Book Fair Fascination: The Narrative of Nine Series- Part 2

The Narrative of Nine: Scholastic Book Fair Sensation and Inspiration

How two Scholastic Book Fair purchases inspired nine steps to create two lifelong passions. 

Part 2 - The final four steps

February 2010

Super Bowl Fireworks 

Background:

As you may be able to tell from the book title I have listed above, the conversation around my 2010 Scholastic Book Fair purchase will center around the subject of sports. NFL football in particular. While my knowledge of the sport eventually reached that level, it began with a much more localized understanding of our local high school’s program. Most 8 year-old kids begin with awareness of the highest, most popular levels of football. Those on the national scale, college football included, happened to come second to me in my timeline of football interest. My focus here is recounting the journey of broadening my horizons toward the highest level of professional football and the league’s biggest event: The Super Bowl.

There is no other event in sports that matches the notoriety of the Super Bowl. It has become the closest thing to a national holiday and draws hundreds of millions in viewership each year. As the sport of football has continued to grow over the years, so too has this final game between the last two standing teams of an NFL season. The timeframe of my 2010 Scholastic Book Fair purchase is worth noting since it came just a few weeks after that year’s Super Bowl. The NFL’s 44th Super Bowl matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints was the first one I remember watching. My memory does not include the details of the actual game, but more of the eventization around it.

I, like a good number of the other hundred-plus million viewers, did not invest much time in the 2009-10 NFL regular season or playoffs leading up to the Super Bowl. If a game was on, I’d watch, but I did not seek it out on my own. A seed was clearly planted from these brief experiences and its growth was first noticed during our class trip to the annual Scholastic Book Fair. Weeks after the NFL season ended, a new one was set to begin for me when I made my book selection. Having heard the “Super Bowl” title many times in the lead up to that year’s big game, its front cover print stood out like flashing lights. The appeal grew with the word “fireworks” included in the title. Just below it was an impressive photo of what I would soon learn was one of the best plays in Super Bowl history. Captured from Super Bowl 42 in 2008, it featured New York Giants receiver David Tyree in mid-air, making what is now known as the “helmet catch.” Pinning the football against his helmet with a New England Patriots defender attempting to break it free, it was an image unlike any I had seen before. Kudos to the mastermind behind this cover design, as it certainly did its job and resulted in a purchase. More than that, though, it would become a key factor in a more worthwhile and long-standing investment in the sport at-large. 

Key Steps: 

1. Local football awareness  

Prior to that book fair day in February of 2010, a foundation had already been constructed from my local area’s football success. The year before, during my 2nd grade school year, the high school I would graduate from a decade later reached a football program peak. Their season culminated in a runner-up finish in the school’s first ever state championship game appearance. Without too much knowledge about the ins and outs of football as a sport, I understood their achievement was the talk of our town and could interpret the scoreboard’s wide margins quite well.

My understanding of how past events can help shape the then-current day circumstances is what grew my curiosity of the school’s football program history. I learned how longevity played a key role in the decades of their consistent winning ways. Stability in coaching and their ability to develop talented players was a key reason for this. The school has developed a long list of standout athletes with impressive post-high school football careers. Two former players on that list happened to graduate with each of my parents. My parents, thankfully, kept their school year books, which served as a time capsule I was very interested in exploring. In each one, covering a span of 8 years in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, it offered an immersive look into that moment in time. Within the yearbook pages, the athletics section that had the most appeal to me and was what I flipped to first.

Each sport featured a team photo and paragraph write-up on how the season played out for that year’s team. Yet what told the full story in its most honest form was the season schedule and results section, featuring the team’s opponents and the score outcome from each game. After viewing these pages for every sport offered by the school, I recognized quite a bit of inconsistency in each one except for, you guessed it, football. In the span of 8 years came several conference championships with no hint of coming close to a losing season. Wishing to uncover more than the yearbook paragraph and score listing had to offer, I had the opportunity to dive into another category of history. For this, I was fortunate enough to have two key sources, my parents, who were there when it happened. 

As my understanding of the “why” and “how” behind such success was developing, I came to realize the importance of team personnel and players. The knowledge of specific players began with the two with which my parents graduated. Each were of the program’s  highest tier of talent and individual accomplishment; Lee Becton, class of 1991, and Anthony Wright, class of 1994. The individual to coach them both, and countless others in the span of over 30 years, was Clay Jordan. I have had the pleasure of interviewing all three of these accomplished individuals, which you can access here ()

After getting those historic stories from the ‘80s-’90s era of the school's football program, I transitioned to seeking out the then-current ones, and boy, there sure were plenty. At the time of 2008, the area’s local journalism industry was still thriving. So too were the county’s high school football programs, which led to a lot of good team and player coverage. Without much internet exploring capabilities and a subscription to the local paper, my best bet to consume this content would be at my grandparents house. They not only had a subscription to various publications in the state, but weeks worth of issues were saved in a bin. I made a habit to rummage through it during each visit. If the football season was in session, my go-to day of week in their collection was always Friday and Saturday. The high school game previews and recaps gave me the best insight on local game results and also introduced me to game statistics for the team and individual players. 

