The Read Drive (Chapter 3)

The Race

We reached the library, and in the library, we couldn’t talk, because someone had the brilliant insight that reading was best done in silence! So Tejas and I took some time off from each other.

I settled down with a Sudoku puzzle on the comfy couch while distracted by Rohan busily playing with his toy dinosaur. Rohan loved dinosaurs.

Rio was still searching for the right book to read while Gopal had already started reading. Tejas had so many books in his hand that all I could see was the tip of his nose.

I wondered if he thought the end of the world was close, he wouldn’t get another chance to read.

He was really a reading wizard!

I spotted Annika, the 5b Cheetah reader. She had piles and piles of books next to her. If she read at this rate, 5b was sure to win the night stay, and we would have to settle for ice cream.

I decided that the best thing in the world was to complete my Math homework and my Sudoku puzzle.

After finishing my math homework and my Sudoku puzzle, I whispered to Rohan, ‘Hey, do you want to read?’

‘No, he said

‘Don’t you like reading?’

‘No.’

‘Why?’ I asked

‘Boring.’ he said

‘Let’s play!’ he offered

I smiled and was glad at least someone else shared my opinion.

I was about to tell Rohan about the new number game that Mom had taught me, when Mr. Books whispered, ‘Ravi and Rohan, ‘I don’t see any books with you. Don’t you want to help your class win?’

He took out two books from the shelf.

He gave the first one. ‘If you read this for with me, you’ll have one book to our name, to begin with.’

Rohan looked at the words on the page and then at Mr. Books. He did this again and again and again.

‘Read Rohan.’ He tried to encourage him.

‘Rohan stared at the shelves, his eyes moving back and forth across the row of books, and whispered, ‘Boring!’

‘No Rohan, reading is not boring, it makes you a thinker,’ Mr. Books whispered.

But Rohan was already thinking a lot about dinosaurs, and if he thought anymore, his mind would explode! So, if reading really made you think, then it was the worst choice to make!

Mr. Books turned to me. ‘Ravi, could you please read this book for me?

I looked at the book. It was a reader, Level Two – Knights and Fairies. And before she could say anything, I said, Mr. Books I don’t like reading about Knights and Fairies, they are not real.’

He gave me a forced smile. “That’s OK, Ravi, How about this one? It is real.’ He took out a book from the shelf.

It was named Spider’s Lunch.

I screeched, ‘Eek! I hate spiders!’

‘Shhhhh…… Ok, how about this one, The Princess’ Cloths?

‘Too girlie,’ I said

‘This one?’ he asked

‘Looks too sad. I’ll cry.’

‘This one?’

‘Too kiddish.’

‘This one?’

‘I hate robots.’

‘This one?’

‘Too scary.’

He sighed

‘See Mr. Books, there is no book in the world that’s made for me.’ I wondered why I felt sad and unhappy when I said that.

‘Mr. Books looked into my eyes. ‘Some famous man once said, there is a book for everyone. You just haven’t found it yet, Ravi. Maybe you will find it at the end of the Read Drive.’ He said.

With that, he left and didn’t ask me to carry a single book home.

I quickly ran to pick my little sister, Krishna, from her 3rd Grade class.