Imagine having a child who doesn’t love to read. What would be the best way to get them to want to read?

Ideally, you’d involve them in the book buying process and find a book that includes a topic they actually like and want to know more about.

In this story, one woman shares a short encounter she had with a parent and their child at a bookstore.

The mom wanted help picking out a book, but she wasn’t happy with the way it all worked out.

Read on for all the details.

Shopping Buddy

This was a number of years ago when there were still bookstores besides Barnes & Nobles.

I was pursuing the SciFi/Fantasy section when a lady comes in dragging her son with her.

She loudly starts asking if the kid would like this to read this book or another book all the while the boy was being quiet and was obviously embarrassed by the whole thing.

She catches me looking at them and says rather angerly, “What book would you recommend for my son to read?”

She knew who could answer this question.

I told her that I don’t work here but then ignoring her, I ask the son what he is into.

He mumbles sports.

I asked him does he want a serious book or a funny one?

His mom jumps back in, “He just needs something more than 100 pages.”

She helped him out!

I gesture with my hand for her to be quiet, and I wait for him to answer. He again mumbles funny.

So, I proceed to show him a couple of easy readers that are:

-More than 100 pages

-Have sports (or sport related)

-Are funny

That’s INSANE!

By the time I am done the kid is a chatty as can be, excited about the book he chose, and the mom is still fuming.

I’m sure that I stepped in something I shouldn’t have, but anytime I can get someone new into reading while simultaneously ticked off an entitled someone else, that’s a good day in my book. [Pun intended]

The mom should be happy not furious? She answered the question, just not in the way she had expected.

Let’s find out what folks on Reddit think about this one.

This user knows the mom is only teaching the son how to hate reading.

This user loves how this woman got the kid a book he loves.

That’s right! This user appreciates what she did for that kid.

This user thinks the mother is really weird.

This was a long time ago.

That was the perfect way to help!

If you liked this post, check out this story about an employee who got revenge on a co-worker who kept grading their work suspiciously low.