Yesterday’s class visits gave me these snippets to share:

I brought out the book A Visitor for Bear by Bonnie Becker to read to a second grade class, and a boy in the class called out, “I heard that book on NPR!!”  (A good indication of the type of town in which I work…)

When asked by Peggy (the school’s library media specialist) whether they knew who I was, several hands in that same second grade class shot up eagerly in the air.  One little girl, a favorite of mine, answered Peggy with the usual response to that question this week:  “She’s Abby.”  And a little boy, whom I also adore, said “I know her!!  I LOVE her books!!!!!!!!!”

Later on, as I was talking about the Ice Cream Social, that same little girl announced in her lovely British accent, “Last year you had the music of the Beatles!”  Which made Jim pretty happy when I told him later, since it was his band that played the Beatles music. 

Another comment that made Jim happy came from a fourth grader:  “Last year you had a BAND playing at the Ice Cream Social.  Are you going to have them again?!?!?!”

After I finished reading to the second graders, and they were busy doing some word searches, a member of the PTO came up to me and introduced herself.  Apparently she had been in the library shelving books as I was reading to the kids, and she commented to me, “Wow – they really like you.  And they really liked your stories.  You’re a celebrity!”

So, I may not have monetary fortune, but I do have a measure of fame.  And I love that I’m just “Abby” to the kids – not Mrs. Kingsbury, not Miss Abby (sorry, but I ABHORE being called “Miss Abby”), not the librarian.  Just Abby.  That’s all I’ve ever wanted to be.