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csziggy

(34,189 posts)

48. We never had money for Scholastic Books

Reply to awoke_in_2003 (Reply #45)

Wed Jul 29, 2015, 07:00 PM

Jul 2015

But I didn't regret it - most of the books were way below my reading level since the teachers wouldn't let us order over our grade or age. By fifth grade I was reading at eighth grade level and was allowed to check out books from the Young Adults section at the public library. By sixth grade I had read all the books I wanted from that area and was given free run.

What books we didn't check out of the library came from Mom's shopping at Goodwill. She not only found every book on the school's reading list she had some book that gave recommended classics for college preparation and looked for those too. She also bought best sellers - once she found an entire group of James Bond books and gave them to me to read since I enjoyed the Man from UNCLE - she didn't realize that they had <***GASP***> sex scenes in them. I was about ten when I read them.

Later when finances were a little better Mom ordered remaindered books from Edward Hamilton (http://www.hamiltonbook.com/online_catalogs). She'd get their newsprint catalogs, let us pick out books from it, and order what she could afford. Those were the only "new" books we ever got when I was a kid.

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Boy Who Couldn’t Afford Books Asks Mailman For Junk Mail To Read [View all] SoCalDem Jul 2015 OP

The whole world needs to be informed how crappy this country has become under conservative ideals Stargazer99 Jul 2015 #1

I want to send books.. abakan Jul 2015 #2

I don't have any boys left.. They grew up :) SoCalDem Jul 2015 #4

Bus pass! abakan Jul 2015 #10

A list from Good Reads teach1st Jul 2015 #5

Thanks I looked at the books I have... abakan Jul 2015 #11

Don't forget to ask the USPS for a book rate... madamvlb Jul 2015 #31

Thank You I will. abakan Jul 2015 #39

I'm the wrong one to ask awoke_in_2003 Jul 2015 #37

Some of us just have to make do with average... abakan Jul 2015 #42

None taken... awoke_in_2003 Jul 2015 #44

Never crossed my mind. All I could think, was good for you, but some would interpret that wrong. abakan Jul 2015 #46

Have you thought of maybe donating them locally? dixiegrrrrl Jul 2015 #49

no public libraries or schools in Salt Lake City? nt msongs Jul 2015 #3

No money for a bus pass..& no car in the family SoCalDem Jul 2015 #6

The kid has no transportation and it's the middle of the summer so school is out csziggy Jul 2015 #9

Some of my happiest memories were of the bookmobile... Phentex Jul 2015 #16

My husband worked in his library's book mobile when he was a teen csziggy Jul 2015 #19

"not being able to afford bookmobiles anymore" awoke_in_2003 Jul 2015 #38

I'm not sure how much the budget alone had to do with bookmobiles csziggy Jul 2015 #43

Yeah, probably varies from location to location... awoke_in_2003 Jul 2015 #45

We never had money for Scholastic Books csziggy Jul 2015 #48

Same here. We should still have those. JDPriestly Jul 2015 #29

While I applaud the effort to send books to Mathew csziggy Jul 2015 #7

We had a tiny library in our town of 400 - TBF Jul 2015 #55

Some communities still have bookmobiles csziggy Jul 2015 #57

Very cool - not surprising that it all started with a librarian :) nt TBF Jul 2015 #59

That's so heartbreaking. procon Jul 2015 #8

Bus pass info SoCalDem Jul 2015 #12

I got a fare pay card abakan Jul 2015 #20

The USPS is TOPS! Octafish Jul 2015 #13

Would it be ohheckyeah Jul 2015 #14

If they cannot afford a bus pass, they probably don't have internet access SoCalDem Jul 2015 #15

You're right - ohheckyeah Jul 2015 #17

Many places have free wifi emsimon33 Jul 2015 #26

To download the books - wifi. Can be done anywhere with wifi dbackjon Jul 2015 #18

There is probably a McDonalds near him SoCalDem Jul 2015 #21

No books when I was a kid either Squaredeal Jul 2015 #22

I hate to sound like I'm going to sound matt819 Jul 2015 #23

suburbs tend to sprawl Retrograde Jul 2015 #28

go to the link posted and watch the joy in this boy's eyes..... chillfactor Jul 2015 #52

I used to ride a bike 7 miles one way to get to the closest library. Thor_MN Jul 2015 #53

I get annoyed by what I call the pro-austerity PR - TBF Jul 2015 #58

K&R emsimon33 Jul 2015 #24

in walkerstan lots of public schools are losing librarians dembotoz Jul 2015 #25

Republicans?? A "Christian" country?? Caring for the least among us?? BWAAHAHAHAHA! Jack-o-Lantern Jul 2015 #27

I'm getting together some books to send him. Poor guy will so swamped with books YOHABLO Jul 2015 #30

I hope they live in a good-sized apt or house. elias49 Jul 2015 #32

They are being sent in care of him to the Post Office bettyellen Jul 2015 #34

That's the post office address SoCalDem Jul 2015 #35

Recommend! Zorra Jul 2015 #33

.. Liberal_in_LA Jul 2015 #36

Utah boy reading junk mail gets thousands of books after mailman's plea goes viral dbackjon Jul 2015 #40

If someone has an old bike, mail it to the kid. AngryAmish Jul 2015 #41

k&r avaistheone1 Jul 2015 #54

there are many free books on sites like gutenberg JI7 Jul 2015 #47

update - he's got 350 books so far Liberal_in_LA Jul 2015 #50

Steve and I just sent him eight books... martalcd Jul 2015 #51

Cool kid. He's up to about 500 books now. DirkGently Jul 2015 #56