BAFABW

This is a VERY cool idea: Buy a Friend a Book Week. The concept is to promote the love of reading by buying someone a book for no special reason. It cannot be their birthday - or in honor of a promotion. It must strictly be "a random act of kindness" with a book emphasis (my definition). This special gift-giving occurs 4 times a year: the first week of January - April - July and October.

There are several around the blogosphere who are offering book and/or gift card gift give aways in honor of this special event. I may do something like that in future BAFABW events. but this go around I wished to honor my dear friend and colleague, Craig. Craig is a fellow teacher at my very small, private school and has had to endure the tortuous drive with me to and from work this past semester (he suffered a seizure in late December which meant he was incapable of driving by himself for 6 months. I offered to drive him to and from work - seeing how we only live 5 minutes from each other - but he did not realize that he would have to listen to my constant thought-processing along the way). Craig has had a dream of writing children's literature for quite some time and this semester he has ventured outside his comfort zone to enroll in a Children's Writing seminar. He is an inspiration to me - and a constant source of encouragement.

I recently read an interesting review of the book, What If by Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter. This sounded like something that I could use in my narrative writing units, but it also sounded like a book that Craig might be able to use in his writing endeavors. In honor of BAFABW, I bought myself a copy of the book - and I also bought Craig a copy. I am hopeful that the books will arrive shortly after Easter, and I can surprise him with the gift. I am quite sure it has given me more pleasure in giving the gift, than it will be in the receipt of it -- and that is as it should be.

How about you? Is there anyone in your life that you could surprise with the gift of literature? It is fairly inexpensive and it could be the gift that truly lasts a lifetime.