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American Morning

6-Year-Old Takes on Publishing Company to Correct Errors

Aired May 18, 2001 - 11:23   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: Have you ever read a book and suddenly you run across a serious typo? That happened to Connor Joseph of Fargo, North Dakota. It bothered him so much that he set out, successfully, to have the publisher fix it. We should probably mention as well that Connor is 6 years old.

Here is Amy Hockert (ph) of CNN affiliate KVRR.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CONNOR JOSEPH, FIRST GRADER: Around Dickinson.

AMY HOCKERT, KVRR-TV REPORTER (voice-over): He's only 6 years old, but Connor Joseph loves history.

JOSEPH: Because it was a new town back in the 1800s. It was a really new town, that's why he went out there.

HOCKERT: He especially likes Teddy Roosevelt. You know, the...

JOSEPH: 26th president.

HOCKERT: But when Connor started reading this book about his favorite rough rider, he noticed something.

JOSEPH: There's a - first mistake that I ever saw in here was that in here it says Medora, South Dakota. So I went up to Medora, but it's in North Dakota. So that really didn't make any sense.

HOCKERT: But that wasn't all.

JOSEPH: It says peopled chopped down telegraph poles. Peopled. Peopled.

HOCKERT: The mistakes were too much for Connor. He was forced to take action.

JOSEPH: I'm in grade one and I found a mistake in your book. You may call theater (UNINTELLIGIBLE) we're from. The mistake was Medora, South Dakota. Medora is in North Dakota. I saw another mistake when you said peopled chopped down telegraph poles for firewood. It doesn't make sense.

HOCKERT: And one month later... JOSEPH: It took a really long time.

HOCKERT: ... he got a response.

JOSEPH: As hard as everybody tries, errors will happen. We try to have our books checked many times before they are published, but no one is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes.

HOCKERT: But it takes a special kind of kid to want to fix them.

JOSEPH: Otherwise, people will buy this book and they'll say, well, let's go down to Medora, South Dakota and we'll drive down there. They'll see that there is no Medora, South Dakota. They'll wonder, maybe it's in Montana. So they go out to Montana. It's not there. They think it's in Wyoming, but it's not there. That's why I wanted to write to them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KELLEY: Joining us now by phone from Fargo is 6-year-old Connor Joseph. He's in the first grade at Lincoln Elementary School and a coincidence, since presidents are this history buff's specialty. Connor has gotten permission to talk to us from the principal's office.

Hi, Connor, how are you?

JOSEPH: Good.

KELLEY: I see that they fixed your mistakes and you - their mistake from your letter. Did you have a nice conversation with them?

JOSEPH: Yes.

KELLEY: And were you - were you looking to get the book fixed? Did you think it would get fixed?

JOSEPH: Well, I didn't think, Donna, that they would actually fix it.

KELLEY: What about the nice lady who wrote you the letter and said everyone makes mistakes. Is that true?

JOSEPH: Yes.

KELLEY: Well, when you got the mistake fixed, how did you feel?

JOSEPH: I kind of felt good.

KELLEY: All right. Well, Connor we have to interrupt because the president is talking. And I know you love presidents and you memorized all of them before your sixth birthday. So you'll probably let us go and go to the president, and we'll talk to you soon.

Take care, honey -- Leon.

LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: We're all going to work for Connor one day.

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