Once Upon a Mattox

Where wonder meets words.

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As a school librarian, I believe every story has the power to plant hope and spark imagination. Through my work, I’ve had the joy of watching countless young readers discover the magic that lives inside the pages of a good book — the kind of magic that makes them laugh, wonder, and dream a little bigger. I’ve decided to give writing children’s books a try. My stories are inspired by those moments of connection and curiosity I see every day in the library — when a child finds a character to relate to or a story that feels like it was written just for them. Whether I’m writing about a lost bear rediscovering friendship or a child learning to be brave, my goal is always the same: to create stories that stay with readers long after the book is closed.

Ode to the Beloved Book Fair

I try to love this magical time of year… really, I do, but WOW! It’s starting to feel more like a trial than a fun little fair. Don’t get me wrong, I love watching kids get excited walking in the door, telling me my decorations look cool, and when they get a new book in their hands. That part does fill my heart! The creative ways they bring their money in are starting to test my sanity, and let’s be honest, my patience. Monday morning started with a student proudly carrying their fortune in – wait for it – a Marvel Lego box and a disinfectant wipes container – at least $5 in pennies & uncounted. After all my work sorting and counting, he ended with a whopping $7.60. That, my friends, inspired me to write an ode to this glorious, chaotic adventure I call… Book Fair Week! If you’ve never helped out at a book fair, I challenge you to give it a whirl.

Oh Book Fair,
What a splendid week of chaos you bring,
Your storm of diaries and scented bear erasers –
How you arrive each year
To test the patience of saints, like myself,
And the arithmetic skills of children.

They eagerly come –
Bags jingling, boxes bulging,
Butter tubs of treasure in tow.
Rusty, crusty coins tumble like rain,
Pennies roll under tables,
Sticky nickels cling to fingers,
And somewhere in the mix –
A proudly presented handful of lint
(That was lint, right? Another thought, where has that lint been?)

Some crinkled dollar bills,
Rolled tighter than a treasure map,
Emerge from sweaty palms and fanny packs
Forty-five dollars was the total,
PAID IN SINGLES
All done with only the best of intentions.

Then there are the little optimists
The ones who bring a crisp ten,
Eyes shining at more than twenty dollars’ worth of treasures.
They negotiate with confidence,
Insisting that I count again
They are sure more money will magically appear.

Yes, lovely Book Fair,
You bring out the best in us all.
The sweet generosity.
The sly cunning.
The excited chaos.
A beautiful dance of budgeting gone wrong,
And yet,
We love you still… maybe… just a little.

For every jingling baggie,
Every proud purchase,
Every tiny reader clutching a new book,
Is proof
That beneath the rusty pennies and pandemonium,
You’ve done what only a few can do…
You’ve made books & trinkets, irresistible!

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