Chapter 6
Come to find out, creating an index of Things You Should Know About Children’s Literature takes longer than one would think.
Especially when Hayley and Evangeline keep chiming in with helpful additions.
Because of this, Julien actually does leave the library without any homework in hand, but with a promise from me of an email hitting his inbox soon and a return promise from him to immerse himself in the content I send.
“Read back to us what we’ve got so far,” Evangeline instructs.
I look at our index. “Let’s see. We started with a list of the main genres of children’s literature: picture books, poetry and verse, realistic fiction, historical fiction, folklore, fantasy, science fiction, biography/autobiography, and nonfiction/informational.
And, of course, added a few example titles under each heading.
Next, we went on to provide a short list of the top-grossing books and series, since he’s specifically looking for a bestseller that will bring in a lot of revenue. ”
“Were you surprised that The Little Prince has sold the most copies out of any children’s book?” Hayley asks.
I look at her askance. “Have you read Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s masterpiece? It’s one of those stories that can speak to anyone, which is probably why it’s the most translated book outside of the Bible.”
Hayley bobs her head in concession.
“No one is surprised by how many times J. K. Rowling is on this list, though, are they? Number two, four, and a five-way tie for the fifth spot as well,” Evangeline points out.
“Well, she is the only author to have a net worth of around a billion dollars,” Hayley agrees.
I puff out a breath. “And Julien wants me to find her successor. No problem at all.”
Evangeline squeezes my shoulder in support.
“Wasn’t Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone rejected by twelve publishers before Bloomsbury finally accepted the manuscript?” Hayley pipes up. “You can’t be any worse at finding the next hit children’s book than those twelve misguided editors.”
I give her a wry look.
She holds up her hands. “What? It’s true.”
I shake my head and study our index again. “Anyway. After our list of top-grossing books, we’ve given him a brief overview of both the John Newbery Medal and the Caldecott Medal, as well as a few titles that won each award, respectively.”
“I think we’ve probably given him enough information to begin with.
Any more and it might start to feel overwhelming.
Besides, I’m not sure if he’ll have enough time to acquaint himself with all these books, much less dissect the reasons why audiences resonate so strongly with the stories to the point where he can recognize the same magic in a raw rough draft or a query letter. ”
“That’s a good point, Evangeline. Okay, I’m going to send this to him and see what he says.” I click the blue send button, and the email whooshes away into cyberspace.
I turn away from my computer but freeze when I catch Evangeline and Hayley giving each other pointed looks behind my back. They seem to be silently arguing about who’s going to say something that neither of them wants to voice.
“What is it?” I should’ve pretended I hadn’t seen their nonverbal back-and-forth.
Knowing them, they more than likely want to drill me about Julien.
Evangeline always has romance on the mind, and since Hayley started seeing Levi Redding, the mechanic she was stranded with in Turkey Grove when the bookmobile broke down, she hasn’t been much better.
“Look, I know what you’re going to say.” I decide to nip any romantic notions they have in the bud.
“Julien is an attractive man and someone my adolescent heart went pitter-patter over. And, yes, when I saw him again, some of those crush-like feelings might have resurfaced as a momentary reflex, but that’s all it was.
This isn’t some kind of second-chance, boy-next-door, it’s-always-been-you romance plot.
We’re just two people who happen to be able to help each other out in impossible situations. Real life, not fiction. Got it?”
Evangeline and Hayley look at each other again, then turn back to me.
“That’s not what we were going to say.”
“We weren’t going to bring up Julien at all, actually.”
Evangeline smirks. “Although it’s very interesting that you did.”
“Oh.” I glance at one, then the other. “If you weren’t up to your usual matchmaking ways, then what was all that?” My finger wags between them.
They share a third look. Evangeline grimaces before she meets my gaze. “We need to talk about your programs and schedule. Ryan says anything already scheduled for the rest of this month won’t be canceled but that everything besides story time will be phased out after that.”
“We need you to walk us through your plans and give us the contact names and numbers. For instance, isn’t the band teacher supposed to be coming in two weeks with some of his instruments?”
Oh. Right. Because I’ve basically been laid off, the status of whether it will be temporary or permanent the only thing in my control.
