Books were lying in piles, all scattered, with lots of past papers — printed, photocopied and solved ones too. There were also used exercise books, homework registers and rough copies — all lying around the room.

Mrs Adil had been tolerating this kind of disorganisation for about two months. She knew the kids were studying and none of her three children would invest any time in organising the mess, so she decided not to disturb them until their exams were over.

“Clean up your room, please! Now that your exams are over, start clearing up the mess and organise your things,” said Mrs Adil anxiously.

“Ah! Got done with these past exam papers. I’ll also discard all my books now. I don’t need any,” said Ali, as he started tearing the used papers and throwing them into the bin.

“Mama, these are of no use now, I’ll bring the wastebasket and we’ll just throw the pile in it!” Rosy added.

Mrs Adil didn’t like this. She calmed herself down, sat beside them and explained, “These books can easily be used by others, who can save a lot of money by not buying new ones. Books, whether fiction or academic, are best passed on once we have read or used them. They are treasures that should not end up in a landfill, which is exactly where they would go if we throw them away.”

“Now hand me the notes subject-wise. Make sure the terms are well-defined too. Also sort the books that need repair from those in good condition,” Mrs Adil instructed as she began sorting alongside the kids. She placed all the textbooks neatly in a carton and quietly arranged the school’s used notes and handouts given by the teachers.

It was indeed tiresome work. Ali, Rosy and little Raza were upset as it was taking too long. Had they been doing it their way and thrown everything in the wastebasket, the task would have been finished in just a few minutes. But they still did as they were told.

Mrs Adil took out a broad permanent marker and began labelling the polythene bags and cartons, titling each grade-wise. She also tore out the unused sheets from old notebooks and collected a bundle to make a fresh exercise book. She punched the papers and tied it with a colourful ribbon.

“Your kitchen journal?” asked Rosy.

“No!” replied Mrs Adil with a smile. “Your rough work notebook!”

It took the whole day to sort and rearrange everything properly. Mrs Adil also asked the kids to contact their friends and check if anyone needed these textbooks or notes for the next academic year.

“Ali, please take some clear pictures of these books, highlight the labelled classes, and design a nice post to share on Facebook. I’ve come to know there are proper groups from your school where pre-used books are exchanged with or sold to those who need them,” she said.

When Ali checked, he was surprised to see so many groups and a large number of people actively buying, selling, and exchanging previously-owned academic books.

As Rosy searched for such groups too, she came across a recent drive in the city, held at a local ground. The idea was that anyone could deposit their child’s used books, and in exchange get the next year’s pre-used books either free or at a nominal charge. Parents came with lists of the required books and eagerly went through piles of second-hand books to find what they needed. It was a huge success and even caught the attention of local and foreign media.

“Wow! People are really interested in used books!” exclaimed Rosy.

Just then, their mum’s phone rang. It was a lady whose children attended the same school, though at a different branch and classes. She was looking for course books for her children and also asked about little Raza’s nursery books for her neighbour. She mentioned that the brand new books for her children’s classes were between Rs18,000 and Rs25,000 that year.

She asked how much Mrs Adil wanted in return, but Mrs Adil refused to take any money. She simply asked for prayers and told her to arrange the collection of the books.

To their amazement, within just two hours, all the books had found new users. In return, they received countless prayers — and gained three new friends!

The children came themselves to collect the books, and what was remarkable about that family was that they were neither hesitant nor ashamed to take pre-owned books. They were confident and well-spoken, and really excited to get give these books a second life!

You may have classmates who look down upon second-hand books, but the truth is, there is nothing wrong with using pre-owned books in good condition. Your focus should be on learning — not on how shiny or crisp your books look.

Perhaps the best way to support your parents in these times of inflation is to take such steps willingly. Take pride in the fact that you are wise enough to use an equally valuable copy of the same text at a much lower cost. And those of you using new books, make sure not to misuse them — avoid overwriting, doodling or tearing the pages — because these books might be reused by someone else next year.

Children, we all need to learn an important lesson. No matter what the condition of a book is, the knowledge it contains remains the same and invaluable. Moreover, books are made from paper, and paper comes from trees. Reusing and passing on books means fewer trees are cut, so we save not just money, but also countless trees. Together, these small choices can make a big difference for our parents and our planet.

Do reflect on this. A small change in our attitude could make life easier for many.

Published in Dawn, Young World, September 6th, 2025