Yes, But Kids Just Don’t Read Anymore…

It is the school holidays. Teachers are hilarious and free and collecting Colin Thiele for Next Term. The bakery is busy.

A young family visited with three teenage children who scattered immediately to different areas of the shop. The boy brought back Specky Magee, the youngest girl brought back three volumes of  the Eragon series and the oldest child brought back Lonely Planet Africa, Wolf Hall and Heidi. They were told they could have one book each. They obviously expected this and launched an onslaught… unfair…..not right….can’t believe it….omg……

The parents remained unmoved. The imploring continued.

The parents offered the bakery as reward for a quick exit.

The children remained unmoved. The boy now held a copy of Asterix and the Banquet.

The oldest girl turned her back on her family and asked me if I had any of the Mammoth Hunter books or Here Be Dragons  by Sharon Penman, which is, she said about medieval Wales and Prince Llewellyn.

The youngest girl was holding the Eragons with desperate eyes. But I could not collude as the parents were standing hard by. The children moved aside to whisper furiously over their dilemma. I wondered if they would sacrifice some of the books back to the shelves but they didn’t.

The oldest girl added the sequel to Wolf Hall to her pile. The younger girl added two Enid Blytons and the boy held onto the Asterix. I avoided eye contact with all parties.

There was a long discussion about lack of space at home.

The mother was sure that they already had a copy of Brisingr.

The boy added two Skulduggery books to his pile and then brought out his pocket money in an envelope. And broadsided his parents with the offer to buy the whole lot.

This won the day; the parents paid approvingly for everything on a credit card.

When they left, triumphant and laden, the father turned back and winked at me. He said there’s nothing like kids arguing well for what they want and wanting genuinely what they argue for. Then they went to the bakery.