One of the most important lessons every year in the library is teaching book care rules. When I first started as a librarian I only taught kindergarten and first grade students about this. I assumed that all kids knew how to take care of their books, but I was sadly mistaken. Many of my students did not have books at home and rarely visited the library outside of school. So I quickly learned just how vital it was that I teach these skills to my students. My goal became to teach book care in a way that went beyond just repeating the rules over and over again like a broken record. Over time I came up with some different ideas and activities that work really well. Teaching Book Care Rules with Picture Books A Perfectly Messed-Up Story by Patrick McDonnel Little Louie is happy to be telling his story