CHILDREN'S BOOK SALE @ HOUSING WORKS: 3/21/9 + 3/22/9, NOON—7PM.

Thanks to Mommy Poppins for the heads up.

How can you tell if your friends have raised spoiled brats or not? Simple: give them a spontaneous, no-occasion-I-just-think-you're-a-swell-kid gift. But make it a used gift. It should be in good shape of course, but there should be no protective plastic or fresh price tag on it. If they say, "This is old! You're lame. And old!" then you know that it's time to to speak with your friends about sending the little bugger to military school. Or at least Outward Bound.

A good place to begin this test (or a good place to buy a simple gift with no passive aggressive mind games attached, if that's your thing) is the Housing Works Bookstore Cafe. This weekend, the price of all children's hardcovers will be reduced by 30% and all softcovers will be a measly $1. Stock up now, and if some of the kids in your life turn out to be ungrateful little gits, well, at least you didn't waste a lot of money in the process. You should go.

Children's Book Sale
Saturday, 3/21/9 + Sunday, 3/22/9, noon—7pm
Housing Works Bookstore Cafe
126 Crosby Street, New York, NY