I Found The First Book I Ever Read

I finally received a book in the mail this week that it took me six years to locate.

It’s the first book I ever read (that wasn’t part of regular schooling). It’s an old book (child’s) that has been reprinted many times since it was first published in 1960. It had a couple of different covers over its time. My 1974 version had a yellow one. I’ve been searching for another ’74 copy of The Marvelous Inventions of Alvin Fernald for quite a long time and finally found one (that was in good condition) a couple of weeks ago.

My school sent out a book club catalogue twice a year. I showed my parents the catalogue, and they said I could pick out a book and buy it. I did that, put my order and the money into an envelope and gave it back to my teacher to process. Six weeks later, Clifford B Hicks’ book about a young inventor landed on my school desk. It was my very own book! I couldn’t believe it!

Most copies of the book that exist today are either the newer versions or damaged older ones. A bookshop in the States had an old one for sale. I saw it online, and it looked pretty good, but the price was steep. I offered them a lower price (the dollar conversion and postage made their price unreasonable), but they turned it down. I bookmarked the page and kept watching the book not sell for five years (yes, I’m obsessive like that), and every year, I’d make them a low offer, which they’d inevitably reject. Well, another one popped up on E-bay about a month ago and was located here in Australia! The price was right, and the book’s condition was good. I just had to snap it up right there and then. The book arrived yesterday, and after opening up the post-pack, I was taken back to my eight-year-old self.

Two things of note: The book is smaller (and much thinner) than I remember. It smells deliciously old.

As expected, the cover is slightly faded, especially around the spine, and the pages are well-aged yellow. A child’s name appears inside… but all the text is readable. It’s everything I’d hoped it’d be, and I will enjoy re-reading this childhood story and having a heartwarming flashback from the experience.

-Michael

One day, I’ll tell you about my obsession with a type of transistor radio I used to own and what I went through to return that piece of my boyhood!