This summer went by more quickly than any I can remember. Naturally, books filled much of our time. But, it was more than just reading books on a required list. This summer reminded me that books bond people.
I’m a board member for the Friends of the Library in our town. The FOL holds a yearly used book sale, which requires hours and hours of sorting donated books. Fortunately, the kids enjoyed sifting through endless piles of books.
Then came the book sale. Not as large was previous years, due to our library’s book barn being renovated, it still drew crowds of people. It was my first year helping at the sale. I stress when I’m faced with unfamiliar circumstances, so I felt some anxiety about helping all weekend. It was all unwarranted though. Here’s why: People who buy stacks or bags full of gently-used books, don’t walk away grumpy. Every single person I met had a smile on his/her face. Here’s another reason why: Books bond people. Every person at the sale liked books. People talked about books – their favorite titles, favorite genres, and recommendations.
While setting up for the sale, I took note of a book I really wanted to buy for my daughter. On one of my breaks I went to find it, but couldn’t. A young lady also browsing chapter books and MGs asked me what I was looking for, I told her the title, and she said she was sure she saw it in adult fiction. Well, I was not about to search through another table of books. I continued browsing, hoping another title would pop out at me for my daughter. All of a sudden, the book I had hoped for appeared in front of my nose. That young lady searched through the adult fiction table and found the book for me, for my daughter! Why? The love of books. The bond of books. Simple as that.
My daughter was happy to receive the book. She recognized the author as one she likes, and was eager to begin reading it. She read it in two nights. But she didn’t leave it on her nightstand, place it in her bookshelf, or let it slide under her bed. She left it on my bed with a note.
Why? The love of books. The bond of books. Simple as that.
Moriah Hamm 