Usually a few weeks before the end of the term, I would ask to see how my grade was turning out for a particular subject. For instance, If I was doing poorly in math, which I always was, I would ask if I could do a report on the different branches of mathematics. If my grade needed help in science, I did a science report. In almost every instance, Miss Jones would say yes to my extra credit proposal. After that, I would start my research and writing.
Mom and Dad had started a family library when they were married. By the time I was in school, this was quite large. Our family had two sets of encyclopedias, several special subject books, and numerous other books that were good for elementary school age children. I used these as reference materials for my extra credit reports. I wasn’t content to hand in one or two handwritten pages. My reports were actual books. I even taught myself to type to give one of my reports a more professional look. I also made beautiful covers for my reports and illustrated them carefully. My efforts paid off. My teachers would often say, “What a beautiful book, Billy.”
I generally stayed up late at night to work on them. I went to bed when mom told me, but crept out of bed after my parents were asleep to begin my extra credit reports. The large book shelf where the family library was in the large family room in our basement. This was located was right next to my door. It was a easy task to flip on my light, open my door quickly, slip out of my room, and then shut the door again. By the light filtering from under my door, I’d grab a book off the shelf.
By the time I was in fifth grade I knew our book collection well enough that I could select whatever book I needed even in dim light. When I had the proper book in hand, I crept back to my room to write my report.
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