December 1, 2022 Shareholder Alex Price inspired to create our very own Advent Book Hunt with his poem titled Confessions of a Book Shop Owner. The poet wrote this after joining us for our birthday celebration. It tells the tale of a bookseller who gifts a book to a child who couldn’t afford to purchase it, telling him that it was a special book that when found became his. This poem influenced us to do something similar. Every day of December leading up until Christmas Eve, we hosted a daily Advent Book Hunt, where we hid a different children’s book in wrapping paper somewhere in the store. Whoever found the book of the day got to keep it! It was wonderful seeing the joy on the lucky winner’s faces when they found their new book. Local author Sue Curtis donated a copy of her picture book Turtle in a Tangle to be used as one of the prizes.
Confessions of a Bookseller by Alex Price
I gave away a book today
Although I meant to sell it
I saw a young boy pick it up
Caress the spine and smell it
He leafed through crisp white pages
He studied front and back
Emptied pockets to check his funds
(Or should I say the lack)
And when the disappointment
Knocked wonder from his eyes
I knew I had to let this boy
Possess his special prize
Stepping out to meet him
I said congratulations
You are the lucky customer
Who browsed our publications
For in this shop, a secret book
Was hidden on the shelves
And you're the one who picked it up
And chose it for themselves
So now, young man, the book is yours
For not a single penny
I only ask you spread the word
That books are here a plenty
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