New Doors Opened

We raced excitedly across the parking lot.

"Is this it, mommy?" he asked.

"Yes, baby. We are here."

As we approached the first set of doors, Bradley drew in his breath. His entire 3 feet 2 inches was just a little taller. His face shown brightly and his eyes lit up like fireworks. And then we entered....

The musty smell of aging books mixed with the new smell of books filled with crisp pages and fresh ink enveloped us.

"Wow!" Bradley exclaimed. "This is the library."

"Yes baby, this is the library. See all those books in there. Let's keep going, we're not quite inside yet," I told him as we walked through the second set of doors.

"Where are my books?"

"Hold on just a minute. Let's go get you a library card first. Come over this way."

We made our way to the circulation desk. As the lady behind the counter finished what she was working on, she looked up and asked how she could help us. "We're here to get him," I pointed to Bradley, "a library card."

As she set to work entering his data, Bradley watched intently. Then came the red plastic card along with a permanent black marker. "Here you go, sign your card."

"B... is that a B mommy?" Bradley asked after attempting to write the first letter in his name. It was a little difficult because he was stretching just a bit to see the top of the counter.

"Yes, you know how to write your name."

Together we adjusted his grip and he finished signing his card which he didn't want to let go. Anyone around would have been able to check their reflection in his grin it was so big and bright.

We made our way downstairs. Me excited to watch my little boy take in his first libary experience. I was so proud of him, when we walked by the videos, he asked what was down there. I explained and he told me, "No, I want to get my books."

Anyone who knows Bradley knows he is an avid reader. He probably has between 100-200 books in his room. Partly because he goes to my classroom and "borrows" books that absolutely have to visit his preschool class, and then magically disappear into his room. Needless to say, I was afraid we would be in for a long visit as he debated which books to check out. Oh no, not today. Because as Bradley has told me over and over, "We have to bring these books back." I guess that makes it easier to make a quick decision. He was determined: I want dinosaur books and transformer books.

Within less 5 minutes however, Bradley was proudly carrying a search and find book: Mean Machines and a book on Airplanes.

"You can get one more book. Do you want an informational book or fiction, a story book?" I asked.

"No mommy, you can get a book. I have 2." he told me.

"That's sweet and thank you, but you can get another book. I have my own card and I have lots of books I'm reading at home right now." I said.

"Oh, okay. But will you come back and get some books for you?" Bradley quizzed, genuinely concerned that I was not getting a book today.

"Yes, just not today. Today is your day!"

So we went about finding one more book. That's when we found it, Danny and the Dinosaur by Sid Hoff. A book he "read/watched" on bookflix last week.

Off we went back to the circulation desk. Bradley stretched to put his books on the counter, then stretched again to put his shiny new red card up there as well.

We then bounced out of the library with a whole new world opened up and waiting for our return.