Not only did it introduce the idea of stat-keeping for games, but the actual players accumulating them. I saw it was a key way to learn of the best players on the local teams and the game at-large. This built great context for me to carry into the games I began to attend in-person. To know those then-current players and exactly what they were doing on the field, it made for an experience in which I could easily invest. It was not long before the visions of myself one day playing began to creep into my imagination. I balanced those future thoughts with the current ones during my 3rd grade school year. A portion of our weekly schedule was dedicated to free writing in our journals. The page-length requirement was meant to be filled with whatever happened to be at the top of our young minds. For me, the main subject of thought at that time was centered around the sport of football. 

In fall of 2009, during the heart of football season, my free writing was based on the local high school game I attended on Friday evening. My writing style was heavily influenced by the local newspaper’s high school football recaps I had begun to consume. I harked back on the structure of those articles and tried to give the best description of each game and standout players. I would lose myself in this process and end up going well beyond the baseline length requirement. The more I read and wrote, the further enamored I was toward the sport’s complexities. Little did I know that I was merely scratching the surface. 

2. Super Bowl history 

Of the several publications my grandparents subscribed to, one of them covered the entire state of North Carolina. The featured sports stories went well beyond my local area and into the college and professional football ranks. During my visits to my grandparents’ newspaper stash, I would initially avoid anything that did not include the local high school team. My attention was solely set on them, even when the teams at our state’s college level were given a spotlight in the local paper. However, when a bye week came into effect during the high school season, I turned to the other option of statewide sports coverage and found it to be quite viable. While it never became my go-to source for reading up on weekly football coverage, it did expose me to the world of NFL football, thanks to their Carolina Panthers coverage.

I had just enough intrigue to periodically check in on the team throughout that 2009 season. There was nothing special about their team, who finished with a win/loss record of 8-8, but there was one game to catch my attention, which ended up being their most impressive showing of the entire season. It came during the second to last week of the regular season, occurring two days after Christmas. Their 41-9 victory over the New York Giants was a game outcome I had grown accustomed to from our local high school team. I had come to know the Panthers as a pretty average team, at best. Seeing this score and reading the details about the game, I could not help but think … The Giants must be bad! To be fair, they too were average at best, and also happened to finish the 2009 season    with a record of 8-8.

The 2010 Scholastic Book Fair came nearly two months after the Giants and Panthers matchup. With the Super Bowl Fireworks book in my hands, I was ready to dive in and sought to get further insight on the game featured on that impressive front cover action shot. I reached the section where the game, Super Bowl 42, was featured and saw a bigger picture on the miraculous play’s entirety. The entire game could be categorized as such, for that matter, as it featured an underdog storyline for a New York Giants team who defeated the unbeaten New England Patriots. 

With the Giants poor showing against the Panthers still relatively fresh in my mind, I was taken aback by what appeared to be a quick downfall in just 2 years. Little did I know of the rarity of sustained success over a stretch of multiple seasons. I was also unaware of how there was a local connection to this game, but that knowledge would come in due time. Until then, my understanding of not just Super Bowl 42, but the Super Bowl as an institution, had the chance to increase with an entertaining tool in the months ahead.

When summer rolled around and longer stretches of time were spent at my grandparents’ house, to keep myself occupied, I was in need of more than just the sports section of their newspaper. Fortunately, I was able to choose from a nice selection of DVDs and VHS tapes. One of those VHS tapes had a cover spine with a familiar logo. It was the same one featured on the top left corner of my Super Bowl Fireworks book, and various other places throughout its pages. The NFL shield is one of the more well known and easy-to-spot representations of a professional sports league brand. Above the spine’s NFL logo was the title Super Sunday and A History Of The Super Bowl next to it in smaller print.

The cover’s American flag backdrop was another recognizable symbol and had enough appeal to catch my eye. After removing the VHS tape from its place in the line of others, the front cover revealed the Lombardi trophy, which is given to Super Bowl winning teams. Though I saw this trophy many times throughout the Super Bowl Fireworks book, there was a certain pop of perfection in the artwork. There were no handprints or sweaty players grasping this Lombardi Trophy here, as were shown in the book. Instead, the cover’s mix of a metallic glisten and waving American flag backdrop was a picturesque encapsulation of the sport’s highest honor. To achieve it, I would find out when playing the VHS tape, would come at a price.

The NFL Films produced documentary, released in 1988, featured the best moments from some notable Super Bowl matchups, of the 22 that had taken place up to that point. In football, what used to be categorized as the “best” plays of a game were often the most violent. Nowadays, a majority of them would be unthinkable to allow in a game. Despite the intense nature of what was displayed on the tape, I found the game’s positive aspects outweighed any negatives. With a high stakes atmosphere of this kind of game, the bittersweet components are quite evident. The NFL Films had unprecedented access to provide in-depth coverage of victory’s thrill and defeat’s agony in those Super Bowl games. Thanks to the coaches and players who were mic’d during the biggest moment of their professional lives, the soundbites offered an amazing introduction of the ultra-intense nature of the sport. It sounds ridiculous now, but at nearly 9 years-old, I felt due for a certain level of edge in my persona. The pursuit of my athletic involvement, particularly in football, seemed to be a key gateway toward obtaining this trait. 

3. A football education 

Two months before the 2010 NFL season was set to begin, the subject of player safety had become a hotbed issue for the league. Taking it into consideration, the NFL was forced to take drastic measures to eliminate harmful styles of playing football. In the 16 years since this reckoning with the health and safety of NFL players, those strides have continued to make great progress in protecting those who play the game at all levels. As a fan of the sport, I recognize this quite clearly from the trajectory of my own perception of how the game is played. A great example of this view point is in relation to one of the most notable gifts I ever received.

