponsoring an amendment which in the House Bill: H.R. 968 or follow the bill here: H.R. 968 -- Senator Jim DeMint has introduced/sponsored an amendment which in the Senate bill: S.374 at Senator Jim DeMint's site here: United States Senator Jim DeMint --

Here's the list of the members on the House Committee - they are the people to contact to tell that this bill can be fixed, amended, and made better:

Sen. John Rockefeller [D-WV]
Sen. Kay Hutchison [R-TX]
Sen. Mark Begich [D-AK]
Sen. Barbara Boxer [D-CA]
Sen. Samuel Brownback [R-KS]
Sen. Maria Cantwell [D-WA]
Sen. Byron Dorgan [D-ND]
Sen. John Ensign [R-NV]
Sen. Daniel Inouye [D-HI]
Sen. John Isakson [R-GA]
Sen. Mike Johanns [R-NE]
Sen. John Kerry [D-MA]
Sen. Amy Klobuchar [D-MN]
Sen. Frank Lautenberg [D-NJ]
Sen. Mel Martinez [R-FL]
Sen. Claire McCaskill [D-MO]
Sen. Bill Nelson [D-FL]
Sen. Mark Pryor [D-AR].
Sen. Olympia Snowe [R-ME]
Sen. John Thune [R-SD]
Sen. Tom Udall [D-NM]
Sen. Mark Warner [D-VA]

Valerie of Jacobsen Books and her The Bookroom blog has UPDATED RESEARCED ACCURATE INFO FROM CPSC PRESS RELEASES HERE, the following info below and contact numbers at Make Some Calls:

It shouldn’t take too much time to make a few calls. I was only on hold for more than 30 seconds at the White House.

CHANGE THAT! Flood them with calls. “The more calls, the more influence.”

Senate Commerce Committee 202-224-5115
Majority–202-224-0411
Minority–202-224-1251
(Becky Hooks takes care of this for the minority.)

Commerce committee members are listed at members http://commerce.senate.gov/members.htm

Call those senators!

House Commerce Committee (202) 225-2927

Commerce committee members are listed at Commerce
http://energycommerce.house.gov/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
Click on “About the Committee” and then click on the “Membership” tab.

Call those representatives.

You can also call–
White House Comment Line 202-456-6213
Your State Senators (both)
Your Representative
Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy 202-205-6533
CPSIA Sponsor Henry Waxman 202-225-3976 or 323-651-1040
CPSIA Sponsor Bobby Rush 202-225-4372 or 773-224-6500
CPSC Small Business Ombudsman 888-531-9070 or sbo@cpsc.gov
Senate Small Business & Entrepreneurship 202-224-5175
House Small Business 202-225-4038
House Committee Education & Labor 202-225-3725 (think: schools and libraries)

If it seems this law can't possibly be used in a wrong way or preferentially to select a particular business, group or person, consider that it is *already* able to be used incorrectly by the field investigators because it's been stated it's not likely that thrift shops will be a priority for enforcing the law, which means it's OK for the investigators to randomly pick and choose other businesses/books they will enforce it on:

"...an item-by-item enforcement at thrift shops is unlikely to be an enforcement priority any time soon for the Consumer Product Safety Commission's 100 field investigators..." Forbes: Scrap The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act

So what will determine which cottage industries, which small businesses this pertains to? How will a small used book seller be sure his business won't be one of the priority businesses? Most small, home businesses of safe, handmade products for children were started precisely because of their concern for children's safety. They want safe products for children and they began to produce natural, safe products but even now many are concerned with, and even alarmed by, the unclear, general, non-specific terms.

This bill **IS** a problem for cottage industries and Valerie comments with correct information to the HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association) erroneous statements on this issue at her: No Problem for Cottage Industries?

There's time to call and ask for support of the amendment which will be an improvement for making this a better law, protect children AND prevent small businesses and childrens books from being destroyed.


