Got flair? (Kathleen wants to give you some)

(Please note that this contest has closed)

Just before Thanksgiving (Canadian, that is), I was shopping for books in a city a few hours from my own. I found myself waiting in line at the local big box bookstore, holding a copy of Goodnight Nobody—a book (not YA) I had quite liked and wanted to share with a friend.

When I got to the register, the clerk squealed and grabbed my purse. I dropped my book, wondered if she was having some sort of fit, and tried to figure out if the bag would fly back and hit me in the face if I yanked it out of her grasp.

“WHERE did you get THIS?” she asked, running her hands over my small, black “got books?” pin. She was Gollum and it was Precious.

“An independent bookstore back home.” I was scared to tell her how far away home was: she looked like she might snatch the precious off my bag at any provocation.

“What’s the name of it?”

“It’s, like, and hour and a half away,” I hedged.

She turned to the clerk next to her. “Did you see this?” she asked, lifting the purse. “Do you feel like going on a roadtrip?” The other girl grinned.

Yes, these two crazy clerks in their late teens/very early twenties were prepared to drive an hour and a half to get a button that said “got books?” It was glorious, awe inspiring, and a little nutty. And it reaffirms my hope that, with the explosion of the YA genre, reading (for teens) is more acceptable—if not, even, dare I say, cooler—than it was when I was in my teens.

And that little story, my friends is the inspiration behind this particular giveaway.

From now until December 12, you have a chance to win an “I Love Books” gift pack. The rules are simple: just leave a comment on this entry letting me know what book (YA or otherwise) you hope to get this holiday season. Only one comment per reader will be eligible. Since I’m the lone Canadian of OPWFT, this contest will be open to BOTH residents of the United States and Canada. It will close at midnight AST.

Here’s what one lucky comment giver will win:

A set of 3 pins (“got books”, “Books Kick Ass!”, “One person can only do so much”)
A set of 3 magnets (“I READ BANNED BOOKS”, “Orwell as an Optimist”, “Speak your mind, even if your voice shakes”)
A William Shakespeare bookmark with info about the bard on the back.
A bookmark of a Will Barnet’s The Caller (otherwise known as the pretty picture of the woman reading)
A pocket calendar you can use to track release dates and library due dates (Don’t anger the librarian! Get those books back on time!)

Original post published on Old People Writing for Teens by GotYA contributor Kathleen. To view the original post and reader comments, please click here.