A few days back, we went to the city to visit a book store. We meaning my family and me. A distant cousin of my husband called us to request that we buy books for the school in which her late husband had studied. She wished to help the students of the village school because they did not have good facilities when compared to the city.
Before we proceeded to buy books, we called up the school authorities and enquired and they gave us a list of books. Then my husband telephoned a few book shops and some of them agreed to give us more books for the same amount. We chose the one that promised us the most because it will be beneficial for the children.
One fine day, when the rains decided to give us a respite, we went to the city and straight to the bookshop. The assistants helped us gather the books as per the list.
My only complaint was that none of the books were in the English language. Also, the books seemed to be a bit too mature for children. Anyways, it was the teacher who gave the list and so I decided not to talk about it. Also, I did not study in a state school and therefore do not know the syllabus.
We got the books and apart from this, I purchased a few books for reading with my money. So, that settled, we went back home.
A seal was made to make sure the books were sealed with the donor's name. This is to make sure that the books are not misappropriated by anyone else.
it was nice to visit the book store after a gap of years to be precise. With the onset of covid and the lockdown, we never really got to go to the city or enjoy such trips, especially the book store.
If you want to give a gift to a child, it is a good thing to give a book to a child. Books open a world of adventure and the child's imagination is activated. Agreed that modern gadgets offer a more appealing visual experience but the child can visualize it by reading a book. Try reading one of the Harry Potter books and you will know what I mean. The book contains more details than the movie and each detail is connected and the movie has not done complete justice to the book but of course, the movies are an attraction and made way for encouraging the reading habit among children and adults alike.
A few books that I bought are stories for children like the Hitopadesha and the Panchatantra. These books are classics and have been retold many times over the years but it never gets old. There was also one book that I was on the lookout for - Unnikuttante lokam by Nandanar. It is the story of a small boy Unni and we get to see his world. I heard part of the story through a radio recital but could not hear it in full because my radio went bad. I am still trying to find a good radio set.
I am posting a few photos of the bookshop. Do write about your favorite book.
All images belong to sayee