By the time my 9th birthday came around in the middle of that 2010 summer, my parents knew of my budding interest in football better than anyone else. This understanding was reflected when I unwrapped their gift to see the Madden 10 video game for my Wii console. At that time I was unfamiliar with the extreme popularity of the Madden video brand and its vast history in American culture. What I did know was that the video game cover had two football players on it. The cover provided instant credibility and was all I needed to willingly devote my full attention to exploring all the game had to offer. Now, however, I see it in a different light.

On the cover are two players who were part of Super Bowl 43 in 2009; Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald and Pittsburgh Steelers defensive standout Troy Polamalu. At that time, both were star players for their respective teams and the NFL at-large. It was not common for a Madden video game cover to feature two players, but there they were. I did not know of this rarity then, nor did I think anything was out of the ordinary with how each player was positioned on the cover. Now, with 16 years of further advancement in player safety, I can only think of the head-on collision each player would be subjected to experiencing. Such an impact would be inevitable from the technique represented in the cover’s illustration. Back then, though the higher-ups representing the NFL were newly awakened to these realities, most fans still enjoyed the bliss of ignorance around this subject matter. 

From the moment the Madden game disc was inserted in my Wii console, my own ignorance toward the entire sport of football began to rapidly dwindle. I became enamored with the technicalities of the sport, just as I had with its history. The Madden game served as a Football-101 educational tool for me to grasp the rules, scoring, as well as the offensive and defensive play designs. What eventually became impactful to an even higher degree was the team selection process before starting a game. How cool was it to choose any random team combination, of the 32 available, to square off against each other in a game? Well, for a while, I had no idea. So ready to start a game, I stuck with the two teams automatically selected for me.

The New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles were those two teams. In what was yet another encounter with the Giants, this was at a more direct level with them set as the “main user option.” From the first game I played, to the onslaught of others to come, there was no other team that replaced the Giants from this “main user option.” The identifiable quality of this team went beyond their name or jerseys. I had the ability to learn their players on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. The one under center as their quarterback was Eli Manning, who quickly became my favorite player. 

My choice to view him as such was validated when I connected the dots from my Super Bowl Fireworks book I had acquired months earlier. It was his throw in Super Bowl 42, and ability to escape a sack from the Patriots defense, that led to the amazing catch seen on the book’s cover. Depending on how you look at things, he was the reason my football investment had reached the point it had. It all started with an eye-catching book cover photo, made possible by his ability to make the play. He would go on to make many more memorable plays during his 16 year NFL career, the entirety of which was spent as the New York Giants starting quarterback. In this summer of 2010 timeframe, Manning was in the middle of his journey to breaking nearly every franchise passing record. In hindsight, I could not have picked a better time to become a Giants fan. Despite a 10-6 record, they barely missed the playoffs in 2010. The next year, though the team had one less win, circumstances made way for a division championship and playoff qualification. Getting there was one thing, but to witness their improbable run to ultimately win another Super Bowl, once again defeating the New England Patriots, I was floating on a victorious cloud of “too good to be true” fandom.

Back to the first time they defeated the Patriots in February of 2008, I was unaware of everything about the team and sport of football at large. So much so that I had no idea of a local connection there was to this 2007-08 Giants team. Of the individuals who could say they were part of a team who stopped the juggernaut Patriots from finishing as undefeated champions, one in particular was from my hometown of Vanceboro, North Carolina. Anthony Wright, who was on the tail end of a respectable NFL career, served as Eli Manning’s backup quarterback.

For more insight on his career journey, and perspective of that season, you can find that conversation here: https://thenarrativeofnames.blogspot.com/2025/06/anthony-wright-athlete-interview-series.html

4. Camp of connectivity

The opportunity to first hear his recollections came in that impactful summer of 2010. Back then, the 2 year and 4 month time after becoming a Super Bowl champion seemed so long. Now, I can better recognize how that was nothing more than the blink of an eye. It makes the idea of that entire experience all the more fascinating to me now. What made this possible was my decision to sign up for West Craven High School’s annual football camp. It was an easy choice, and a necessary one, since my sights were set on joining our town’s Pop Warner football team. Held on the same field where my local athletic heroes thrived during their Friday night games, the camp served as the first true immersive football experiences. Though we were not in pads, the setting itself created a sense of legitimacy toward learning and playing the sport.

Held in the heat of the day in the middle of June, West Craven coaches and players from the prior season served as instructors for the elementary and middle school age campers. At the age of 9 and the limited size that came with my age, it was humanizing to see those high school athletes as they truly were; teenage guys who were still developing as athletes. Without pads and a helmet, their stature gave a kid like myself a sense of hope to see most of them appear as I realistically envisioned myself in 6 or 7 years. This was especially true for the most well-known and accomplished player from the prior season’s team. Standing around 6 foot tall with a thin frame, a young man named Justin Hardy was there to join his teammates and coaches in assisting with the camp. At the time, Hardy was set to attend Fayetteville State University on a football scholarship after impressing as a do-it-all athlete during his time at West Craven. Yet he believed there were bigger things in his future as a college athlete. It was something I and countless others wholeheartedly believed, as well, especially after watching him amass over 3,000 total yards and 40 touchdowns in 2009. Thankfully, the football program at East Carolina University came around to the same way of thinking.

