Guest blogger and First Book supporter Mindy Klasky is the author of ten novels. Her most recent release, HOW NOT TO MAKE A WISH, launches the As You Wish series, which chronicles a mischievous genie and his effect on various theatrical productions and the people who run them. Mindy also wrote the Jane Madison series, about a love-struck D.C. librarian who discovers that she’s a witch. Visit www.mindyklasky.com to learn more about Mindy’s work and her support of First Book.
A few weeks ago, I needed to track down the author of a book. All I knew was that she’d written a romance, and that the cover of that book had a chihuahua and, um, handcuffs. I asked a few avid reader-friends if they knew the title of the book or the name of the author, but no one recognized my quarry from that description.
I keep a blog on LiveJournal (a collection of blogs, many of which are written by writers), and I posted my question there, hoping that one of my readers would be able to help. Shortly after I posted, I was pointed toward a LiveJournal community called WhatWasThatBook. Members of the community (membership is free) post descriptions of books that they are seeking and other community members attempt to name the book. Several things about WhatWasThatBook captured my attention immediately.
First – many people fell in love with books when they were first learning to read. Many of the posts begin “I loved this book as a child” or “My parent and I read this book”. I know that feeling of book-love so well; it’s invigorating to read about it from other people.
Second – books leave people with strong emotions. A lot of the books posted about have less-than-complete descriptions. A typical post says, “Two children traveled to visit some relative over summer break, or maybe it was Thanksgiving, and they saw a zoo, or maybe it was a circus. They talked to a wise owl (or maybe a raccoon) who told them that the secret of life is to read books.” Even though the recollections are very, very vague, the posters are asking about the books because the stories meant something special, something that has been remembered through the years.
Third – readers are eager to help other readers. Almost every post has at least one comment, proposing a possible answer. People who suggest answers think in broad terms, accepting without complaint the fact that remembered details might be hazy. The vast majority of posts receive positive identifications within twenty-four hours. Even when books aren’t identified, posters come away with long possible reading lists.
I love the idea that people are sharing their long-lost book memories. I picture most of the posters going out and buying their favorites, once they are reunited with them through the online community. First Book, of course, exists to give children exactly this sort of bonding with books; I hope that decades from now, current First Book kids will be posting in whatever social media prevail at that time, to track down their own long-time favorites.
What books do you remember most clearly from your childhood?
P.S. The book that I posted about had a Chinese Crested on the cover, not a chihuahua. It was AT HER COMMAND, by Marcia James.
P.P.S. Some of my favorite almost-lost childhood books are ones that I bought through the Scholastic book program during elementary school – NO FLYING IN THE HOUSE, CLAUDIA, GOLDEN DOG, and NO SUCH THING AS A WITCH still have places of pride on my bookshelves!
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