--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It’s a red letter day, too: the new set…" description: "\"“It’s a red letter day, too: the new set of science textbooks has finally arrived. This may not seem much to you but I feel like bringing in champagne ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/460/frank-chalk-32293_book_it-s-a-red-letter-day-too-the-new-set-of_2889911.jpg" --- # It’s a red letter day, too: the new set of science… ![“It’s a red letter day, too: the new set of science textbooks has finally arrived. This may not seem much to you but I feel like bringing in champagne to celebrate or asking the Head for a half day’s holiday. In the past, we have shared one dirty, dog-eared textbook between two or even three…” quote by Frank Chalk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/460/frank-chalk-32293_book_it-s-a-red-letter-day-too-the-new-set-of_2889911.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/460/frank-chalk-32293_book_it-s-a-red-letter-day-too-the-new-set-of_2889911.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/460/frank-chalk-32293_book_it-s-a-red-letter-day-too-the-new-set-of_2889911.jpg) > ““It’s a red letter day, too: the new set of science textbooks has finally arrived. This may not seem much to you but I feel like bringing in champagne to celebrate or asking the Head for a half day’s holiday. In the past, we have shared one dirty, dog-eared textbook between two or even three children and it’s a book which doesn’t even cover the right topics for our syllabus. These new ones are written by the people who set the exam, so they must cover the relevant stuff. The Head of Department arrives carrying the books and hands them out to the kids, handling them with great reverence. ‘These books are brand new,’ he intones solemnly, placing one neatly on my desk. ‘They must be treated with great respect and care so that others may use them in the future.”” [Frank Chalk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-chalk/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A teacher celebrates receiving new, exam‑aligned textbooks, emphasizing respect for shared resources and future use. **In simple terms:** New textbooks are a cause for celebration and careful handling. Key Takeaway Treat shared learning tools with respect. Themes education celebration resource management community respect Mood proud optimistic Type inspirational reflective When to use this quote - classroom - teacher preparation - library management - student study - exam planning Key Concepts curriculum design resource stewardship collective responsibility Questions to Reflect On - How can we ensure all students benefit equally from new resources? - What practices sustain respect for shared materials? A Different Perspective New books may still be limited by outdated pedagogy or unequal access. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) ## Related quotes > [Textbook science is beautiful! Textbook science is comprehensible, unlike mere fascinating words that can never be truly beautiful. Elementary science textbooks describe simple theories,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/textbook-science-is-beautiful-textbook-science-is-comprehensible/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [“Amal: It isn't sad. When they shut me in here first I felt the day was so long. Since the King's Post Office I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/amal-it-isn-t-sad-when-they-shut-me-in-here-first-i-felt-the-day-was/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [“Oh, it was 1775.” “What?” “1775. The Battle of Bunker Hill.” “Oh.” I laughed. “We learned about it the day we met,” he added.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-richards/oh-it-was-1775-what-1775-the-battle-of-bunker-hill-oh-i-laughed-we/) [J.M. Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-richards/) > [“a letter to her for? You have to put up with her every day.” Papa was schmunzel”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/a-letter-to-her-for-you-have-to-put-up-with-her-every-day-papa-was/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [“As he drones on, I examine one of the books. It has that pleasant smell of newly-printed paper and, like all modern textbooks, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-chalk/as-he-drones-on-i-examine-one-of-the-books-it-has-that-pleasant-smell/) [Frank Chalk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-chalk/) > [Textbooks pretty much have no real drama. They have no real storyline. To the extent they have a storyline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/textbooks-pretty-much-have-no-real-drama-they-have-no-real-storyline/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > [To present a scientific subject in an attractive and stimulating manner is an artistic task, similar to that of a novelist or even a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-born/to-present-a-scientific-subject-in-an-attractive-and-stimulating/) [Max Born](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-born/) > [Beauty’s all around me right here. It’s not in a textbook. It’s not in an equation. I mean, take the sunlight … The colors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-tharp/beauty-s-all-around-me-right-here-it-s-not-in-a-textbook-it-s-not-in/) [Tim Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-tharp/) > [Someone on Twitter sent me a page from a textbook. It had a picture of a football player next to a picture of me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-silverman/someone-on-twitter-sent-me-a-page-from-a-textbook-it-had-a-picture-of/) [Sarah Silverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-silverman/) > [Textbooks, it seems to me, are enemies of education, instruments for promoting dogmatism and trivial learning. They may save the teacher some trouble, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/textbooks-it-seems-to-me-are-enemies-of-education-instruments-for/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [To demand that others should provide you textbook prognoses is like asking a strange woman to give birth to your baby. There are insights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janusz-korczak/to-demand-that-others-should-provide-you-textbook-prognoses-is-like/) [Janusz Korczak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janusz-korczak/) > [Using a service such as Chegg.com, students can save on average more than $600 a year when they rent textbooks over purchasing them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osman-rashid/using-a-service-such-as-chegg-com-students-can-save-on-average-more/) [Osman Rashid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osman-rashid/) > [We must not falsely teach American history in our schools. We have a law requiring state textbook oversight to guard against frauds like Zinn,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-daniels/we-must-not-falsely-teach-american-history-in-our-schools-we-have-a/) [Mitch Daniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-daniels/) > [If you're angry, you don't have to write a poem dealing with the cause of your anger. But it needs to be an angry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-asher/if-you-re-angry-you-don-t-have-to-write-a-poem-dealing-with-the-cause/) [Jay Asher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-asher/) > [Fun-run" indeed,what