“It’s an adorable book.”
Since she couldn’t argue with that, Nora placed the postcard on the counter. She used her phone to photograph both sides before slipping the card into a sandwich bag.
“What’ve you got there?”
Nora showed Sheldon the card.
He read the message, flinched, and then looked at the picturesque lake scene on the front before handing it back to Nora. “Cecily, huh? That’s pretty. Has she read this postcard from the edge?”
“No. She’s under enough stress as it is. I told McCabe about it. He’s on his way.”
Sheldon tapped the counter. “Leave it. I’ll give it to him. You have another mission. Janice, the lovely lady in the boatneck sweater, is the new prez of the PTA, and she needs some anti-bullying books. Don’t tell her I said so, but I don’t think these campaigns work. You can make kids read books, color posters, and make pledges, but you can’t stop bullying. Bullies are crafty. They hide behind fake profiles and anonymous texts. Even in elementary school. And not all bullies are kids. They’re everywhere. In the workplace. In our government. Look at the she-wolves. Do you think a few books on kindness and tolerance could convince them to back off?”
“Kids are more open to change, so it’s worth starting a dialog about the topic with them,” Nora argued. “If kids believe that the adults at their school are there to listen, help, and create a safe environment, they’ll be more willing to confide in those adults. And if a book helps them to articulate their feelings, that’s always a win. For the bullies too. Bullies lash out because they’re hurting. It doesn’t make them feel better, but they don’t know what else to do. Sports, music, art, tutoring—they give kids an outlet for those feelings.”
“Not if the schools’ budgets keep getting slashed,” said Sheldon. “I heard our Monday moms say that there isn’t enough money for crayons or construction paper. If they want their kids to make any art besides shadow puppets, they’ll be doing lots of bake sales.”
Everyone had problems, but on this Monday, they seemed more prevalent than usual.
It was times like these that the bookshop felt less like a retail space and more like a sanctuary. The moms in the readers’ circle might be stressed out, but in this haven of books and peace, they were able to take a deep breath. They could have an adult conversation. Share ideas and a laugh or two. By the time they left, their problems wouldn’t seem so big.
As soon as Nora stepped out of the ticket agent’s office, Janice waved her over. “Just the woman I was looking for. Do you have a minute? Or thirty?”
Nora smiled. “Sure.”
Another mom vacated her chair. “Take my seat. I have to run. One daughter has volleyball practice. The other has a soccer game. I’m going to burn off every crumb of that Nutella on toast running between the gym and the soccer fields.”
After wishing her luck, her friends immediately fell into a discussion about the challenges of getting the entire family to sit down to a healthy, homecooked meal.
“I’m ordering takeout three nights a week because I don’t have time to think, let alone cook,” said one mom.
Another replied that her slow cooker was a lifesaver, while another admitted that she served pancakes for dinner whenever her husband worked late.
With her friends otherwise occupied, Janice leaned forward and focused her attention on Nora.
“Sheldon probably told you that I need books about bullying,” she began. “Let me give you a tiny bit of backstory. After meeting with the teachers this morning, it’s pretty clear that what the district did last year was a bust. I guess the campaign was all talk and no fun. Because the kids didn’t buy in, it failed. We need to figure out how to get them to buy in.”
Janice reached into a tote bag and pulled out a folder. “The teachers said that group rewards motivate their students. Kids like celebrating together. One teacher said that his kids read twice as many books last year compared to the previous year because of a pizza party.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah, that’s what I said. But for some kids, it was more about the pizza than the party. A quarter of our students are food insecure, which means their school lunch is often their biggest meal of the day.” She held out both hands as if to stop herself from going off topic. “Here’s where you come in. Can you find books on bullying that don’t have the word bully in the title? Or even better, books on bullying that mention food?”