Tuesday 20 May 2014

What the Small Boy said to the Author - Joan Lennon

The author was packing up after a boisterous session with 5 classes of 8-9 year-olds in a large, echoy gym.  She became aware that someone was quietly trying to get her attention.

It was a small boy.

The boy was bespectacled, goopy-looking, earnest. A boy who did not now, nor probably ever would, find the world his oyster. The author looked at him. It was like looking at a small boy version of her own small self.

The boy looked at the author, as the noise of the dispersing classes swirled around them.  "I keep your books in a box under my bed," he said.  "And when I can't sleep in the night I take one out and read it." 

The author babbled.  She thanked the small boy for saying such a lovely thing and that he couldn't have said anything nicer to her.  Ever. 

"That's all right," said the small boy, and walked away.

The author knows that she cannot go round schools and libraries and festivals saying, "Hello!  I'm an author and I'd like to live under your bed."  But in her heart, she thinks it would be the nicest thing.  Ever.


Joan Lennon's website.
Joan Lennon's blog.

8 comments:

Sue Purkiss said...

This is lovely.

Heather Dyer said...

How fantastic - couldn't be a better accolade.

Penny Dolan said...

Love this. What a moment of joy. I did like this little lad very much and, from your description, could almost see him standing there. Maybe at heart we all write for the child who was once ourselves, and want to speak to a child like that??

Sue Bursztynski said...

Your books are comfort reading? How wonderful!

Lari Don said...

Thank you for this perfect gem of a blog post. I have never read a better example of what readers get from authors and what authors get from readers. Thanks!

Linda Strachan said...

Warms your heart, this! Thanks for sharing it, Joan.

Anonymous said...

How perfectly lovely! Thanks for sharing.

Dianne Hofmeyr said...

I want to run after that boy and give him a huge hug.