Throughout the week of camp, a main topic of water cooler discussion among the campers was about the special guest who was set to close the camp by speaking to us on the final day. Intrigue grew as time progressed and former NFL quarterback Anthony Wright was confirmed to be our visitor. This news injected each of us with the energy and enthusiasm needed to withstand the intense level of heat and competitive football drills. Little did any of us know that a future NFL player was in our midst from the camp’s start to finish. 7 years later, it was Justin Hardy who would go on to host a camp of his own just months after playing in Super Bowl 51 as an Atlanta Falcons wide receiver.

Each camp day ended on a high note with some form of competition usually involved. One included a sprinting race between two teams consisting of both campers and the high school players who were each evenly divided. Witnessing the speed from those players, my fascination toward their abilities was given a major boost, in spite of any underwhelming observation toward their physical stature. These guys were the real deal. After winning my one-on-one race matchup, I felt like I was, too. However, the ultimate example of “the real deal” came in the final moments of the camp’s final day.

Thanks to inclement weather, the camp finale flag football game was moved to the school’s gymnasium. It was all fine and well for us campers, as we knew the special guest could then speak to us in a more intimate setting. I still believe it enhanced the presence of Mr. Anthony Wright when he appeared larger than life among us campers in the gym. This is what a football player looks like, I thought. The words he shared were equally impressive. While the specifics of his talk are no longer in my memory, the manner in which he spoke is very easy to recall. It was the one of the first times I remembered someone appearing so passionate in their speaking presentation. It was a true display of care and connection toward the place where he began his athletic pursuits. Anthony eventually came around to displaying something else, which was associated with the latter part of his athletic pursuits. It was something that required no description whatsoever. After reaching in his pocket, Anthony revealed the Super Bowl ring in his grasp and took a moment to let it speak for itself.

From my spot in the middle of a congregation of campers who were seated on the gym floor, the ring, like the man holding it, seemed bigger than life. Yet it was after the speaking portion was finished that both, the man and ring, would be seen in a much closer light. While this was mostly due to physical space between myself and Anthony Wright, a more personal component happened to reveal itself. By this point, both campers and parents were spread out around the gym floor. For me, the time for photos and last goodbyes turned into one of a big “hello.” It was Anthony who, upon seeing my mother and someone he knew as a classmate and fellow 1994 graduate, joyfully exclaimed her name and met her with a big hug. I was more than happy to witness every second of it. You could even say I was proud.

What I could not say was that I had hindsight of the moment’s true sense of magnitude. That would come later on. When it did, I was able to recognize how, in just the span of 4 months, I went from purchasing a Super Bowl book to touching the official Super Bowl ring from the game on its cover. To see the brightly shining Lombardi trophies on the ring was one thing, but to place my hand on it was what tied the moment together in a perfect bow. The trophies on his ring not only represented each of New York Giants Super Bowl victories at that time, they represented one of my own. It was the victorious feeling of finding a passion and grasping its possibilities.

(Photo courtesy of Mr. Anthony Wright)

Book Fair Fascination Part 1: https://thenarrativeofnames.blogspot.com/2026/03/book-fair-fascination-narrative-of-nine.html 

Book Fair Fascination: The Narrative of Nine Series - Part 1

The Narrative of Nine: Scholastic Book Fair Sensation and Inspiration

How two Scholastic Book Fair purchases inspired nine steps to create two lifelong passions. 

Introduction-

With enough time removed from being a student at the elementary level, nearly 14 to be exact, I can now realize how a library is often the most underappreciated location in an elementary school. This is from the perspective of a student in this environment, of course. To teachers, the value of a library serves many great purposes. High on the list of its offerings can simply be a calm void where silence is of the utmost importance for students to uphold. 

Back to the student perspective, from the ages of 5 to 10, when you learn that your weekly exploratory class schedule circled back around to “library day,” the groans and sighs returned to teachers, who bore such news, were palpable. I was met with them 3 years ago when I, filling in for several teachers, had to play the role of messenger, in addition to that of "substitute teacher.” Even worse? Being a substitute librarian and dealing with the sensitive student feelings from a majority of the class. They had a tendency to stick around beyond their teacher’s designated drop-off time. Usually, I was able to win them over, but still had a hard time thinking of why it took so much effort. Effort for those students to appreciate the library environment, and effort for me, as the leader of its space. As one with temporary status and little experience, I had to put myself back in the mindset of those I was in charge of supervising.

With my childhood memories readily available for this necessary attempt of self-alteration, my senses were heightened to a key 14-year evolution of learning techniques. While touch screens and iPads were coming into existence back in the late 2000s era I experienced, there was no sign of such technology in our school. Now? Every student is assigned to their own iPad device. Used to access a wide range of learning platforms for all subjects, the convenience of limiting papers and physical handouts has its benefits, sure. Yet the crutch it becomes is an unmistakable reality for all sides to consider. As someone who has assigned many forms of “busy work,” the device has a pacifier-like effect on those it is meant to keep occupied and entertained.

During my library assignment day, each student from every class had no such device in hand during their designated library time. Instead? Actual books, with a front and back cover, pages in between each, and a spine to keep them intact. Each student toted at least one or two, ranging from various sizes and genres. Seeing this, I understood my obligation to fill their session the “old-fashioned way.” This throwback approach was a challenge of a wholesome nature, which I wholeheartedly accepted. To me, the choice an individual student makes to select a book and invest their time in turning its page can say a lot. I thought of it as a great icebreaker opportunity for a one-on-one interaction, which would also fill a solid stretch of my time with the group.

