Tote Bag Lady by Judy Newman

Tote Bag Lady

by Judy Newman

I have never been a light packer. I like to be prepared for every eventuality. I am always the person carrying the oversized bag filled with extra Band-Aids or socks or dog treats or sore throat lozenges or a flashlight or … all kinds of other seemingly random items. And of course, books.

When I’m with other people, all these provisions come in handy. I do think I have a knack for anticipating what others will need in assorted, unpredictable situations.

I used to think I always carried a Mary Poppins-type carpetbag filled with everything I thought anyone might need because of how much I loved Mary herself, and because I got so stressed out watching the end of Let’s Make a Deal when Monty Hall would ask audience members for random items in exchange for large cash prizes, that I never wanted to be that person who came up short.

But, I found two photos of me when I was younger than the age of 3 already schlepping large bags. That was long before Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke stole my heart or before Let’s Make a Deal was on the air. So I guess I was born a bag carrier.

In my high school years, I would go out with my friends for an evening-with-a-curfew (i.e., no chance of the outing extending past a hard stop or needing overnight stuff) and still I would bring a change of clothes, assorted paraphernalia … and always a book.

When my kids were born, I filled their diaper bags with the myriad items new moms think their babies will need—even for a quick trip to the supermarket. And I always loaded up with board books, picture books, and activity books. Motherhood took my overpacking to a whole new level.

On our family vacations—no matter how long a distance we traveled or how close we were to civilization (and accessible shopping!)—I never wanted to be caught short. My packing lists were so long that my suitcases always had to be checked, and even then, they were often overweight, requiring me to pay ridiculous excess baggage fees and retrieve them from some special, secluded, oversize baggage area when we landed.

All this overpacking resulted in wasted time and money, but I couldn’t shake the need to have everything with me to feel prepared at all costs.

I get such a sense of satisfaction when I can help someone out and hand them a lozenge when they can’t stop coughing during a wedding service, or have a Band-Aid and Neosporin on hand if someone cuts themselves … and, of course, lots of extra age-appropriate wonderful books on a variety of subjects for everyone I meet.

Like any self-respecting, book-publishing person—and like many teachers—I also have a large and varied collection of tote bags. Even in these days of laptops and digital files and e-books, I still fill my tote bag every night with books and papers and “stuff” before I head home from work. Most nights, I wildly overestimate the amount of time I will have between the end of one workday and the beginning of another to review everything I carry home. But I never recalibrate and lessen my load because I just never know when I’ll need something in one of my bags.

Scholastic employee Stella Castilla, giving out our new bags.

Tote bags are wardrobe staples for most teachers, so each year for teacher conferences around the country, we create a special Scholastic Book Clubs tote bag to give away to teachers at our Scholastic booth. It is so much fun to see a conference full of teachers carrying our new Scholastic tote.

My professional career as Reader-in-Chief of Scholastic Book Clubs, my personal life, which includes being “The Book Lady” on Halloween—handing out books to hundreds of kids who trick or treat at our house in Montclair, NJ, and my new life as author Pepper Springfield—are all focused on one goal: Helping kids find that just-right book that they are going to love to read, and which will spark their interest to read the next book and inspire them to say “I am a reader.”

It helps to have one or two of those tote bags filled with books with me at all times. Just last weekend when I was sitting in my coveted aisle seat on a crowded plane, a 10-yearold boy passed by—practically salivating as he saw me reading the new Diary of a Wimpy Kid: the Meltdown. I gave him my copy—and gave his younger sister a copy of Bobs and Tweets: Perfecto Pet Show—and no amount of shoulder strain from carrying my book-filled totes, could take away from the pleasure of seeing those kids reading their new books on that flight.

So I’d like to take this opportunity to help Story Monsters Ink readers spread the joy of reading—and get a new tote bag in the process.

Tote Bag Book Giveaway!

To get into the holiday groove, I’d like to give away 20 totes filled with some of my favorite new and classic books— including titles by this month’s beloved featured children’s book creator and longtime friend, Tomie dePaola.

I worked with some of my friends here at Scholastic, to put together what we think is a nice book selection for your new tote bag. I hope you’ll be inspired to read them yourselves, share them with children in your lives … or even hand them out to kids you meet on airplanes.

To enter, email the titles of your three favorite children’s books along with a sentence about why you love each of them to: judy.newman@scholastic.com. Entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. on December 20, 2018.

Be sure to write “3 FAV BOOKS SWEEPS” in the subject line and include your name, shipping address, and phone number in your email. 20 WINNERS will receive a 2018 Scholastic tote bag stuffed with 5 copies of various selected titles.

No Purchase Necessary. All U.S. residents, 18 and older, are eligible to enter except employees, and immediate family members of Scholastic Inc. TWENTY (20) Winners will be selected at random (approximate retail value: $250.00) For complete rules, please visi http://bit.ly/2DCLBpC. Void where prohibited.

Season’s Readings! •

Judy Newman is President and Reader-in-Chief of Scholastic Book Clubs. For more information, visit judynewmanatscholastic.com.