Biography of Real people

While at the library today I was working the circulation desk when I overheard two fourth graders discussing their class project. They were required to read a biography and prepare a book report and class presentation on the person they chose. A boy wearing a local football jersey (from the team I'm guessing he plays for) and a girl with a biography and two novels were in line together waiting to check out. He pointed to her books and asked about them. She held the novels in one hand and explained that those were "just for reading" and the other, the biography, was for the class project.

By this time they were checking out. The boy looked at the biography and said "Who's Phyllis Wheatley?" She replied "The person I'm doing my report on. Who are you reading about?" He got rather excited in her interest and proudly said "Troy Aikman!" She looked at him a little puzzled and said "It has to be on a real person." As they began to walk away I heard him say to her "But he is a real person he played for....."

I wanted to pull him aside and say "Hey man, she just doesn't get it. Do you think she has any idea what football is? Do you think she knows what a QB does? I think not. Save your breath man, she just doesn't get it."