When the class took their seats at the circular tables, I stood before them and let them know of two questions they would need to answer before exchanging their books for new ones. The questions began with “why” and “what” … Why did you choose the book? What did you learn from it? Their favorite part of this, I realized, was the answer requirement of one sentence or less. Short, sweet, and to the point. My favorite part? Seeing the pride in each student proclaiming their agency to select a book subject or genre that could lead to their investment. Agency and investment are two interconnected forces to make learning an enjoyable, worthwhile experience. At the elementary age level, however, students often have fewer opportunities for this kind of expression of self-interest in education. Thinking back to myself in this era of my academic journey, we did not know any difference. Even outside of school, it was a time where the endless choices of ways to fill time were not always at our disposal, as they are now in 2026.

I thought of this as each student, one by one, answered the question and went on their way to choose new books. When it was time for them to sit back down and begin their assignment, I roamed around the library, both monitoring the students and my own history in the very same space. Having been a student there myself, the memories were easily accessible in the room where, other than the floors, nothing much had changed. The library decor, once viewed as normal bore, now was along the lines of nostalgic lore. The periods of time where there was even the slightest difference in appearance were few and far between. This, I assumed, was the reason the Scholastic Book Fair week popped in my mind. I did not grasp just how much the themes of agency and investment sparked this trail of memories.

Occurring on an annual basis, there were many aspects to this weeklong opportunity to help spark and spread the buzz around school. As soon as the first promotional posters went up in our halls, featuring a colorful selection of some of the year’s top book selections, anticipation began building among us students. The obvious elements of intrigue began with the library’s transformation. On Monday of the designated book fair week, the display was our very own pop-up shop, filled with new book and poster selections, many of which were centered around the year’s latest topics and trends. While this inventory was more than enough to enhance our mystique, the process to access it all is what put things over the top. 

Students are always seeking moments out of the ordinary routine of a typical school day schedule. With the book fair week, we were given our chance to break away from the classroom on not just one, but multiple occasions. The first would occur toward the first part of the week, where teachers took their entire class to browse the book fair selection. It was then that students had a chance to spend their book fair money or scout out their desired items to purchase later in the week. I tended to do the latter. While, yes, I wanted to have a plan in place for the amount of money to bring, I was especially glad to retreat from the class and have the agency to invest in material I deemed desirable. The funds to do so, maxing out at no more than 10 dollars, were generously provided by my parents. Though it was not my cash, it was my choice, and most important, my responsibility to successfully complete the purchase process.

It is a pretty big deal to entrust any amount of money to an elementary-aged student. This seemed to turn those Scholastic Book Fair purchases into mini-miracles. The trust carried over to our teachers, as they were the ones who allowed students with money to leave class, at a designated time, and walk themselves to the book fair set-up. I now realize how, aside from having the chance to go shop at school, the thrill came from the responsibility of proving ourselves as capable stewards. This does not mean some common elementary age tendencies did not break through.

The Scholastic operation certainly provided a wide range of quality purchase options for students to enjoy. Yet not all of these were books, or could necessarily be deemed as beneficial products for a student to spend their allotted resources. In addition to the pop culture and sports posters hanging adjacent to the main book display, a table full of random knick knack item assortments could be found just beyond the fair’s entry and exit points. It was common knowledge that a lot of students would come back with their hands full of those items, as opposed to actual books. While this is a funny thing to reminisce about, it is far from the most impactful topic in my book fair memory category. It all comes down to the key purpose for this writing project; how lifelong passions can be discovered and enhanced through opportunities, such as the annual Scholastic Book Fair.

The promotion of literacy is not possible without first promoting a sense of joy around its idea. Joy is hard to come by when the desirable qualities of any topic are lacking. With the Scholastic Book Fair, there is an admirable quality for their operation to take it upon themselves to meet students where they are. This roadshow approach brings about a unique quality to the education experience. If students feel they lack the chances to ingratiate themselves with enjoyable and topical subjects in book form, the Scholastic Book Fair presents them with the satisfying process of selecting what piques their interest. When students are among the diverse range of not only mere products, but books ranging in various genres, lengths, and topics, it proves how there is something worth exploring for each and every individual. For me, as I begin my recount of the first of two book fair experiences, a brewing interest I had going into the fair was confirmed as legitimate and worthy of maintaining and, with the support of others, growing to unimaginable levels. 

Part 1 - The First Five Steps

February 2008

Presidential Dollars Coin Collecting Kit 

Background:

The opportunity had come for my 1st grade class to browse our school’s 2008 Scholastic Book Fair options. We were each given the chance to roam around the set-up with the self-guided approach. It often turned to a friend-guided one, as mini-groups would form by the time our allotted time came to an end. Whether we were scouting out our future purchases to make later that week, or if we were ready, with cash in hand, to do so then and there, it was a chance to express our interests to our fellow classmates. Our choice in exploring specific areas of the space would say a lot about our individual tastes and personal interests outside of school.

Though those mini groups formed among my classmates, I decided to keep to myself. While, yes, I was always quite comfortable with doing so, in this instance I felt as if there was no other choice to make. I was not comfortable sharing my newly developed fascination with Presidential history. A main reason for this, I now know, was the mere fact of it being different from many of the other common interests from my peers. 

