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| 50 Book Pledge | Book #47: The Road by Cormac McCarthy |
I have always been a reader and I can tell you with complete certainty that I always will be. However, unlike many others, the reader that I am today wasn’t born out of reading a single book but out of a reading experience.
I’m talking about the Scholastic Book Order program. Because my parents trusted the program I was allowed to select any book I wanted. Being given control over my reading was life-changing because it became the one thing that was all mine from start to finish. No supervision required. To me, each book order held endless possibilities and so I would scour it for hours until I made the perfect pick.
As great as it was making my selections, nothing came close to the excitement of hearing my name called by the teacher and being handed my order. Weeks of anticipation were finally over. I would stare at my new books with their crisp, shiny covers and shift anxiously in my chair for the remainder of the day. Upon hearing the final bell I’d race home just so I could start reading. Not the books that my parents suggested. Not the books that my teacher required. But the books that I chose.
Though the days of the Scholastic Book Order ended quite some time ago for me, I still feel that same excitement every time I set foot in a bookstore. Scholastic did what no one else could: It made reading fun. So, Scholastic, it’s about time I thanked you for making me the reader that I am. Thank you!
I remember the catalogue and how excited it always was, I loved it too!
Fabulous post, Inderjit! This brought back so many memories for me. I loved the book order so much. I used to order joke books and chapter books, and you’re so right, the feel of those shiny covers when they were freshly delivered was just delicious. So many endless possibilities lay within those book orders!
Wow, thank you, Dee! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. You know what? I use to order joke books, too. I’ve still got 101 Summertime Jokes close at hand. Here’s an oldie but a goodie: How do you communicate with a fish? Ah, the memories …
Those were the days.