I was in book heaven today! Despite the below freezing temps and snowy slick roads, I made way to a local book warehouse where a friend of a friend supplied a name and I was able to enter the vault and have access to its treasures.  I got copies of  The Soloist, Philip Hall likes me maybe I reckon, Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson, 35 copies of Fast talk on a slow track, numerous hi/lo books, Warcraft, Star Wars,  DK illustrated science books, atlases, professional books for teachers. . .  NINE BOXES of books… for  $00.50 (that’s fifty cents) per pound.  I was so happy to get all these wonderful books for my library!  I can see sending them in book sets to reading classrooms, having new picture books for severly disabled students and fattening up my “quick easy read” section for my struggling readings.  The employees at the warehouse were so happy to see everyone getting books, they were so helpful and friendly, but who isn’t happy to put books in someone’s hands.  I went on this little treasure hunt with a couple of friends.  As one of them was getting help loading her car, the employee told her that he was glad we were getting these books because all those that remained would be shredded.  Did reading that burst your bubble like it did mine?  As my friend and I discussed this, we wondered why leaders in our school district hadn’t already connected with book warehouses so that our students could benefit from such books or why the book distributor wasn’t trying to get a tax advantage by donating them.  We imagined teachers being given special invitations to these events; prisons, group homes and hospitals getting special holiday packages and children in need getting books in their hands!!

How does it happen that those with so much are so out of touch with those in need?