“It’s about Getting Ready for What’s Next”

By Emma O’Keefe
Events Coordinator, Birdie Books
Aug 18, 2026

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I believe my obsession with notebooks and journals can be traced directly to back-to-school shopping. There was just something about getting that school supply list and heading to the store, ready to pick out all the things that would carry you through another year.

I recently watched my niece agonize over which backpack to take to her first day of fifth grade, and it brought me right back. There were so many things to consider. Which one felt like her? Which one would she still love in a few months? Which one would look cool hanging from her desk? It was a very serious decision.

And honestly, I get it.

There was a time when picking out a Lisa Frank notebook felt like a major life decision. The neon colors. The glitter. The impossibly cute animals. You felt pretty cool walking into school with one tucked under your arm. Add a new pencil case, freshly sharpened pencils, and a pack of pens that you absolutely did not need but had to have, and you were ready for anything.

I still get giddy purchasing new pens!

There is just something about back-to-school shopping that feels like a fresh start. New notebooks waiting to be filled. New folders without a single crumpled paper inside. A backpack that hasn't yet accumulated forgotten snack wrappers. Everything is clean and full of possibilities.

Maybe that's why, even as an adult who hasn't needed a school supply list in years, I still love this time of year. There is a particular kind of nostalgia in wandering through the school supplies aisle and remembering how exciting it was to choose the things that would become part of your everyday life.

Back-to-school season isn't really about the supplies. It's about getting ready for what's next!