An Adorable Barber Swapped Haircuts For Stories

Before you read any further, you need to warn everyone within earshot that you’re about to make a loud “squeee” noise, because I’m about to tell you the adorable story of the barber giving free haircuts in exchange for kids reading to him. Iowa-based Courtney Holmes (i.e. the loveliest barber in the world) said he “just wants to support kids reading.” He even helped them sound out the words they didn’t know, because he’s a gem.

Holmes offered up his services as part of his local Back to School Bash, an annual event to help children get free resources before the school year starts in September. At the Spark Family Hair Salon where Holmes works, kids lined up to get a spiffy new haircut for school, all while brushing up on their reading skills. They were even allowed to take the free books home, and keep on learning there. Kathleen Winfrey, whose nephews had their hair cut in exchange for reading to Holmes, said the event was “good for the community.”

The kids will now be going back to school with a ton of new knowledge to impress their teachers with. Tayshawn Kirby spent his time in the barber chair reading Holmes facts about the food chain, like how much sugar the average person eats a year. (The answer's 150 pounds — yikes!) He proudly left with a haircut his older brother described as “fresh,” and enough trivia to ace all the bar quizzes he’s not old enough to take part in.

It’s been a great summer for book-loving children. Only a few weeks ago a 12-year-old boy received free books in the mail after his kind-hearted postman sent out a Facebook plea — and this tale of the barber trading haircuts for stories is cute enough to rival even that.

Image: Unsplash