During this time of book browsing, I am sure my preference of isolation made me easy to spot, from the perspective of my teacher. It was she who, in a hushed tone, raised her whisper loud enough to catch my attention. Her index finger indicated the direction she wanted me in. With the mindset of always assuming I had done something wrong when summoned by any figure of authority, my look of concern was noticeable enough for her to reassure that was not the case. My teacher’s expression turned to one of excitement, as if she was set to let me in on a secret of some kind. It turned out to be a good one, of course. While my teacher’s exact wording has escaped my mind in the past 18 years, her thoughtful sentiment never has. It was a moment where she might as well have said, “you are seen.”

What I could see was a book cover with the faces of 13 United States Presidents. The top portrait on the cover, in what seemed to appear as a highlighted color tone, standing out among the others, was my personal favorite president, John F. Kennedy. The faces of other notable presidents from various points in history filled the cover in a circular position. Under the headshot painting was an American flag to tie together a patriotic theme. From my initial look, the book title of Presidential Dollars Coin Collecting Kit went unnoticed. Instead, the faces I spent the prior months drilling into memory captured my focus and had me ready to explore the book’s pages. When I did, I was thrilled to find a full page dedicated to all of our country’s presidents, not just those on the cover. It was truly a bonus, along with the “coin collecting kit” portion at the book’s end section. 

When my teacher asked something along the lines of “what do you think?” My feelings were quite clear. At this point, I am sure she explained her idea to reserve the book for me to purchase at a later time, since I had yet to be entrusted with cash from my parents. I am not certain of my comprehension of her plan, as I was still fully immersed in the book. Before getting too in-depth with its content, my teacher’s idea became very clear when, using a sticky note and pen, my name was written and posted on the book’s front cover. At that point, I got it. Before too long, the book would be mine! 

This gesture from my teacher was more than reserving a book; it served the important purpose of validating my interest in its subject matter as something to be fully embraced. Thankfully, I did not have to wait long to consider my ownership of the book as official. That evening marked our school’s “book fair night.” The open-house-style event was an opportunity for families to share the joys of literacy promotion. For many parents joining their students, it also produced the peaceful feeling of a more secure book fair transaction with their inclusion. For me, it was the chance to proudly approach the yellow sticky note with my name on it, which, from my vantage point, stood out like a sore thumb among every other product. With the book tightly grasped in hand, I left the event in high spirits and went home to add it to my quickly growing collection of Presidential history.

Key Steps:

1. New material and new information. 

The pace of my collection’s growth was all thanks to those closest to me and their continued recognition, and overall support, of my interest. Soon after the Scholastic Book Fair took its show to another school, the normal routine of being a 1st grader in 2008 resumed. This included a day full of hard work at school, hard play at recess, hard homework at home, and an easy reward of Disney Channel show watching. In between the school and home portion of my day was the few minutes spent in my mother’s car. The 5 minute car ride became my favorite part of the day and what I looked forward to the most. It was a portal back to my preferable environment. 

Every now and then, my mother would have a treat waiting for me next to my booster seat in the back of her car. For some students, this may have been in the form of a snack or sweet treat. My mother usually took a different, less messy and more healthy approach. Hers was one that led to more thought for me on the receiving end of the reading material she provided. In those days, the subject of any word I willingly read in an article or book was geared toward, you guessed it, the U.S. Presidents. More thought from those words had the power of mental construction, yet the new content physically constructed even more material for my collection.

This material had more of a visual appeal to me initially. The piece, titled “Presidential Trivia,” was part of the American Profile magazine publication, and lined up well with the upcoming Presidents’ Day holiday. Yet again, posted on its cover was my name. This time around it had been written by my grandmother, who came across the article and, aware of my budding interest in Presidents, thought to save it for me. The trend from the recent book fair experience continued when the magazine’s cover art earned my investment of attention. It was yet another collection of U.S. Presidents from various points in history, but this took the cover concept from the Presidential Dollars Coin Collecting Kit to another level. The illustration of every President grouped together, in full body form, with the White House in the background, was simply amazing. The well-designed image made it fairly close to a lifelike group photo of, at the time, all 43 presidents. Everything from their heights to the clothes they wore were illustrated with great detail. 

The names of each president in the illustration were listed under the cover artwork’s full view image within the magazine pages. Under the name heading was the “trivia” part of the profile, in the form of a single sentence fun-fact about each president. Suddenly armed with more information learned on my own time away from school, it was there where I would soon be given the chance to apply it, or so I thought.

2. Presidents’ Day craft

Creativity is key in the world of elementary education. Both teachers and students are involved in this effort, of course. A teacher has the role of brainstorming a relative idea for their students. With it in place, it is up to the students to execute the idea according to the given instruction. In keeping with the order of this February 2008 timeline, the aforementioned President’s Day holiday was the opportune moment to commemorate it in a creative way. This tracked well with the usual holiday trend, where glue sticks were typically in higher demand.

Those instructions I speak of are usually quite clear, with the help of visual examples on the main whiteboard for all to see, along with their repeated verbalization. I was usually great at considering them as credible and would follow the guidelines to a tee. In this scenario, however, there was an issue. The all-important ingredient of “credibility” was lacking from my point of view. With the craft centered around two of the most popular presidents, Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, the finished product of their headshots and chest-up attire were there front and center for our reference. There appeared to be an issue, though. It was an issue none of my classmates, or even my teacher for that matter. They either did not notice or did not care. I was not sure which was worse.

