By Sophia Shen

Valentine’s Day is surrounded by hearts, flowers, and chocolates, but in Rye Country Day School’s Pinkham building, Valentine’s Day also includes books. On Thursday, February 12 students and faculty gathered in the Pinkham hallway, surrounded by pink decorations and chatting about sci-fi, fantasy, and fiction.

A fan favorite Rye Country Day School tradition, Blind Date with a Book was, once again, a huge hit this year. Tables were set up on both sides of the main hallway of Pinkham, with more than  four hundred books lined up, collected from donations, libraries, bookstores, and book drives. Each book was wrapped with short, handwritten blurbs attached. To begin their “blind dates,” students walked around the hallway choosing a book to read based solely on its descriptions. After finding a clue that captured their attention , students eagerly unwrapped the paper to unveil the book. They were then able to bring the book home and start reading over the long weekend.

Eight years ago, RCDS launched its Blind Date with a Book event. After experiencing a similar tradition in a local Pound Ridge bookstore, Booksy Galore, Upper School Principal Ms. Heath decided to bring the tradition to RCDS. She began by introducing the idea in her English classes, and quickly realized how much her students enjoyed it. Soon after, Ms. Heath wanted to initiate the tradition on a larger scale. Getting gently used books from Booksy Galore and the RCDS library, Ms. Heath worked with the English department and the library to set up Blind Date with a Book in Pinkham. Reflecting on the first year of this event, she recalled how “all sorts of people from different grades were milling about in the hall, talking to each other, guessing at which books were which, and helping each other choose books. It felt like a joyful and fun thing to do, so we kept going.” This year, in an effort to attract more students to participate and read, the RCDS Library will host a raffle in March. Students who can prove that they’ve read their chosen book will have the opportunity to enter the raffle to win a prize. 

Ms. Heath, along with Upper School Librarian Ms. DeVito, advised students to continue participating in Blind Date with a Book in future years. Ms. Heath suggested “picking anything that intrigues you. If you’re curious, pick it up.” The magic of the event is that there’s no risk involved. They hope that the tradition will encourage more and more students to find a love for reading by picking up anything that appeals to their interests. Ms. DeVito advised students to just “jump in and try it to find what you like.” Ms. Heath emphasized that reading is “entertainment and storytelling. And most people like a good story.” One of her all-time favorites, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, reflects her love for captivating narratives, while Ms. DeVito’s personal favorite, Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry, includes an “epic” plot with all kinds of characters. Both Ms. Heath and Ms. DeVito hope that Blind Date with a Book will continue to inspire students’ curiosity of reading and help them find their favorite books.