BOOK TOSS

One of my chores today was to scan our family’s shelves for books that can be discarded or donated to the local elementary schools for their libraries and classrooms.

The best time to do this is while my two sons are at school because they want to keep all of their books – read and unread.

I sympathize. I have stacks of hardbacks that I have enjoyed as an adult and want to keep and paperbacks that I want to read and haven’t had time.

Weeding through my sons’ books is much easier than weeding through mine. At least, that’s what I thought.

Scanning the goofy titles and covers of books that have never been opened and most likely never will at our house, I tossed them easily into the give-away pile.

Others were classics. Should I pass Hugh Lofting’s “Dr. Dolittle” on to someone else? What about L. Frank Baum’s “The Wizard of Oz”? The kids were lukewarm on those stories, and we can easily check them out at the library. They went into the donation pile.

The books I struggled with were children’s books that my sons have definitely outgrown such as Dr. Seuss’ “The Cat in the Hat” rhymes, Gertrude Chandler Warner’s collection of “The Boxcar Children,” and Jonathan London’s adventures of “Froggy.” They were favorites at our house, read over and over. What about series of books including “The Hatchet” by Gary Paulsen, “Captain Underpants” by Dav Pilkey and “The Magic School Bus” by Joanna Cole? Although they were once favorites, the kids haven’t read them in years.

I opened a Ready Freddy book by Abby Klein, and on the inside cover my oldest son had printed as a kindergartener, “I see a red cat,” a reminder of the days when he was learning to read and write. I saved that book.

The final category included books that my sons have no attachment to now that they are older, but the stories bring back memories for me.

One such book is “Airline Pilots” by O.B. Gregory. I read that book to my oldest son every night for months at bedtime before he could read. Each evening I hoped he would choose another story. But his little fingers continued to reach for that hardcover book about aviation. I had the book memorized we read it so often. He is long finished with the book and would probably say “toss,” but my memories kept it in the “keep” pile.

I saved way more books than I decided to give away. Still, I put a stack of about 30 books to donate on the dining room table.

When the kids got home from school, they were curious.

“What’s this?” my oldest asked.

“Books to donate to the schools,” I answered.

A little later I passed the table again. The pile had dwindled down to three lone books. The rest had been put back on our home shelves.

-- cawk