Manifesto for the Ethical Treatment of Mini Books

I've been making a lot of mini books lately, despite their unpopularity. Actually, probably because of their unpopularity. I guess mini books are the geeks in the pantheon that is book-high-school.

Since mini books are natural minorities, I'm going to write them a little manifesto:

1. Mini books are just as cool, and should be held in equal esteem by bibliophiles.
2. They might be small, but their size has several advantages: they can fit into a pocket or purse, they travel well, can be hidden easily, and they're just darn cute.

3. Mini books have been popular for 4,000 years (see photos below).
4. They are more economical since they are often much less expensive to make and purchase.
5. They are more environmentally friendly, because they use less paper, and inspire you to write smaller.

This was a short manifesto, but I'll be continuing my rant in further posts. Until then, here's a picture of the little recipe book I made for myself this weekend.

For more information on the history of the mini book, go to the Lilly Library's online exhibition, here. And here are a few more pictures on the history of the mini book:

Mini Manuscript: "Book of Hours, Bruges?, Belgium, ca. 1440." from the Lilly Library

Also from the Lilly LibraryCuriosities of the Tower of London, Vol. I. London: Printed for Tho. Boreman, 1741.

Prayer book in French, 1881 from Etsy shop: LucieTalesVintage 

Miniature French-English Dictionary (1961) for sale in sinstuff's Etsy shop.

If you're interested in making your own mini accordion book, go here for a picture tutorial: http://www.bookbindingteam.com/2011/11/mini-book-photo-tutorial.html

Also: found this just now; the miniature book society: http://www.mbs.org/

Yawn

Goodness, my blog is boring. I actually do more than make books. I read them too. So I've decided to do a Summer Reading Challenge. I've asked my friends to recommend some books, and I'm going to read them. ALL of them. And some of these are...well....I mean, yeah. So, here's a brief taste:

I have "A Book Lover's Diary" to keep track of what I read. Find one for yourself here.

Summer Reading Program!

Find Summer Reading Information here.

It's Summer Reading, a huge tradition in my family and at my Library. But I'm not in Mooresville anymore and I've had to adjust to the Monroe County Public Library's program.

The theme this year is Stretch Your Mind. Stretch Your Body. Stretch Your World. And they have nine different ways to do it.


The first is to re-read a book you loved as a child. So, I'm reading Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren, which was one of my favorites. I want a horse on my veranda and a monkey named Mr. Neilson! And I really really want to host a pancake/croquet breakfast at some point.

You know that line from Meg Ryan's character in You've Got Mail? "When you read a book as a child it becomes part of your identity like no other reading in your life can." Well, I whole-heartily agree. Some say that books and reading are forms of escapism, but I really don't think so. I read to find myself. I think children read in order to discover parts of themselves they hadn't known about before. Children read differently than adults because they use books as launching points for their imagination, while adults read superficially, leaving the book as soon as they close it.

If you think about it, imagination really is about creating stories, truths, morals, and images internally, rather than externally, which is a rare ability in today's society. So many people I know look for guidance outside of themselves, either through social mores, religious doctrine, or celebrities, and by doing so, I think they miss the depth of life. Reading changes people when they're young because it forms an inner compass. Socializing only forms an external dependence on "what others think".

Anyway, enough rant. It was barely intelligible, so I apologize. That's not to say it won't happen again though. Moral of the story: teach your kids to read, and to read regularly.