The Cycle of Books
This entry is dedicated to Gail Geiger, my fourth grade teacher at Wiggin Street Elementary School in Gambier, Ohio.
It wasn’t until my ninth year of teaching that merely opening a book brought tears to my eyes. At the end of the school year, I routinely put our classroom library books away in a storage cabinet so the Shady Hill summer camp could use the room. I was making room for a Cam Jansen series and needed to remove one or two books to squeeze it in. One of the books I pulled out looked old and well-loved - my favorite type for a lot of things, including but not limited to dogs and books! I opened the front cover and quickly glanced at the publication date, when there it was in his own writing, signed Ben Geiger.
I couldn’t believe my eyes, and my heart sank. Here in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this couldn’t be the Ben Geiger, son of my favorite fourth grade teacher from Gambier, Ohio who had lost her life far too young to breast cancer. I hadn’t had a chance to say goodbye to a memorable and beloved teacher, a woman who had inspired me to myself become a teacher. Checking with colleagues, I learned Ben had taught in the very classroom where I’d been every day for the past four years. I didn’t know Ben personally though my older siblings were friends with him in high school - but it didn’t matter. The connection to Mrs. Geiger so many years later through this inscription was humbling beyond words.
The power of inscription, even just a name, can change the way a reader thinks about a book. I will never part with this book and will continue to think of Mrs. Geiger every time I read it. My husband and I have passed along books from our childhoods which we were lucky enough to have from our parents, preserved and in good shape. Every time our daughter sees “Chris” or “Libby” written by our five-year-old selves, sometimes with a reversed letter or imperfect handwriting, she squeals in delight. After the laughter subsides, she wants to know how old we were, when we owned this book and why we liked it. Most importantly, she wants to read and reread these books..
Grammie and Grampie are famous in our home library. Not only do they aim to find books which meet the current interests of our kids, they often write a quick message. Our daughter loves to see the inscription, “Happy third birthday, Cici!” Even more powerful is Grammie’s inscription which explained to Cici that Madeline had been her “favorite book as a little girl.” We have continually read Madeline solely because it was Grammie’s favorite book.
Previous schools where I have taught, as well as the school my children attend, have an option for students to donate a book to the classroom. The books, chosen by the students themselves, include a label with a message. I’ve watched students, teachers, siblings and cousins light up when opening the front cover. Almost always, the reader will be more likely to read a book with an inscription, particularly one which makes a connection with the reader. I’ve witnessed disinterested readers – readers more interested in picking out the uneven carpet threads – delight in these books! Not only do inscriptions pique the interest of readers, but they’re one of the few unique elements of a book that makes a book a repeat read.
When I think about the power of inscription, I think what we are really feeling is the power of connection. It’s the reader’s connection to a book that is going to prompt him or her to read and reread a book. And through the rereading of books comes deeper learning and interest; readers show greater interest, entertainment and learning from a book to which he or she is connected.
So, the next time you have the opportunity to gift a child a book, pick up a pen! If you’re at a loss for words, just write your name. Motivating children to want to read depends on the entire experience – the story, author, publisher and illustrator, but also the path to the book coming into the possession of the reader. You never know how even just your name will affect the reader for the better, even if they do end up in tears….