Ink and Shadows(Secret, Book, & Scone Society #4)(38)

“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?”

At the front of the store, the sleigh bells clanged. Nora guessed that Sheriff McCabe had arrived.

“Give me a minute to look up some titles,” she told Janice. “You want to cover all the grade levels, right?”

“Yep. K through five. We’d need a range of reading levels, but I’m also thinking that this would be a great topic for buddy reads.”

Nora couldn’t agree more. “Buddy reading is a win-win. The younger kid feels special and gets to practice his reading. The older kid gets a self-esteem boost and improves his social skills. And if one of the books they read together contains a subtle message about bullying, then we’re ticking several boxes at once.”

After promising to return with a list of recommendations, Nora grabbed the bag with the postcard from the ticket agent’s office and told Sheldon that he could go home whenever he was ready.

She ran into McCabe rounding the corner of the Fiction section. Seeing the bag in her hand, he instinctively reached for it.

“How’d you end up with this?” he asked, frowning at the postcard.

Nora explained the plan she and her friends had devised to help keep Soothe running as smoothly as possible.

McCabe plucked his reading glasses from his shirt pocket. “Damn it all. I need more natural light. Even with the glasses.” He sighed. “Aging isn’t for the weak. Let’s move to the front window.”

While McCabe examined the postcard, Nora took the opportunity to research a few titles for Janice. She had the chance to jot down two before McCabe approached the checkout counter.

“Did you show this to Ms. Leopold?”

“No. I stuck it in my pocket right away.”

The sleigh bells banged, and McCabe turned to watch a trio of teenage girls lurch into the shop. Their bodies were pressed so close together that they seemed attached at the shoulders and hips. With their shredded jeans, long braids, white sneakers, and earbuds, the girls were almost indistinguishable. Nora recognized the two blondes, but she’d never seen the brunette before. The blondes, who were both fifteen, were fans of YA Fantasy. They bought every book written by Leigh Bardugo and Sarah J. Maas and never needed recommendations. Both girls were members of an active Instagram YA book group and were so in touch with YA reading trends that Nora often asked them which books to preorder.

McCabe dipped his chin in greeting, which caused the three teens to blush and press forward as a single unit into the stacks. Giggles and whispers trailed after them.

Seeing McCabe’s puzzled expression, Nora said, “It’s best to avoid direct eye contact until they feel comfortable around you.”