Written by Mia Herz

As students stepped into school on February 13th, they were welcomed by pink, red, and heart-shaped decorations in the main hallway of the Pinkham building. Amidst the Valentine’s Day excitement, tables filled with wrapped and decorated books stood as part of one of Rye Country Day School’s most beloved traditions–Blind Date with a Book.

200 to 300 books were covered in brown or red paper such that the cover and title of the book were concealed. Students selected their “blind date” book by reading small hints, and insightful descriptions of the plot written on paper hearts and placed on the cover of the wrapped books. After choosing a final book based on its intriguing description, students excitedly unwrap the book to reveal their surprise novel. As Upper School Librarian Ms. DeVito explained, “It is a celebration of reading.”

Upper School Assistant Principal and English teacher Ms. Heath, the inspiration behind this event, explains that this idea originally came from a local bookstore in her town, Booksy Galore. Each year they created a table with a stack of “blind date” books for sale. She wanted to bring this book event to her students, thus in 2018, RCDS’s Blind Date with a Book began. She recalled how it was “amazing to see how happy the activity made students,” and how she “hadn’t seen that much enthusiasm for reading for pleasure in a long time. It brought people back to a time in their childhoods where they got lost in books and reading for fun.” It is evident that Ms. Heath’s hard work paid off, as this is many students’ favorite RCDS event of the year.

OMEGA leader Tia Agarwal ‘26 shared how excited she was to pick a book and spend time reading it. Last year, she picked out the novel, Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street by Susan Jane Gilman, which she thoroughly enjoyed. She picked this book based on her interest in learning about a woman’s journey immigrating from Russia to the United States. When she began to read the novel, she was surprised to learn that the book was actually more about female entrepreneurship and empowerment, a topic that inspired her to pursue this newfound interest through a semester-long independent study. Agarwal explains that most students tend to stay within a few genres without exploring a diverse amount of book topics. There is also the common notion of “judging a book by its cover,” but this event brings in the element of surprise which makes it more enticing to select and read a book students might not normally pick up.

This event could not have happened without all the hard work of Ms. Heath, Ms. DeVito, the English department, and other “cupids” who helped to make Blind Date with a Book possible. They spent countless hours wrapping, decorating, and writing descriptions for the hundreds of books. One of the highlights of this event is that it is completely free for students to enjoy. This is made possible because about half the books were purchased at a very low cost from a vendor that sells gently used books, while many others came from the library or were generously donated by RCDS employees and faculty members. 

Beyond providing free books, this event fosters curiosity and encourages students to read for pleasure. Ms. DeVito hopes that students discover books, writing styles, and authors that they might not typically encounter. She explained how the fun and joyful event is not required, so there is no pressure to take a book, but she loves seeing students pick up books and try to guess what they are. This tradition is bound to live on for many years as Ms. Heath’s goal is to “inspire excitement about reading and remind us all – students and adults alike – of the joy of discovery.” Especially during the dead of winter and just before March Exams, she cherishes the way it brings warmth and delight, adding, “It is nice just to see people be happy and excited!”