It isn’t a well-known holiday. It isn’t in most people’s top ten, or twenty, holidays a year. But it ranks up there behind only Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, and Valentine’s Day as my fifth favorite holiday.
I am talking about Free Comic Book Day (FCBD), which is a real holiday that takes place on the first Saturday of May each year. Unlike Christmas, which requires both the giving and the receiving, FCBD involves only receiving. It isn’t’ like a “Buy one get one” kind of free. The comics are actually free for the taking. Not all the comics in the store, mind you, but a nice selection none the less.
The helpful hint here is that you can take the kids to your local comic shop, let them grab comics to their hearts content, and leave without dropping a nickel. The kids will be thanking you for bringing them for this special treat, even though it didn’t cost you a thing, AND you’re getting the kids to read. That’s a rare win-win-win scenario for you.
You do not have to be a regular customer of the store. You don’t have to buy anything. You can just show up once a year and pick up a variety of comics for free.
If you’re bringing younger children, you might want to do a little bit of research ahead of time. There are some comics that are terrific tools for introducing children to the love of reading. There are also some comics that are wildly inappropriate for anyone under the age of 35. In most cases you can tell by a quick glance at the cover, but not always. Just keep your eyes open and you’ll be fine.
So, head to your local comic shop on May 1st this year, pick up some comics for the kids, and maybe a couple for yourself. Even if you hate them, you can throw them out and nothing is lost. If you love them, you may have found a new hobby. More importantly, if your kids love them, you’ll be encouraging them to read, which is the doorway to imagination.
