I like to make a special note for books that illustrate imagination.

A childhood favorite

The I Can Read book collection, one of the most prestigious and recognizable series of beginning readers ever published, has been in print since the 1957 release of Elsie Holmelund Minarik's Little Bear. It includes some of the true classics for this age level, among them Syd Hoff's Danny and the Dinosaur, the Amelia Bedelia series, Arnold Lobel's Frog and Toad books, and of course, one of my own all-time favorites, Scarlet Monster Lives Here.

This entry in the series was originally published in 1961, and is a delightful exploration of the magic of books and the joys of reading. "I know a place," begins young Andrew, and proceeds to tell his friend Tim of a magical place where a boy can hold an elephant in his arms, pick up a river and never get wet, or see a sky full of stars. "Tell me some more," Tim interjects at every turn, until he finally asks "Is everything there?" Everything IS there, as Tim discovers when he finally sees this place for himself. It is the library of course, and the adventures are only beginning...

Tell Me Some More... had a special place in my childhood collection. It was one of those books that I liked to read again and again, probably because it so perfectly captured the enchantment that my own library held for me... Our weekly trips were one of the high points of my week, and like Tim, I never tired of hearing more...

It is a true shame that this title remains out-of-print, and something of a mystery to me. As a long-time bookseller, I know that practically anything with the I Can Read label on it will sell, and Crosby Bonsall has many other titles that are currently available. Why not this one? ( )