I see a kid weaving down the sidewalk towards me. He's a middle-schooler, walking home from the school not far from my house. As I approach him, I realize that he's swerving from side to side because he's paying attention to something in his hand.
Not a cell phone.
A book.
Yes, he was reading while walking, just as I used to do. I smiled at him as we passed, and tried to see the title of the book, but he slipped on by before I could.
Read on, Book Nerd, read on!
And to whomever wrote the book he was engrossed in: You did good. I only wish I could have reported it to you. Perhaps it was a writer like Jacqui Robbins describes in her post, Bottom of the Ninth. As she says, "You want your readers refusing to pee because it would mean putting the book down."
Anyone else catch a kid reading this week?
P.S. Did you notice that my "add a comment" form has changed? It's a new option in Blogger and I like it much better. You don't have to leave the main post when you comment and you can subscribe to the comments for a post even if you don't leave one yourself. Now if we could all leave tiny calling cards at each other's blogs...
Love this. I still read while I walk sometimes...not so much since we got a dog, though, and I need to pay more attention!
ReplyDeleteAnd...put a book down in order to pee? What's that all about. It only takes one hand to...well, you know. One hand.
If the book's good enough, I'll go to the bathroom, take a bath, fix dinner, vacuum, do whatever has to be done, without it leaving my hands. Driving is an exception, of course:>)
P.S. New comment form is a pain:>/ Wouldn't let me do it as LJ, kept saying I had illegal characters.
Sorry about the comment troubles. Someone else said they were being rejected using a Google account. I'll scout out the Blogger Help site and see what's going on.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, I've changed back to a pop-up window. Don't want to discourage people from commenting!
ReplyDeleteI tried the new comment form last time without any problem. I thought it was cool!
ReplyDeleteI'm not coordinated enough to read while walking, but boy, it would do my heart good to see a kid doing that! What a great moment!
From henceforth, I am on the look-out for a kid reading! I will not count my three-year-old to whom I just read an Ogden Nash poem.
ReplyDeleteI spotted a kid (maybe 13) wholly engrossed in a book outside my daughter's school. I asked, "Is that a good book?" and he said (miffed), "Yes. I'm trying to read it?"
ReplyDeleteServes me right for the stupid question, but I was dying to know what it was.
Thanks for the shout-out. Meanwhile, I've doomed the World Series to eternal postponement, I fear.
That's great, Sara. Thanks for sharing! I always look for kids reading when I'm at the airport or on a plane. But walking down the street - that's a real bonus.
ReplyDeleteAll three of my kids have picked up at least one book and been afraid - no, terrified - to put it down. I just wish every book hit 'em they read were just as good.
ReplyDeleteHeck, I wish every book I read were that good.