Friday, August 14, 2009

J. K. Rowlings Owes ME




In almost 11 years I will be coming up on an anniversary. It's not the Hallmark kind, and I certainly won't receive a knock-your-socks off piece of jewelry, flowers, or go out for a romantic dinner. Truth be known, I'm secretly waiting for a royalty check but that will never happen.


Let's play Judge Judy. Back in the late fall of 1998 I had a bad case of walking pneumonia. Except that this case left me prone - and it was three weeks before Christmas. As I was alternating hacking and lamenting to my husband that he would never be able to pull off Christmas shopping without me, he suggested that I look for gifts on the Internet. And then do the really unthinkable, buy them on the Internet. Could he actually be the "r" word this time - RIGHT? And so I did!!


I had read an article in Newsweek about a marvelous sounding book by a new British author that I thought my son David might like. So I found the December 7th issue and skimmed through it again about "The Literary Sorceress" and ordered The Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling.


Also in the magazine was an article extolling the benefit of online shopping. Now you are probably wondering if I have some sort of photographic memory like a character on the TV series, Heroes? Hardly. Could I be a pack rat and have kept the said issue? A fire and flood have helped to mange our basement clutter.

Actually, I'm an online junkie and encyclopedia.com helped me out with past issues of Newsweek.


Christmas was saved! And we all know that holidays aren't all about the presents but the fun and time shared and memories made with loved ones. Every day I read aloud to David and we both became both enchanted and enthralled in Rowling's book.


I TOLD EVERYONE ABOUT THIS BOOK!!! I shouted it from the rooftops!!! I emailed everyone I knew. I wrote it in the snow. I'm a teacher and I told all of MY students about this book. I told all of the teachers at MY SCHOOL about this book. I TOLD my good friend who was teaching 4th grade, "YOU MUST READ THIS ALOUD TO YOUR CLASS!!" AND SHE DID!!!! I bought this book for everyone for every occasion for birthdays in New Jersey and New York. I told them they needed to give it as gifts and they listened to me - because they know I am a wise, wise woman.


And then after all my hard work it became a best-seller. I was so proud for I had chosen well. My friends patted me on the back and said, "Good work, you told us so!"


So Judge Judy, what do you think? Don't I deserve a piece of that check?
To purchase this book at my store, go to:

1 comment:

  1. Ah hah! So it's all YOUR fault that I have to listen to my nieces going on and on about that kid with round glasses! ;)

    ReplyDelete