When the KonMari method became so popular a few years back, I jumped on the bandwagon. But after I got through step 1 (clothes) I stopped in pure rebellion. Because step 2 is books and if you’ve been around a minute you know how I feel about books! I know! It’s dramatic, but as a family of readers, there are few things that felt more sacrilegious to me than to propose getting rid of books!

Then we were packing up and preparing to move across the country, and there simply wasn’t room to take everything. And so I HAD to take a hard look at the shelves and consider getting rid of books.

I did not expect it to be so emotional. But I’d been collecting books since my first children’s literature class in college and have thousands of teaching and parenting memories associated with those titles. Many of my best childhood memories revolve around a book. So sorting through them felt impossible.

But I had to so I got Marie’s book out and read her tips on tidying again.

I definitely didn’t follow her suggestion to only keep 30 books. 30?!!

But I did end up downsizing by about 1/2 — only keeping our absolute favorites that bring us “joy.” And I’m SOOO glad we did. This corner bookshelf is probably the happiest and busiest place in our new house. And the kids actually DO keep it (mostly) tidy because they know where everything goes.❤️

Have you been watching Marie’s new show on Netflix? And are you a KonMari fan, or in rebellion like I was/kinda still am? 😂

People definitely have strong opinions about her method. And while I don’t subscribe to all her ideas, I do think it’s a good idea to clean out your shelves every now and then to make room for new titles you love even more.

Some considerations when getting rid of books:

1. What condition is the book in?

Kids can be hard on books, especially when they’re younger and I put this tip first, because it’s actually the first thing I look at when sorting through our books. Even if the book is one of our absolute favorites, if it’s falling apart beyond repair (or I don’t think the time to fix it is worth it), it goes.

If the REASON it’s falling apart, ripped, or has a broken binding is BECAUSE we read it so much, it goes on my “replace” list and then when I shop for books again I look for a better quality copy (hardback, maybe). One of the reasons I love Usborne Books & More is that they make books that are MEANT to last, but in case it doesn’t–you can replace your well-loved book for 50% off— no questions asked.

2. Has my child (children) outgrown the book?

We all know kids grow physically and mentally. A general guideline is to buy your kids new books when you’re buying new clothes. Chances are, their minds have grown during the time their bodies have grown and they’re ready for more challenging titles.

So go through your board books, beginning and easy readers, and chapter books to see if they are still reading-level appropriate. If your child (and younger siblings) have outgrown a stage of reading, it’s time to progress by getting rid of books and investing in the next reading level.

3. Is the book well written and/or illustrated?

Let’s be honest. . . books are not created equally, and I’m a book snob! My college children’s lit teacher used to preach about avoiding the “grocery store variety” books– meaning the cheap, character books you can find everywhere. They typically don’t have much of a storyline and the illustrations are lacking.

Get rid of books with flat, undeveloped characters; are a summary of a movie or TV show; or are easily forgotten “fluff reads.”

Keep the classics and well written/illustrated stories that are entertaining and thought provoking (even for adults!). THESE are the quality books you’ll be drawn to over and over again, and the ones you won’t mind reading to your kids for the 10th (100th!) time.

4. Would Someone Else Use/Love it More?

I mentioned that purging our books was really emotional for me. I didn’t want to dump them at a thrift store like they were rejects. (Give me a break. . . books are my friends! haha) And so identifying a place I could donate them and know they’d be used and loved made the process much easier.

Think about your area. Is there a homeschooling family, daycare, preschool, teacher, or new mom that would appreciate your donations? Getting rid of books is much easier when you know they’ll bring joy to someone else.

5. Have I Read this Book? Will I Ever Reread This Book?

This one applied more when going through MY books, but I also thought about it when going through the kids’ shelves. Have I/we even read it?! And do I like it enough to read it again?

Kids love what’s familiar and they’ll often come back to the same book over and over again. But if we’ve had the book a while and have never even read it, chances are slim that we/I ever will. If I’ve never read a book or don’t think I’d read again (to myself or to my kids), it goes. Because I know myself and the time constraints of this season of life. And books ARE replaceable if I do decide I want to read it again.

6. Is This Part of a Series, and Did I Buy the Rest?

We had quite a few partial series on our shelves and when I talked with the kids about them — they were pretty good gauges on whether we should complete the collection or jump ship. If they read the first one or two of a series, and lost desire to move on, they’re probably not going to plow through the rest. So those were added to the donation pile.

7. Does it Bring Me Joy?

If you’re familiar with Marie Kondo’s tidying advice, you know she suggests only keeping things that “bring you joy.” Maybe it’s cliche. . . but the point is, it’s good to look through your books and decide why you’re keeping them. She suggests a number, but I don’t think there’s an ideal. Do you love the book? Does keeping it contribute to your happiness or stress? Physical clutter = mental clutter. So keep as many as you want, as long as each brings you joy.

If you love these tips and want to keep them for future reference (maybe while getting rid of books and tidying up your shelves!), you can download the printable list HERE.

7 Questions to Ask When Getting Rid of Books