Pre-pants tug of war
Clover may have been most excited about the promise of dessert, while I
was just happy to give her a new experience. We were fortunate to both
be invited to a book signing and reading from local author and teacher
Phillip Done last week at a friend's home. I couldn't remember if
Clover had ever been to an author reading before, perhaps at the
library or the local independent bookstore, but I knew being at a home
with a small group would be a totally different experience...and it
was. Clover writes a lot of books in her room, even adding her own
blurbs on the back praising the book and illustration. She's probably
not the only author who has wanted to blurb their own work.
We took with us to the reading our copy of Done's latest book,
Close
Encounters of the Third Grade Kind, which I had only finished the night
before, so Clover hadn't even seen it before the event. It's not for
kids, as Done repeated to the small group of moms attending, but having
read the book, I didn't feel it wasn't
not for kids either. When
picking up any book, parents are deciding - even a snap judgment - if
the subject is age appropriate. With advanced readers, it's a little
trickier because complicated words are not a problem, but the subject
matter in books at an advanced reading level may be. My feeling is that
Done's book is not complicated on any level, giving me no reason to
object to Clover's reading it. After he signed the book for her, she
sat down and started reading, so it was a good thing that I had no
objection. It's not like it was a Danielle Steel book signing for moms
and elementary school kids, after all.
Done gave a dramatic reading that demonstrated why he's such a popular
teacher. I think his real calling may be in the theater. The kids sat
perfectly still and listened, not to mention he did a great job of
calling them out by name to compliment them on their behavior.
Following the reading, he answered questions from the adults and kids,
all while Clover started to spread out. First she had to book on her
lap as she read, then she curled into a ball, then she sat face down in
the book, but butt up in the air. All the while, her slightly large,
low rise pants kept dipping down until it was too much for me. I kept
tugging at the back belt loop, trying to get her pants up to a more
modest level, never making much progress before they sagged down again.
I gave up.
It was past Clover's bedtime once the talk ended, and Clover was upset
I would not keep a light on in the car while we drove home to allow her
to keep reading the book. While Kevin helped Clover get ready for bed,
he asked her how it went. Well, she said. She had a brownie bite and a
cookie, but the only bad thing was the kid behind her who kept pulling
her pants up and top down. After getting her settled, Kevin asked me
about the kid who was tugging on Clover's clothes. I said it was me,
the modesty police. No doubt not the last time I try to rework the
coverage of her clothes.
Disclosure: I was given a copy of Phil Done's book for free.
was no exception. She picked up her package after it arrived in the mail, went into her room, and stayed there reading until dinner time, when she'd finished the book. 
