"Do you have any books with buffalos that attack people?"

The first grade class from the local school came by today for their weekly visit to the library. This is my favorite class. There are others that come that are fun too, but this one has some little characters that greatly amuse me. About eighteen children with the majority being boys. The boys are loud and adult like, dressing like little cowboys and always looking for the animal attack books, cattle books, or whatever has the best pictures.

One little curly head boy asked for shark books. I took him to the junior non-fiction and showed him the selection on sharks. I picked out a fairly simple book that had a picture per page of sharks swimming or the deep sea water. "How about this one?" I asked. "Umm no, that one just tells you about sharks." He checked out Shark Attack, or something to that extent, and the cover was a large shark's mouth displaying his ferocious teeth.

Bonnie, Carolyn and I will typically rotate with reading the book. Today was Bonnie's turn and I almost enjoy watching them as much as I enjoy reading to them. I counted five boys all at the same time picking their noses and eating it. The girls sat in rapt attention as the clouds filled with meatballs and the school was covered by a pancake and the town flooded with syrup. "That would be so yummy!" Cried one boy. "Yeah but can you imagine how sticky it would be?" "No school!!"

When the story is finished each week they jump up to grab the book they will read for the next week. Most of the girls will pick one quickly and sit down to read. Quite a few of the boys will grab the books on display and begin looking through the pictures. One girl stands on the stool and pushes all of my books back on the shelf. "Ha," I said today, "you are my culprit." She has a very long red braid almost every week and she tries to get in the boys group that wants some fascinating animal or great disaster book. "Can you help me find something?" A typical question. "Ok, what're you looking for?" She shrugged her shoulders. "You mean you want me to find something for you?" She nodded eagerly. All the ones I would've liked didn't suit her. She choose a seemingly boring one on insects I think.

                 

As they tromped through today, my name was shouted and the little red-headed girl handed me a dandelion. "For you!" Oh I was so pleased! I love little gestures like that and after my recent experience in my yard, dandelions have a new place in my heart. Then I heard one of the boys say, "Eww, why would you get her a weed?!" Oh hush, today it is a free yellow flower.