"That can mean a lot of things! I wonder if you'd like classics - books written a long time ago, they're often considered to be better written than a lot of the kids' books published now." And even the ones not specifically aimed at children are (she thinks) less likely to have age-inappropriate levels of onscreen violence and sex. 

"Yes, I think I would probably like the classics. Also I bet the library has them."

"They would! And I bet the librarian would be delighted, I think librarians tend to be the sort of person who loves classic literature and is sad it's not more popular. We can go tomorrow. - I would also like to take you shopping tomorrow for some new clothes. We can get you a swimsuit, too." 

"That seems reasonable."

Hmm what sort of selection does she have for classic children's literature. "Have you read Anne of Green Gables? Or The Secret Garden?" Evelyn also owns Little Women but she is less sure that it's appropriate even for a very precocious three-year-old. 

"I haven't! What are those about?"

"Oh, hmm. The Secret Garden is about a girl whose parents died of a disease in India, and she's sent to England to live with her wealthy uncle, who lives on an estate - sort of a mansion, but out in the countryside, not in a city - and there's a secret walled garden, and she meets her...cousin, nephew, I can't remember for sure...who's disabled and can't walk. Anne of Green Gables is about a young orphan girl - not as young as you, she's at least ten - who goes to live with a new family on a farm. I think you'd like Anne of Green Gables, Anne is very likable - the main character in The Secret Garden isn't at first, she's very rude and has to learn how to be nicer. ...Oh, that reminds me, you might like Annie as well - it's a musical but there's a book version of it - she's also an orphan, but she gets adopted by a rich businessman who wants a child." What is it with books about red-haired orphan girls anyway. "And she has the same name as you do, of course."

And of course now this is reminding her of all the books she read as a child. "Oh, and you might like Heidi, it's - also about an orphan, actually, I'm not even trying to think of books about orphans on purpose, there are just a lot of them for some reason - she lives in the Alps with her grandfather, and then ends up being hired as a servant for a wealthy girl who - also can't walk, for some reason that seems to be a theme." 

"Oh, I'd been starting to think maybe you were specifically collecting orphan books because of who is usually in your house. They all sound neat though!"

"They probably are coming to mind because other children have liked them over the years, but - no, I was mostly trying to remember what I liked best when I was little, which apparently was books about orphans– oh! Black Beauty is totally not about orphans! It's about a horse. It's - a little bit upsetting - but I don't think it's inappropriate for you to read, I just remember it made me very sad when I was six. ...The Little Princess is back to being about an orphan, it's a girl whose father is a rich businessman in India and sends her to boarding school in England, but when he dies the headmistress treats her very badly. - There's a different book called The Little Prince but it's not about an orphan, it's - I have no idea how to explain what it's about, actually, I think I mostly didn't get it when I was little. It's definitely a classic, though." 

"Do you have all these here?"

"I do! A couple of them are even the same copies from when I was little. ...Not sure if I have Black Beauty, I might not anymore, but the others yeah. Want to pick one out to read before we get you ready for bed?" 

She nods and picks out Heidi.

Evelyn clears up after dinner and then joins Annie to read more of her own book in friendly silence until 7 pm, when she starts nudging Annie bedtimeward. "You can read a little more in bed if you're quick about your bath and doing your teeth. How are you liking it - more your sort of thing?" 

"Yeah, I like this one. It makes bread and cheese sound much more exciting than I have observed them to be."

She wants the bath water tap-cold.

She can have cold bathwater. It's not like it's colder than a dip in a lake, which many three-year-olds wouldn't like but isn't dangerous or anything. Evelyn will supervise, and she'd like Annie to hold her hand for balance while climbing in, but she'll let Annie undress herself and wash her own hair unless she asks for specific help. 

"Huh! I don't remember anything specific about bread and cheese, but it's been a while. Do you like the main character?" 

Annie does not desire any specific help, she just wants to float in the cool water and take a leisurely wash. "She's not especially interesting but I like her window into an interesting kind of life."

Leisurely wash will mean less time for reading in bed before lights out, but Evelyn is certainly enjoying Annie's company. Also that's a very impressive level of sophistication for a child Annie's age, but Evelyn is going to continue to not emphasize that. 

"That makes sense. I like books like that, I think, where it feels like - I don't know, like the main character is just a vehicle for the reader to wander around the world. What do you find interesting about the kind of life she has?" 

"Well, there's the bread and cheese, right, and basically the whole thing sounds very boring and impoverished, except she's having a great time, which makes her seem kind of dull as a person but also makes her life seem really vibrant."

She is having a literary analysis conversation with a three-year-old and this is surreal but also INCREDIBLY ADORABLE. 

"Huh. That's an interesting way of putting it. I do think she has less - tendency to be the one making things happen in her life? - then some other characters. The character in Annie is definitely not dull. I think Sara Crewe in The Little Princess might be more like that, she sort of - has things happen to her rather than steering? ...I should stop dropping hints about other books and let you tell me your take on it once you've read them." 

"I don't mind that the character isn't exciting by herself, that's not the only way for a book to be good."

"Yeah, no, I agree. Heidi feels pretty different from a lot of modern kids' books, there's a plot and stuff but it's not - trying to be dramatic and suspenseful? It feels a bit like a documentary to me." She smiles at Annie. "I like talking about books with you. You're - a thoughtful reader." 

Once Annie is done bathing, she should dry off and at least put on clean underwear, though if she'd prefer not to sleep in any more clothes than that, Evelyn is fine with it, though if she gets another child in the house then Annie will definitely have to wear at least some form of clothes outside her bedroom. 

(It's actually pretty common for toddlers to go through a period of being very finicky about wearing clothes and Evelyn has, over the years, learned to pick her battles. And Annie has an actual medical reason for it.) 

Annie is willing to wear underwear to bed without a fuss. She splays out on the sheet and reads a little bit till official household bedtime.

Evelyn wants her lights out at 7:45. She asks if Annie would like a goodnight kiss or hug, but doesn't particularly expect a yes. 

Annie kind of shrugs.

"No is a fine answer. I'm not going to pressure you, I know we've barely met. Goodnight, love." She ducks out.