The finished product of each President with a pencil-drawn smile, perfectly-shaped nose, and fine-tuned proportions were unlike any painting or photo I had seen of the two. I assumed it was a well-known fact that George Washington and Abraham Lincoln rarely, if ever, smiled for a portrait, and don’t even get me started about the nose. Come on, guys, get with it! This thought was at the core of my choice to go rogue with this craft project. There was great pride in choosing what I deemed to be a historically accurate result over an artistically pleasing one. Though my drawing of a less than perfect nose and frowned smile did not meet the standards of being displayed in our hallway, it satisfied my carefully constructed knowledge around the subject of presidential history. Though the structure was still relatively new in my mind, its components appeared to be quite strong.  

3. Observational awareness 

The same grandmother I mention in the prior step is, of course, married to my grandfather, who happened to serve several terms as a North Carolina legislator. For him, this involvement has led to a life filled with connections built within the world of state government.  Many of those connections were made with key figures from our state’s history. In the home of my grandparents, there is a room filled with framed photos of some of those people, including their signature and personalized note to my grandfather, who was sometimes included in these photos. I always appreciated the time spent at their house and with this newfound history hobby, my enjoyment of their space was heightened.

I soon began to ask questions about the people I saw in those framed photos and the role they each had. Positions such as “senator,” "lieutenant governor,” “governor,” were floated around as answers to my inquiries. Yet before I sought out details on the unknown figures, I had quite a few for one individual who I had recently come to recognize quite well. This man, pictured shaking the hand of my grandfather with his can’t-miss smile, was our nation’s 39th President, Jimmy Carter. He also happened to be one of the 13 faces featured on the Presidential Dollars Coin Collecting Kit book’s front cover. To take in this interaction he had with my grandfather, from an event dating back to the late 1970s period, it left me fascinated in the purest sense.

By that point, I was able to recognize and appreciate the magnitude of President Jimmy Carter’s position as one of our nation’s past leaders. No matter how much time has passed since the photo was taken, the historical significance was brought back to life. While the moment with my grandfather may have been brief, the captured photo would stand the test of time. Man, I wishfully thought, what I would give to experience a moment such as that. 

 

4. Historical and heritage connections

With an increased appreciation for history, I soon began to view the idea of this subject, as it related to both sides of my own family, in the same manner. Little did I know how two historical categories, that of my family and United States presidents had yet another moment of intersection. My realization of one of them; my grandfather’s photo with Jimmy Carter, had recently occurred when I discovered a second timeless piece of captured history. This one in particular happened to date back to decades earlier than the late ‘70s photo, November 16, 1955 to be exact. This date was nearly the 3rd year of  Dwight D. Eisenhower’s term as our nation’s 34th president. 

Eisenhower was yet another one of the 13 faces on the front cover of my Presidential Dollars Coin Collecting Kit book. However, it was not his face that was associated with this piece of family memorabilia. While this artifact may have been in a frame, as photos are known to be, it was not in photograph form. Instead, it was used to protect and preserve a letter on official White House stationery. The letter was to thank my great-great grandfather for a gift he sent to Eisenhower. It was given when The President happened to fly out from a Pennsylvania airport that was owned by my great-great grandfather, and in close proximity to Eisenhower's farm in Gettysburg. 

For me to instantly associate this possession with President Eisenhower was all thanks to my newly acquired president book. At the bottom of the typewritten letter was Eisenhower’s official handwritten signature. It was the same signature I had gotten used to seeing on his profile page within the book. As a 6 year old, I felt some pride in my ability to detect his name from the signature. This, along with my awareness of how his tenure in office lined up with the letter’s date, was proof of knowledge I was beginning to acquire with this interest in President history. Not only was I enjoying the new world of information, I was getting something beneficial from it, as well. 

5. Campaign consciousness 

The timeline of my increased base of Presidential history knowledge created a sense of awareness toward Presidential-related events of that era. As the month of February transitioned into March of 2008, the year’s Presidential election primaries were heating up in the Democratic party. The once-favorite to win, Hillary Clinton, was in a highly contested race against a one-term senator from Illinois. His name was Barack Obama and he had taken the country by storm with high energy, sparked from his representation of hope and change for the nation.

Such enthusiasm for his campaign put a spotlight on the Obama campaign’s efforts, even before it was officially announced the year before. His tight lead in acquired state delegates was very commendable, especially since Hillary Clinton had spent the prior 16 years in the national spotlight, as both a U.S. senator and former first lady to Bill Clinton, our 42nd president. Though her last name was polarizing, its undoubted recognition was a key starting point in 2008 presidential primaries. This factor served the same purpose for me in that moment in time. 

I experienced a burgeoning understanding of how those present moments in 2008 were shaping history. There would be an inevitable “first” in presidential campaign history, regardless of the primary outcome between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Either the first woman or African-American would become a major party’s nominee for President. Though this was the first election I was attuned to, I had historical context to appreciate the significance of each possibility. Though I had no knowledge of the policies each candidate presented during their respective campaigns, the most obvious thing being offered was a broken barrier of opportunity.

This much-needed shift in the status quo offered our nation a new path of leadership. It was one that would look different from the past presidential faces on my collection of books, posters, and news clippings. Yet there would be one familiar face, among those of former presidents, who was positioned to be a big factor in the 2008 democratic primary election. Though nearly 8 years had passed since his last term, there was a chance for him to enter back into the White House in a different capacity. 