Get your own real button from Geek Details or see here and Hat Tip to 5 kids and a dog

See more of our favorite books which are now illegal to sell here.

Lo and Behold, A Cape Cod Mystery by Myna Lockwood is one of my favorite childhood books. It's one of the books that started me on my way to collecting copies of my favorite books and eventually starting my home library. I always watch for copies of this book. This one had a dusk jacket which my other copies lacked so when I found it at an online used book seller's store, I was thrilled. I purchased it last week and received it the mail yesterday, America's book burning day, February 10, 2009. Now, I'm so glad I ordered it when I did! I will not be able to do this much longer -- it's really illegal right now -- which means I will not be able to purchase books such as this one. It's a book for a child under the age of twelve, copyright in 1945, waaaayyyy before 1985 and is for the purpose of actually reading and according to the new CPSIA law these books are illegal unless tested for lead content. None of the older, out-of-print books from our Seven Pillars Book Nook home library list of "Favorite Picture Story Books" or my "Wanted List" will be legal for selling, purchasing, swapping, or bartering. I'm not sure I will be able to do much more with acquiring other titles on my "Wanted List" if the books won't be available any longer at used books stores or any other places I've purchased them in the past. :(

I posted earlier about the CPSIA here and here which has to do with child safety. Children's books are just one of the items affected by our wonderful new child safety law. Testing for lead is most definitely a good thing and necessary. If ever there was a mom for child safety it is me, as my daughters will testify to. I think it is my responsibility to do all within my power to keep my children safe. It's **NOT** the government's job. I voluntarily refused to purchase specific toys and products that I thought unsafe for my daughters as they were growing up. I most certainly never left them alone long enough to chew through an entire book. Instead, I preferred to explain and teach them that books were not for chewing, throwing, stepping on, banging with, drawing on, etc., and then showed them how to carefully hold them. Most important, they knew books were for reading. (Do our representatives **READ** bills any more??!!??) I'm all for getting lead out of products and keeping our children safe but what are the products with the most lead found in them? Where do they come from? Why are they rewarded with a pass?

I am so sick and sad right now, more depressed really. The law went into effect just yesterday, outlawing all children's books for age 12 and under, copyrighted before 1985. They can no longer be sold or bartered or given away unless they have been tested. Some thrift stores are no longer selling them, they're removing them from their shelves and putting the books in the dumpsters as trash. This summer I will not be able to put these books (or other toys and children items) in a garage sale either.

The general public is mostly unaware of this law. I wasn't aware of it until only last month. Our representatives themselves are not fully aware of what they have done by making this law. They were unaware that it would have anything to do with books. How well did they think through this bill??!!?? Its been stated that:

"...an item-by-item enforcement at thrift shops is unlikely to be an enforcement priority any time soon for the Consumer Product Safety Commission's 100 field investigators..." Forbes: Scrap The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act

It's not likely an enforcement priority any time soon!!!! Even though this isn't a well-thought out law nor a good one as it is now, what, pray tell, does that say for the respect of the law??!!?? What will prevent it from becoming misused for preferentially targeting a particular group or person? Who will be targeted and who will be by passed? Since there aren't clearly defined guidelines as to what exactly is an "ordinary" book and what exactly is a "collectible" book AND what is exactly enforceable, who knows "What will be enforced?". Will anyone want to risk selling or trading these books??!!??

Read about the Jacobsen Books family business, in a blog interview with Valerie Jacobsen & her "Living Books" here from Breaking Bookselling News BookThink.com. More of her comments here: I wasn't thrilled with the exception... and We own a small, local used bookstore...

Not being able to sell books is one horrible thing that makes me so very sad, for all those used book businesses and families. Even for myself and family, as I won't be able to pass on duplicate older children books to other like-minded families as I once did at our Seven Pillars Book Nook. Disrespect for law saddens me and disturbs me. I'm also saddened and sickened that more of my parental rights are deemed the government's responsibility. Along with the physical books being considered hazardous and banned, I'm very grieved that all my children's cultural heritage found in these wonderful books is being destroyed. Now, the government is banning, destroying children's books, all for good reason and in the guise of protecting children. Where have I heard of this before? I am heartsick.

