Prescriptions from a Book Doctor in London
We met a book pharmacist.
Tucked away in the outskirts of London, in a town called Watford, is a little bookstore we frequented during our travels, and we were here again on our way back home to California. Exploring London, Naples, Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast, and Venice has been an adventurous summer. To pass the time through train rides, airplanes, and ferries, we kept occupied with books, podcasts, games, and knitting. We built a routine to check out the airport retailers and local bookstores to replenish our inventory.
Recently, my daughters have become very interested in Japanese anime and graphic novels, which are called manga series. I was amazed at how popular it was even in Europe. You can bet yourself to find a dedicated section even in Venice for these comic books. So while at the bookstore in Watford, it was expected the girls would find their way upstairs to where these series lie. That day, while waiting for the girls to finish perusing through the shelves searching for that One Piece or Spy Family series they've yet to read, I found myself having small talks with some patrons and shop owners. While I learned about the happenings in the area, I shared about our experience in London and Italy and how we could continue our curriculum on volcanoes while visiting Pompeii.
Minutes later, my daughters loudly descended the bookstore stairs, each with a pile of comic books ready for purchase and a commitment to reading them all during the long plane ride home. I was hoping they stumbled upon a proper chapter book to break up the comic homogeneity, but they were on break, and with a straight smile, I nodded with approval with quiet plans when our school year resumes.
At the counter, the bookstore owner conversed with the girls while scanning the books' bar codes. Taking apparent notice of the piles of comic book reading, she then asked for their ages.
"Eleven," claimed my eldest.
"Eight going on nine." My youngest softly responded.
The bookstore owner paused on completing our transaction, stepped away, and returned with two chapter books.
"You mustn't leave here without taking these two books with you. They each will resurrect great memories about your trip."
My eldest was prescribed The Undrowned Child by Michelle Lovric, a fantasy fiction set in the heart of Venice. My youngest was given The Fire Cats of London, which was hand-signed by the author herself, Anna Fargher. Each book was age-appropriate and referenced many places we visited in London and Italy. It also inserted additional history that we got to search into a bit more, further adding context for the girls as they reflect on all they’ve seen and done on this trip. Most importantly, it was a wonderful way to end our trip, prescribed by a caring stranger who knew the power of a book prescription.
