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It is past 9 p. m. on a Sunday evening, and my 14-year-old son prances into the kitchen where my wife and I are lingering over dessert. He is dressed in accordance with his notions of style—backward pointing baseball cap with loose pants. He's been home only 15 minutes after having spent the day at a friend's house. His visit with us coincides with a TV commercial break.
“Dad, do we have a biography around the house I can use for school?” He briskly asks.
“What's your assignment?” I answer. My voice is tinged with more than a little suspicion because my eighth grader generally doesn't want me to butt into his academic business unless he is in trouble.
“We have to read a biography—it can be about anybody—and do a report on it.”
“Your mother or I will be glad to take you to the library tomorrow. I don't think we have anything much around.”
“No! My teacher wants us to bring a book in tomorrow. I know we have a book I can use.”
“Okay, okay, I'll look. This could be a problem for you to work out with your teacher. I'm sure there is nothing here suitable for your reading level.”
I search through our bookshelves overflowing with volumes purchased before my wife and I decided that we must be more selective in how we use our limited space. I return to my son's side with two books. I extend forth my hand to show him one book and proceed to describe it.
“This one, Young Man Luther, is by Erik Erikson. He was one of Freud's great followers. He writes about Martin Luther. Luther was a real rebel, the first Protestant. He went up against the abuses of the Catholic Church at a time when it took tremendous courage to do that. It's a big book and although easier than this other one, we will need to read it together for you to understand it. I don't think you can finish within the time you have.”
“What's the other book?” he asks.