Have you read...?

I have a friend (actually, I have more than one, but...). We met the first day of seventh grade and he has been my "partner-in-crime" (his words) for many adventures. (The most literary and least embarrassing was when we decided not to wait on the English copy that was checked out from the public library to be returned and we attempted to translate Moliere's play Tartuffe from it's original language with a borrowed French-English dictionary. This was quite a questionable decision since neither of us knew any French. Did that stop us? Nope. Not at all.) Since then, Chandler has been my main source for two things: postcards and book recommendations.

The postcards come from a pact we made in junior high...wherever one of us traveled, we would send the other a postcard to share our journey. Over the past 30 years, I've received cards from exotic locations like Italy, Iceland, and Brussels while Chandler has been the lucky recipient of mementos from museums, amusement parks, field trip destinations, and work conference centers. Where ever they were from, they served their purpose...creating friendship experiences.

The book recommendations started earlier than the postcards. I remember one day when Mrs. Tate had turned us loose in the library at East McDowell Junior High not long after school started. I was perusing the shelves, trying to take in the collection. Chandler walked up beside me and said, "What do you like to read?" He may not have known it then (if he didn't he's finding out now...if he's taking the time to read my blog. HI CHAN!!), but I was surprised. Not what he asked. That he asked. Heretofore, I'd been the kid who everyone knew read a lot, but never bothered to inquire about it. Other than my mom, he was the first person to act genuinely interested in what I was reading. I recovered enough to say I liked books on baseball, the West, and television/movie history. Instead of making a snide remark about how weird those subjects were, Chandler said, "That sounds interesting. I don't know a lot about all that. Maybe you can tell me a book on one of those I might like." (Yes, we really talked like that when we were 12. We were very mature young adults. 😉)  I don't remember what I told him to read that day (I think it was a biography of Cochise), but the suggestions are still coming. I don't recall a conversation since we graduated High School (or at least since we've become full-fledged grown-ups) that our current read didn't come up at least once. There are random texts sent of book covers with messages like "Book recommendation" or "Read this!!!" Chandler is the reason I eventually read The Chronicles of Narnia and Hunger Games series. (I don't know what I've prompted him to read, but I'm sure it was vastly entertaining.) As it turns out, we both ended up in literary careers, me as first an English & Literature teacher then my current library gig and Chan with the First Book organization (Check out https://www.firstbook.org. It's a great organization.).

I have said before that Kay Tate's 7th grade AG English Class was the one of best things that ever happened to me for a number of reasons. Aside from the academic aspects, the best thing to come out of it was the people I met and friends I made.  These are friendships that I cherish dearly. They're people who invited me to be their friend, but, also invited me to be a part of their lives. I found out from that initial library outing that other people were interested in what I liked to read and wanted to share what they liked with me. It's something that I have used very successfully in my Library career. Ask any number of people, especially my friends. "What are you reading?" is a standard Donna conversation starter. I have learned that other people are a great source of reading suggestions. If I tell the truth, it makes me feel good when people tell me what they've enjoyed because they think I will like it, too. Your reading habits are something that is very personal. It's like someone is offering you a peek into something they hold near and dear, because reading a book is an emotional experience.  Love it or hate it, reading a book elicits an emotional response. Want to get to know someone? Find out what they're reading. That's one of the things I like about being on the review crews and working the Library's table at events. I like the sharing of what we do or do not like about the things we read and introducing people to new reads.

Today, I get reading suggestions from all over, At least three people immediately come to mind because we often share. One of the coolest things is now my mom and I give each other recommendations. She has put me on the trail of some good books I wouldn't have read otherwise and I've been able to introduce her to new authors I've found. (FYI - It's really awesome when you grow up and become friends with your mom. 😍) Today is the start of the Library's annual Summer Reading Program. For the next two months especially, I will be fielding questions from kids and parents alike on what to read. Hopefully, I will be able to help find just the thing they're looking for. I can't help but think how I've come a long way since that August day in 1988. It all started just because someone asked.

Happy Reading,
Donna