Read the CPSC's guide to the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) for Small Businesses, Resellers, Crafters, and Charities. A bit more defined but still uncertain.

Small businesses in very state are being affected by this yet we're supposed to be stimulating our economy and getting it back on track???!!!!

The Common Room has this information:

Books Destroyed
Congressional Scofflaws
Taking A Break
My Local Thrift Shop
CPSIA Roundup
There's a Difference Between a Policy and a Law

Plus, more here - CPSIA and Vintage Books:

"As readers are aware, the Consumer Product Safety Commission yesterday advised thrift stores and other resellers and distributors of used goods to discard (unless they wished to test for lead or take other typically unpractical steps such as contacting manufacturers) children’s books printed before 1985 and a very wide range of other children’s products, including apparel and playthings...." Overlawyered

If you're not too sick, read Killing American Industry One Cottage At A Time.

I'm wondering where the media coverage is about all this....

See more of our favorite books which are now illegal to sell here.

I've always enjoyed reading from the time I learned to read but the joy of collecting my own books began when I was around 10 or so. My grandfather worked at a scrap yard during the depression & for many years after until he retired. The company kept the reusable vehicle parts and the workers were allowed to keep...

more at my Seven Pillars Book Nook blog.

...but there are a few still willing to do so...

MamaArcher shared a quote by the late Dr. Adrian Rogers at her Um, Yep, That Says It All to which I commented: "Yes, mine too — [wondering why we continue to] reward the *BEHAVIOR* of reckless spending, acquisitive consumption, enslaving debt, unproductive laziness, vulture robbery, non-existent savings, and irresponsible victimitis. Makes it pretty discouraging unless I remember 'Who' I work for first of all."

Other's on the "CAUSE" of our economic problems:

"I have recently had several opportunities on various news programs to discuss the economy and what is wrong with the so-called economic stimulus package. I have said over and over what we shouldn’t be doing, and now I’d like to explain what we should be doing.

But to improve the situation, you must first have a solid grasp of how we got here. Government policies and central planning created the housing bubble, now going bust. About a decade ago the government made expanded homeownership and affordable housing a public goal. Through Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the secondary mortgage market the government incentivized creative, low down-payment, more widely available mortgage products, and discouraged the market-proven lending standards of the past. The Federal Reserve kept interest rates artificially low, which added more fuel to this fire. Many related sectors temporarily flourished because of this, and many people got into homes they otherwise could not have afforded. The increased demand for housing sent prices soaring until in many markets housing became even more unaffordable, necessitating even more creative mortgages, and impossibly leveraging homeowners. Many risky investment vehicles such as mortgage-backed securities, derivatives, credit default swaps grew out of this unsustainable situation. As the foreclosures began, the house of cards started to tumble. Too many people have confused the symptoms and the pain of the bust with the problematic policies that caused the bubble, which is really what needs to be treated..." ~Congressman Ron Paul~ Cures for Our Economic Disease

"...I believe that market forces apply equally to people and nations. The problems we face collectively are no different from those we face individually. Belt tightening is required by all, including government.

Governments cannot create but merely redirect. When the government spends, the money has to come from somewhere. If the government doesn't have a surplus, then it must come from taxes. If taxes don't go up, then it must come from increased borrowing. If lenders won't lend, then it must come from the printing press, which is where all these bailouts are headed. But each additional dollar printed diminishes the value those already in circulation. Something cannot be effortlessly created from nothing..." ~Peter Schiff~ There's No Pain-Free Cure for Recession

all 647 pages! The House version and the Senate version. Also, at Read the Stimulus.

HT: Apollos Academy and Jacy Joypals