Selling the Summer Reading List

The Battle of the English Teachers has always been the Battle of the Parents, and more recently become
the Battle of the Booksellers. About ten years ago, schools started assigning books for summer reading. They thought students didn't keep their skills over the summer, and that getting a few book reports in between June and August could make the difference.

The Parents reacted as they always do. I give it four basic reactions.
1. Those that privilege reading at home brought their kids to the store, had them pick out books, added some others that looked interesting, and went home to enjoy their narrow, bookish existence.
2. Those that want their kids to get into Harvard came in and selected the books they wanted their children to read. Whatever war occurred, it took place in the MacMansion, and I suspect bribery is used.
3. Those that don't like reading come in yelling on their cell phones: "I don't care! Teacher says you have to read!" They curse, close the phone, and ask for the shortest three books. They don't care what.
4. Those who were scared to death to be there, intimidated by the whole process, clutching a dog-eared list.

For me, group number one was the most reassuring, group number two the most boring. But group number four was the most fun for me. Mostly you had to get them at the door. They were too afraid to go all the way to the information desk.

Scared of Books
"Hi. It looks like you have a school reading list."
"He doesn't like to read. I don't even know where to go."

I would take the list and scan it. Then I would not move toward the books; I'd ask about the kid. What he liked, what interested him. What he wanted to do. Then we'd sort through the stacks. Anything too long, forget it. I love Dickens, but you have to be realistic. Three books of any size represented Living Room Wars.

So if it was a boy, I'd pick the guy books. I'd pick a short book. I'd pick a book next to his interests. Then I'd give mom a quick version of each one. Something she could use, when she asked him about it. Something that would make it interesting to her, so that she could talk about it to him or even read it herself. I'd try to give each parent the confidence: this was the best choice, they could connect with the child over the book, that the parent had done their level best. Go forth. Get your child to read.

Resentful of Books
Group three was always difficult. Judging a book by the number of pages sounds quick and easy, but it's the scam of scams. Number of pages does not indicate Word Count. And what if the boy only likes basketball? Does he really want to read junior chick-lit and write a book report on it? What if he has to present it to the class?

This actually went easier when I had the surly teen standing next to mom. "I can give you the three shortest books," I'd tell the kid. "If I do that, you're going to be bored out of your mind."

Since they already knew that, I looked like a trustworthy individual from the get.

"We could try to get you something that would make reading it seem less like a pain in the butt. I'll show you some things, and then you can decide."  It's really important to give all surly adolescents a choice, especially since they really don't have one.

Then I'd ask about his interests. I did not even talk to the parent after the initial greeting. Maybe you think this is rude, but they were relieved to have it out of their hands. And I was manipulating events. No parental coercion involved. That blocks the reading from the outset.

We'd narrow it down to six or less. The three shortest, and the three most interesting, perhaps some overlap. It was always a crap shoot which ones they would take. But when they picked up the stack, they had chosen for themselves.