I try to put the massive boulder of feelings currently sitting on my chest behind me so I can focus on what’s important—the children. Not the loss of another place where I’ve worked so hard to carve a spot for myself. Where I strived and gave my all but still came up short.
I know it’s not the same. That Ryan doesn’t want to have to let me go. My head knows it, but my heart still feels the sting of rejection. Still vibrates with the echo of a similar dismissal.
“Martha?”
Hayley’s voice pulls me back to myself and I blink, forcing a semblance of a smile to my lips so my friends won’t worry.
“Right. Yes. I have everything you need on my digital calendar. I’ll add you both to it, but I can also walk you through what I had in mind.
In regard to Mr. Hunter, he’s coming on the twenty-eighth and will begin with a reading of The Remarkable Farkle McBride, which he’ll follow by allowing kids to try out a violin, flute, trumpet, and drums on the library’s lawn. ”
Reedle-ee. Rootle-ee. Vroom-pety bang. The onomatopoeia of the book reverberates in my head, and I can picture Little Creek’s kids on the patch of grass outside, excited to be playing a real instrument for the first time.
I’ve been planning this event with Mr. Hunter since the summer and have been looking forward to it, but now I’ll be in Florida with Julien instead.
Evangeline or Hayley will get to lead it.
They’ll get to be the ones to witness the budding love of music opening before their eyes.
My nose begins to burn, and I set my jaw against the threat of tears. I will not cry. Crying seems too much like giving up, and I’m nowhere near ready to do that yet.
The front doors swish open, dragging our attention to the entrance. I take the moment to fan my face and get myself back under control.
“Levi!” Hayley exclaims with pure joy, rushing over to her boyfriend. “What’re you doing here?”
He leans down and gives her a quick kiss on the lips. “I keep telling you, I don’t need an excuse to see the love of my life.”
“I know that.” Hayley blushes. “I just wasn’t expecting you today, is all. But a very pleasant surprise, big man.”
“How are you doing, Levi?” Evangeline smiles Levi’s way. “Finish reading Listen for the Lie yet? Figured out who the murderer is?”
Levi shakes his head. “I have my suspicions, but I’m not ready to make any official accusations.”
“Is that the one that your sister and grandpa figured out before even the halfway point of the book and it took you almost until the end to get right?” Hayley asks.
Evangeline rolls her eyes. “Yes, but they listen to true-crime podcasts, so I still say the deck was stacked against me.”
“While not an excuse, I, uh—” Levi clears his throat. “I did have a reason for driving over.”
“Let me guess. It had nothing to do with discussing mystery books with me,” Evangeline teases.
Levi dips his head. “Uh, no, sorry. I wanted to talk to Martha, actually.”
“Me?” I ask in surprise.
“Hayley told me about your situation and how you’re leaving for a work trip and trying to find someone to take over managing the property where you live while you’re gone.”
Ah yes. That little detail has been stressing me out, in fact. When I’m not worrying about the library, my future here, the kids that I’m leaving behind, and how I’m supposed to be helping to save Squire when book sales for the age group are in a slump, that is.
One could call my living arrangements a symbiotic relationship.
The Andersons are a well-to-do couple with a passion for Tennessee Walking Horses.
They have a stable on their property with a small apartment built above the stalls.
I take care of their horses for them—feed, water, muck out the stalls, turn the horses out to pasture, etc.
—and in exchange, they let me live in the apartment.
My rent-free arrangement is one of the reasons I’m able to volunteer the additional hours past my part-time employee status at the library.
Agreeing to the writer’s conference with Julien, however, means I need to find someone who can stay at my place and take care of the Andersons’ horses for me since they’ll be out of town at the same time.
“That’s right.”
“Would you consider letting my sister Trinity fill in for you? She took riding lessons when she was younger, so she knows all about horses, and I promise she’ll do a good job.”
“I thought she was at Clemson,” Evangeline interjects.
“She’s taking her classes online this year to try and save money,” Hayley answers. “College dorm rooms and meal plans are more expensive than one would think.”
I run the idea over in my mind just to make sure there aren’t any snags I’m not immediately seeing, but having Trinity take over for me sounds like an answer to prayer.
“Can she come over Friday afternoon? I’ll introduce her to Mr. and Mrs. Anderson, the horses, and show her around the property and explain what her duties will be.”
If only all of my problems right now could be solved so easily.