BACK TO SCHOOL

CIAO!

School Books

BACKPACKS, LUGGAGE, BRIEFCASES, DUFFLES,
BOOK BAGS, LAUNDRY BAGS

E

ANN GOLDBERG

Special to the Jewish News

29815 NORTHWESTERN HIGHWAY

357-1800

IN APPLEGATE SQUARE

OPEN THURSDAY TILL 8 P.M.

ANNETTE & COMPANY

School of Dance

announces its

10th ANNIVERSARY YEAR

Classes Begin September 5, 1989

REGISTER EARLY TO SECURE YOUR PLACE IN CLASS

TAP * JAZZ * BALLET * LOW-IMPACT AEROBICS

Beginner thru Advanced

Pre-School thru Adult

MORNING AFTERNOON AND EVENING CLASSES

28857 Orchard. Lake Road

CALL NOW 553-0305

(Between 12 & 13 Mile Road)
Farmington Hills

Back To
School

Earrings?
YES!!

Exercis e

CECI ORMAN JEWELRY 855-5580

14 Mile & Farmington Rd.

80 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1989

Before school starts, Israeli parents face a
daunting task — getting school books for
their children.

•

regularly.

WERE FIGHTING FOR
YOUR LIFE

American Heart ip
Association

0

h, with what fond-
ness I remember the
old back to school
fever. Checking that the
school uniforms still fit, that
everything is labelled, that
the satchels aren't falling
apart and the shoes need
polishing. But here in Israel,
back to school has a totally
different meaning — the ac-
quisition of SCHOOL
BOOKS.
The mere thought of this
task turns many mothers in-
to wrecks starting before the
High Holidays right through
to the end. Apart from the
cost, which can as high as
$100 per child, simply buying
these books can entail days,
even weeks, of-hard labor.
Each child receives from his
or her school a list of all the
necessary textbooks for the
school year. The first decision
that has to be made is do you
want brand new, sparkling,
never-been-scribbled-in edi-
tions? Or will you settle for
cheaper, secondhand, at-your-
own-risk versions?
I always buy new grammar
and math books for my child-
ren. My reasoning is that if
the answers have been writ-
ten in, it makes the whole
year's work somewhat super-
fluous. But when it comes to
sciences, history and geo-
graphy, I see no reason why I
should pay more than is ab-
solutely necessary.
On the last day of the term,
many schools arrange book
sales. Children can bring
their old books and sell them
to the next year's upcoming
crowd. Not one to overlook an
opportunity for making
money, if there are no siblings
following in the same school,
then those children have to
spend the last week of the
term rubbing out all those
marks and messages which

they have so lovingly lavish-
ed on their books during the
year. Then, on the last day of
school, they have to cleverly
juggle selling their old books
and buying as many new ones
as possible, all at the same
time.
The school sets the prices
for the books, but my children
have strict instructions to
check the books they are buy-
ing. I don't want a history
book with the middle 200
pages missing, or the cover of
a geography book and inside
the story of Red Riding Hood
(you'd be amazed what some
children will try and sell!).
Thus ends PHASE ONE

The cost can be as
high as $100 per
child for books and
buying books can
entail days or
weeks of hard
labor.

There now remain two
other sources for used books.
One is the streets in the
center of town where children
can be seen peddling their old
books for whatever inflated
price thay can get. I avoid
these like the plague. I have
no intention of being reduced
to crawling on the pavement
checking books. It's bad for
my back, my knees, my digni-
ty and it drives me round the
bend!
So that leaves the book-
shops which sell both new
and used books. But first you
have to decide when to shop.
lb° early in the holidays and
the bulk of the used books
haven't reached the shops yet.
lbo late and they're all sold
out.
Then, when you have decid-
ed when to go, you have the
choice of two types of shops. In
one, you take your life in your
own hands — push and shove