a misnomer. That'd be like saying "calm gremlin" or "pleasant hag." Or 'entertaining history textbook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiersten-white/fun-run-indeed-what-a-misnomer-that-d-be-like-saying-calm-gremlin-or/) [Kiersten White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiersten-white/) ## More by Frank Chalk > [“Some teachers genuinely seem to believe that the politically correct nonsense that the kids should not be punished. Others are simpleminded and have allowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-chalk/some-teachers-genuinely-seem-to-believe-that-the-politically-correct/) [Frank Chalk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-chalk/) > [“Nowadays the rights of one scumbag are considered far more important than the collective right of 29 others to be taught without being distracted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-chalk/nowadays-the-rights-of-one-scumbag-are-considered-far-more-important/) [Frank Chalk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-chalk/) > [“As he drones on, I examine one of the books. It has that pleasant smell of newly-printed paper and, like all modern textbooks, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-chalk/as-he-drones-on-i-examine-one-of-the-books-it-has-that-pleasant-smell/) [Frank Chalk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-chalk/) > [“The lack of ability of those in charge to get a grip on a situation, and to take immediate, decisive action rather than simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-chalk/the-lack-of-ability-of-those-in-charge-to-get-a-grip-on-a-situation/) [Frank Chalk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-chalk/) > [“This is a recurring theme in schools: if you are quiet, well-behaved and fairly bright you will be ignored, whereas if you are a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-chalk/this-is-a-recurring-theme-in-schools-if-you-are-quiet-well-behaved/) [Frank Chalk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-chalk/) > [“Let's get one thing straight:when gangs of youth throw stones at passing cars,shout abuse at innocent people going about their daily business or beat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-chalk/let-s-get-one-thing-straight-when-gangs-of-youth-throw-stones-at/) [Frank Chalk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-chalk/) > [“Glancing at the paper, I see once again how much exams have changed these days. For example. Old Fashioned Question: ‘What is 5x3?’ (1…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-chalk/glancing-at-the-paper-i-see-once-again-how-much-exams-have-changed/) [Frank Chalk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-chalk/) > [“Use sarcasm. This is a favourite weapon of mine ever since my PGCE (teacher training) days when, naturally, we were expressly forbidden to use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-chalk/use-sarcasm-this-is-a-favourite-weapon-of-mine-ever-since-my-pgce/) [Frank Chalk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-chalk/) > [“As with so many child-related problems, I blame the parents. Many, I’m afraid, are simply too lazy, too stupid or too uncaring to cook…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-chalk/as-with-so-many-child-related-problems-i-blame-the-parents-many-i-m/) [Frank Chalk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-chalk/) > [“A fair proportion of each teacher's day is frittered away on pointless paperwork and bureaucracy...In my long experience ,meetings rarely achieve anything useful;they consist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-chalk/a-fair-proportion-of-each-teacher-s-day-is-frittered-away-on/) [Frank Chalk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-chalk/) > [“If, redesigning our education system from scratch, it was suggested that we should attempt to teach Swahili to children but carry out those lessons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-chalk/if-redesigning-our-education-system-from-scratch-it-was-suggested/) [Frank Chalk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-chalk/) > [“Far too many incidents are simply brushed under the carpet, as it is much easier to hold meetings and presentations than support those teachers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-chalk/far-too-many-incidents-are-simply-brushed-under-the-carpet-as-it-is/) [Frank Chalk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-chalk/) > [“What role models do kids have nowadays?Some ridiculously overpaid footballer prone to childish tantrums?The morons in the Big Brother house,perhaps? Or maybe the various…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-chalk/what-role-models-do-kids-have-nowadays-some-ridiculously-overpaid/) [Frank Chalk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-chalk/) > [“PE teachers are usually very good with the kids because they don't muck about.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-chalk/pe-teachers-are-usually-very-good-with-the-kids-because-they-don-t/) [Frank Chalk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-chalk/) [Explore all 15 Frank Chalk quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-chalk/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It’s a red letter day, too: the new set of science textbooks has finally arrived. This may not seem much to you but I feel like bringing in champagne to celebrate or asking the Head for a half day’s holiday. In the past, we have shared one dirty, dog-eared textbook between two or even three children and it’s a book which doesn’t even cover the right topics for our syllabus. These new ones are written by the people who set the exam, so they must cover the relevant stuff. The Head of Department arrives carrying the books and hands them out to the kids, handling them with great reverence. ‘These books are brand new,’ he intones solemnly, placing one neatly on my desk. ‘They must be treated with great respect and care so that others may use them in the future.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Frank Chalk" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-chalk/it-s-a-red-letter-day-too-the-new-set-of-science-textbooks-has/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-chalk/it-s-a-red-letter-day-too-the-new-set-of-science-textbooks-has/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/460/frank-chalk-32293_book_it-s-a-red-letter-day-too-the-new-set-of_2889911.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/460/frank-chalk-32293_book_it-s-a-red-letter-day-too-the-new-set-of_2889911.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/460/frank-chalk-32293_book_it-s-a-red-letter-day-too-the-new-set-of_2889911.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It’s a red letter day, too: the new set of science textbooks has finally arrived. This may not seem much to…” — Frank Chalk", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Frank Chalk", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-chalk/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It’s a red letter day, too:...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-chalk/it-s-a-red-letter-day-too-the-new-set-of-science-textbooks-has/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-chalk/it-s-a-red-letter-day-too-the-new-set-of-science-textbooks-has/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```