The end result:

Looming large over Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign was a man who, 16 years earlier, was once at the center of his own. Bill Clinton brought along campaign experience from multiple levels of government and ultimately reached the highest one of the United States presidency. Adding this amount of experience to the campaign trail can result in a mixture of benefits and baggage. Within the decades worth of wisdom and lessons learned are the inevitable shortcomings that linger in the conscience of voters. For me, a then 6-year-old, I was free of many of those preconceived notions toward our past Presidential figures. I viewed each of them through a lens consisting of basic personal facts, which mostly lacked any politicized controversy. I sometimes wish I kept that same point of view, but realize, as an active voter, there is now a responsibility to consider the whole truth of our past, present, and future leaders.

None of this was on my mind when I learned that, on Saturday April 12, 2008, I would have the opportunity to meet our 42nd president, Bill Clinton. I will never know just how my grandfather, the same one who was photographed with Jimmy Carter, managed to get me, himself, and my mother into a Greenville, North Carolina hotel reception room for this opportunity. The setting was not an ideal one for a 6 year-old boy to be on a Saturday morning and I was by far the youngest individual standing in that reception space. In addition to my age, the blue seersucker suit I wore was another way I stood out among the other 20 or 30 people in the room.

As we stood there and waited for President Clinton’s arrival, I remember having a pretty laid back view toward the whole experience. I now assume the prolonged standing and waiting made an impact on my excitement levels. Thankfully, I had an option of time occupation with the book I held in my hands. My mother and I reached a mutual agreement to bring my book fair purchase of Presidential Dollars Coin Collecting Kit for President Clinton to sign. While waiting, it was natural for me to flip to the page dedicated to his presidency. Looking at his personal signature embedded on the page under his photo, I was already picturing where his eventual handwritten one would be placed.

I was distracted long enough to lose myself in what was written about the man I was moments from meeting in-person. In some ways, I felt as though the meeting had already taken place. From the time I had invested in reading and learning there was some familiarity established. In hindsight, and with a more mature understanding of human beings, the broad, kid-friendly information from my readings barely scratched the factual surface of a complex figure from U.S. history. I can recognize how my subdued feeling of “been there, done that” was simply a front for the nerves I was in desperate hopes of hiding, but would soon have no choice of being uncovered.

What happened next, once President Clinton strolled in with his secret service team leading the way and following behind, was honestly a blur to me. The two main things that stood out to me were his tall height and attire of a navy sport coat atop a tie-less button-down shirt, khaki pants, and ostrich-skin boots. This outfit was something I had never before seen him wear in pictures and videos, most of them, if not all, were from his time in office. Maybe this was just what former presidents wore, I considered. Whether his presidential status was “former” or not, the weight of having had such a position was palpable when he entered the room.

Known for his ability to exude a strong sense of magnetism amongst any crowd of people, a master class of this trait was on full display from President Clinton that morning. While nearly every other person flocked over toward his direction, I remember staying back to avoid the rush of fully-grown individuals. The waiting, it appeared, would have to last a little bit longer. “A little bit longer” is also how I would describe the one-on-one moment I shared with President Clinton soon thereafter. 

Upon his arrival, President Clinton worked his way through the crowd in an efficient manner. His mix of handshakes, hugs, and photos allowed for maybe 10 to 15-second meeting intervals with those who crowded. However brief, I am sure the impact was long-lasting and that each individual felt as though they were the only one in the room. I watched it all unfold from a distance and felt his aura grow with every passing second. My anticipatory feelings trended in the same direction. Whether it was my age, blue seersucker suit, or location away from the tightly formed circle around him, I stood out just enough for President Clinton to make a b-line in my direction. 

I am thankful for the photos that helped keep this experience alive over the years, since my awe-struck state of mind from that day has clouded many details from actually meeting President Clinton. While, yes, it would be nice to remember exactly what was said and the entirety of our exchange, what was done carries much more weight. With several photos, along with an autograph and brief handwritten note in my book, these keepsakes serve more than mere evidence of this occasion. They have ultimately helped produce my sense of appreciation and valuable perspective for the rarity of such an experience.

Less than a year before April 12, 2008, I had no idea what the title of “United States President” meant. For a 6 year-old, the perspective I had toward that 9 or 10 month period is closer to how I now view 9 or 10 years. The aforementioned steps, taken in an even shorter span of time, boosted both levels of interest and knowledge, which happened to go hand-in-hand. Back then, while experiencing each one, I did not yet have the capacity to recognize their rapid progression. Such a pace would not have been possible without the awareness and recognition from those closest to me. Thanks to them, I was never without the support and encouragement to pursue my newfound interest. I was ultimately able to express it by sharing the President Clinton experience with my fellow classmates.

The show and tell session involved a scrapbook of the photos taken on April 12th, 2008, campaign pins I received that day, and some news articles about Clinton’s visit to our area. Many of my classmates did not understand the materials as anything too special, nor were they able to recognize who the tall, grey-haired gentleman was next to me in all those photos. Yet none of this put a damper on the opportunity to proudly recount my experience. The pride toward this passion was only scratching the surface back then, nearly 18 years ago. Though it has ebbed and flowed over the years, and is in an endless battle with cynicism, I am grateful for its existence and the motivation it has given me to now share it with you.