Woman Builds Home Library with 33,000 Children’s Books to Share Love of Reading

A veteran bibliophile shares her library and love for children’s literature.
Woman Builds Home Library with 33,000 Children’s Books to Share Love of Reading
Bonnie Anderson, a big fan of children’s picture books, keeps her collection of them in the library’s loft. Annie Holmquist
Annie Holmquist
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“When I have a little money, I buy books,” Dutch philosopher Desiderius Erasmus once famously said.

Erasmus would likely find a kindred spirit in Bonnie Anderson, a former classroom teacher and homeschool consultant from Minnesota. Only he might be slightly jealous. That’s because Mrs. Anderson’s current book collection stands around 33,000 volumes of children’s literature, a number so large that she and her husband John added a library to their home just to store them.

Background: Growing a Love for Books

The fact that Mrs. Anderson even enjoys reading is a bit of a miracle in itself, for as a child, she struggled with dyslexia. A loving and diligent parent, however, was one element that helped Mrs. Anderson overcome this hurdle. “My mom promoted reading a lot,” she said, noting that her mother often took her to story time at the small library in their Northwest Iowa town.
Annie Holmquist
Annie Holmquist
Author
Annie Holmquist is a cultural commentator hailing from America's heartland who loves classic books, architecture, music, and values. Her writings can be found at Annie’s Attic on Substack.
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