The cool thing was we did not have to read from an approved list. We could read fiction or nonfiction, prose or poetry. My preference was mysteries. I started with those written by my favorite author, Agatha Christie. Fortunately, Agatha wrote oodles of books, and I didn’t have to go much farther than the “Cs” on the shelves reserved for mysteries. I’d finished those by the end of July. For the remaining two weeks of the reading program, I moved over to the “Ds” and checked out Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes books. I soon added him to my list of favorite authors.

The night before my list was due at the library, I labored over it. I carefully printed the name of each of the 51 books I’d read. I’d been keeping track of these in my diary. Then I went a step farther to celebrate my accomplishment. I illustrated my list by drawing a border of books and items I considered symbolic of mysteries. I drew skulls and crossbones, smashed pumpkins, bloody knives, detective badges, and Sherlock’s famous checkered hat.

I was second in line the next morning when I reported to the librarian, Miss Priest, to collect my prizes. She seemed to be duly impressed as she glanced at my list. Then she slid her glasses down her nose and held out her hand.

“This is a most impressive list, Kathleen,” she said. “Let me see your reports.”

“Huh?”

“Your book reports. I imagine with 51 book reports, you didn’t have much time to do anything but read and write this summer.”

I nearly choked.

“Fifty-one book reports?” I sputtered.

Miss Priest peered at me. “Surely you read the directions, Kathleen. These clearly state that you need to submit at least a paragraph or two on every book you read.”

Directions? Who reads directions? Even as I thought this, Miss Priest whipped out the sheet with the headline screaming, “SCALE MOUNT FRANKLIN! Win prizes while you win knowledge through reading.” Below that was a list of prizes. And there, at the foot of Mount Franklin, in teeny, tiny print, was a list of directions for scaling the mountain. The book report stuff was at the very bottom.

“I’m afraid I can’t award you the prizes, Kathleen,” Miss Priest said, not looking very sorry at all. “But I will give you this nice bookmark to mark your accomplishment.”

Then she moved onto the next person who evidently had read the directions, because he gave me a smug look as he handed in his list and a file folder, neatly marked “Book Reports.”

Did you do anything fun or educational this summer? If you’d like to share your experience, e-mail a paragraph or so to action@ unitedspinal.org or mail it to:

KIDS IN ACTION

United Spinal Association

75-20 Astoria Boulevard

Jackson Heights, NY 11370-1177

If you tried to scale a mountain, I hope you read the directions.

Kathleen M. Muldoon is a children’s book author and writing instructor for the Institute of Children’s Literature. She lives in San Antonio, Texas.