My Twentieth First-Day-of-School as a Teacher and Librarian! and My Week in Books

I don't know how many first-day-of-schools I've experienced. I was only two when our across-the-street neighbor, Mrs. McCain, graciously allowed me to attend her playschool as a favor to my mom who was exhaustedly expecting the arrival of my younger sister. I had three years at Mrs. McCain's school, and then private kindergarten, and on to eleven years of grades 1-12 (I skipped second grade), three years of college (finished early), and five years of graduate school, my own kids' first-days, and my years of first-days as a teacher and a librarian. 

There's nothing like the first-day-of-school.  The sewing of school clothes (for my mom, this was an all-summer task). The school supply shopping. The anticipation. Arrival at the school. All the kids in shiny-shiny clothes, with shiny-shiny shoes. The box of perfect crayons. The desk with a label on it, your name in careful print: Debbie or Debbie A. or Deborah A. Your name tag. Brand-new black-and-white composition book. Sharpening the pencils for the first time, on and on and on. Complete silence. Even the class bad boy.

This is a momentous first-day for me: it could be my last first-day. It's my twentieth first-day as a teacher and a librarian and I'll turn sixty in November. Do the math, and you'll see that next year at this time I could be sunning on a beach in the Caribbean somewhere. 

Or not. Maybe I'll be at school again. The call to first-day-of-school is strong in me, almost like sap rising in sugar maples in spring. 

Whatever happens, I'm going to enjoy every day this year like it's my last first-day and second-day and thirty-third day and one-hundred-and-forty-seventh day. Like we should live every day of our lives.

What Arrived in the Mail Be the Change: A Grandfather Gandhi Story Still a Work in Progress by Jo Knowles         The Littlest Bigfoot by Jennifer Weiner What I Finished  Moon Over Manifest I read all the Newberry books a few years ago, but they just keep awarding the Newberry Award to new books. Moon Over Manifest is one of these...more When Breath Becomes Air A sad story. I knew that, going in. I knew the author, not even finished completely with his education, had cancer and would die. I knew Paul Kalanith...more Somebody's Heart is Burning: A Woman Wanderer in Africa How long have I had this book sitting on my shelf? Months? Years, even? Somebody's Heart is Burning is a memoir of the author's time in Africa. She has...more Sea Change by Frank Viva Poor Eliot. His parents are sending him off to Nova Scotia to stay with relatives for the summer when all he wants to do is piddle around his own town...more What I'm Reading Now So happy I discovered this series, both the books and the videos.

What are you reading today? Have you read any of these? Any recommendations?

What is the Sunday Salon? Imagine some university library's vast reading room. It's filled with people--students and faculty and strangers who've wandered in. They're seated at great oaken desks, books piled all around them,and they're all feverishly reading and jotting notes in their leather-bound journals as they go. Later they'll mill around the open dictionaries and compare their thoughts on the afternoon's literary intake....That's what happens at the Sunday Salon, except it's all virtual. Every Sunday the bloggers participating in that week's Salon get together--at their separate desks, in their own particular time zones--and read. And blog about their reading. And comment on one another's blogs. Think of it as an informal, weekly, mini read-a-thon, an excuse to put aside one's earthly responsibilities and fall into a good book. Click here to join the Salon.

The Sunday Post is a meme hosted by Kimba at Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It's a chance to share news and recap the past week.

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia at The Printed Page. We share books that we found in our mailboxes last week. 

 It is now being hosted here.

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews in which you can share the books you've acquired.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between!  This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from! I love being a part of this and I hope you do too! It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is now being hosted at The Book Date.