The boy appeared at my side.
“Can you help me?” he asked shyly.
I stood up and adjusted the pile of books I carried in my arms. Looking over, I could see the teacher was busy taking aside students one-by-one for some sort of assessment task or private interview and was not to be disturbed.
“Sure,” I said. “I’d love to if I can.”
“I’m looking for a series of books to read, but I can’t remember the name of it. It’s like The Spiderwick Chronicles, but isn’t. There’s a bit of magic. It has fairies too, like Spiderwick…”
This boy’s friend, who I hadn’t noticed before standing behind him, interjected. “Fairies?!”
The first boy turned around. “That’s right – fairies. I don’t mind them.” Brushing off his friend’s incredulity, he turned back to me. “Do you know what I’m talking about?”
“Err…”
No, I didn’t. I was in the middle of my occasional volunteer shift, my job to re-shelve books and do a general tidy as I go.
Luckily, I was standing in the middle of the ‘R’ section.
“Emily Rodda?” I asked, pointing. “One of hers?”
The boy shook his head.
“J K Rowling?”
The boy snorted. Silly me, I thought. Of course everyone’s read Harry Potter by his age.
I rattled off a few other options that weren’t in the ‘R’ section, but all I got were ‘not that’.
“Um… I’m sorry,” I said. “I’m out of ideas.”
The boy politely thanked me and went back to studying the shelves alone.
Several minutes later I saw him trying to have a word in the teacher’s ear.
The teacher fastened him with a truly apologetic look. “I’m sorry I don’t have time to help today. I promise next time we’re back we’ll have a search together.”
The boy left empty-handed.
*
When I was in primary school we had a school librarian and our library was open every day at lunchtime. Several months ago I asked parents on Twitter what the situation was at their child’s school and got wide range of answers: the yes, they were lucky enough to have librarians and their library’s were open at lunch (some all five days, some less) to the no, no librarian and the library is shut at lunch.
Then there were the other responses, of parents who volunteer for duty at lunch to monitor the library so their children could get the chance to read and relax at their leisure, of teachers who volunteer when I’m sure they’d rather relax in the staffroom.
When I was a child, I practically lived in my library at lunch and so cannot help but feel sad to think others there are students out there who don’t have the same option. I appreciate how lucky I was.
And I bow down to children’s librarians, who I’m certain are much better equipped to handle questions like that boy’s one than I am (and I like to think I know a little about books).
I hope they’re around for a long time to come.
Photo credit: Enokson
