Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Back Seat Book Club

"Good to see you!" my son Jack greeted me cheerfully when I went to pick him up from after-school care.

"Good to see you, too, my son!" I leaned over and kissed his forehead while simultaneously trying to find the right page to sign him out. I consider myself fortunate that at 11 years old, Jack still doesn't mind displays of affection.

"You are exactly one hour and three minutes early," he declared, looking at the clock.

"I'm glad you feel that way," I said, steering him toward the door. "I was feeling a little guilty that I didn't pick you up earlier."  I was already on Spring Break, so there really had been no reason not to pick him up. 

"I'm sure you were busy," he magnanimously replied. 

"Um, yeah. I was busy reading."

"Then I totally forgive you," he said.

Thank goodness he's a fellow reader! 

Knowing I had a receptive audience, I proceeded to launch into a detailed description of the book I was reading that lasted all the way to the car.

"That sounds like a good book," he said once I finished.

From there, our conversation naturally led to a discussion of the Harry Potter series, which is what he is currently working his way through. As I drove to the high school to pick up his brother, we continued to talk about books, one reader to another. Who needs to join a book club when you have your very own personal book club in the back seat of your car?

We arrived at my older son Jared's school early, so instead of circling the parking lot until he appeared, I pulled into a spot to wait. I handed Jack his copy of The Goblet of Fire that was sitting on the front seat and pulled out The War That Saved My Life from my purse. There we sat, two readers lost in two very different worlds, yet bound together by our love for each other and the magic of reading.


8 comments:

  1. Starting out with dialogue really set the tone and got your piece off to a good start. I really like your title, and the idea- celebrating your "back seat book club."

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    1. Thank you, Fran. It was just a simple, happy, light-hearted moment that I wanted to enjoy without over-analyzing. :)

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  2. Isn't it amazing?! I didn't grow up with any other readers in my family, so my son becoming a reader has been such a special experience! And I love the "back seat book club" phrase.

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    1. It has been so much fun sharing books with my kids as they have gotten older. We don't always like the same ones, but I love sharing and talking about them.

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  3. I love and am a little envious that you have a backseat book club. I find it hard to find someone who loves books like I do to discuss them with now that I'm retired. Summer is better when I am with lake friends. Then I have people to talk to and share books with

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    1. It is always good to have someone to talk to about the books you read. I find I'm getting more that way the older I get. The good thing about having my kids in my "book club" is they have introduced me to books I don't think I would have read otherwise.

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  4. It doesn't get better than this! And I love the two books you're reading. One of my favorite memories is reading aloud Rules of the Road with my teenage daughter. May your back seat book club live long and prosper!

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    1. Thanks! I love that you read a book aloud with your teenager. I'm not sure my teenage son would be into that!

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