Scholastic Book Club

In my grade school days, the Scholastic Book Club was one club that always wanted me as a member.  I love books and the opportunity to pick my favorites was irresistible. Come on.  Who can resist a new book?   I remember reading the short descriptions on the paper order form and getting all excited over a story.

Back then, the books were only about 50 cents. I'd go through the list and tick off all the ones that sounded the least bit interesting and end up with over a dozen choices.  That's when parental frugality would come into play and I'd have to pare the wish list down to three or four favorites. After that, I only had to make sure I brought the money to school and turned the form in on time.  With me, things like that were never a foregone conclusion.

Then came the magical day when the books arrived and I waited for the teacher to call my name so I could claim my stack of crisp, shiny new books.  I'd peek over at what my neighbor's books and think, "Oh, I wish I'd ordered that one too."

I carried those sweet little paperbacks home in my bookbag, tromping through the snow in snowboots and stocking cap, wearing those thick snow pants that make shooshing noises when your legs rubbed together.  I'd read lying on the couch, while sipping creamy chocolate milk from a carton, or while rocking in our huge green vinyl rocking chair--the one that would tip over if I rocked too hard, and I'd end up reading while lying on my back with my feet in the air.  I liked it that way. And sometimes on the weekends, I'd just lay in bed all day and read. Just thinking about the Scholastic Book Club makes me smile.

These are a few of the books that sparked my imagination back then.  They're classics now.  Click the link below to see a lot more books and more wonderful memories. What were some of your favorites?

Nostalgia for the Scholastic Book Club, circa '60's & '70's