I'm caught somewhere in between impressed and deeply concerned...

 After receiving an email from a parent last night, I had a chat with a student today.

Me: Mom said your reading folder has been in your backpack all week empty and you told her you didn't have any books at school that you could bring home. They are lost and you aren't allowed to get more. Is that right?

Child: No, they aren't lost. They aren't at my house. I just don't have any books.

Me: You picked out 5 books to read. Where did they go? Are they in your folder? In your desk? In your backpack?

Child: No, I don't have any books.

Me: Mom told me your reading folder has been in your backpack all week but you have been telling me each day that you didn't have your folder and that you forgot it at home.

Child: No, I told you I didn't have my backpack.

Me: Ok, it seems like you aren't being honest. You are telling me one thing and your mom something different. I'm going to let you think about it for a minute and then I'm going to ask you again. Even if you think I'm not going to like the truth, I really need you to be honest and tell me what is going on. I can't help you if you aren't honest. 

Child: [30 seconds later] Ok. I know what happened now.

Me: Ok, please be honest and tell me what happened. 

Child: Well, I told you I didn't have my backpack, because then you would think I didn't have my folder, and if I didn't have my folder, then I wouldn't have to take home books to read. I told my mom I didn't have any books to bring home, because I don't want to read at home. I don't WANT to read at home!

Me: So, you really had your folder and your books the whole time? 

Child: Yes. I don't want to read at home. 

Me: Do you know why we practice reading at school and at home?

Child: No. I don't like it.

Me: Do you want to go to second grade?

Child: Yes!

Me: You see, in order to go to second grade, you have to be able to do the first grade stuff and that means you have to be able to read the first grade books and do the first grade math and do the first grade writing. If you never practice those things, then you don't get good at them. So, if you want to be able to go to second grade, you have to read the first grade books so that you will be ready to read when you get to second grade because they have really cool books, like longer chapter books, neat nonfiction books, and all kinds of good stories to read. But, if you don't practice, then you won't be able to do it when it's time to go to second grade.

Child: So if I practice reading a lot then I can read when I go to college too?

Me: Yep, isn't that cool?

Child: Yes, so I better read a lot of first grade books now so I can get smarter so I can read college books. 

Me: Sounds like a plan. So, are you ready to pack your books to take home now?

Child: Yes, I want to take [digs through pile] these three books tonight.

Me: Cool, how about you go pack them up and put them in your mailbox and I'm going to send a message to mom to let her know what we talked about and that you will be bringing those 3 books home to read to her tonight.

Child: Oh. Um. Can I just surprise her tonight and show her?

Me: Sorry Charlie. I'm going to have to tell her what really happened.

Child: [gulp] Oh. I think...I'll...probably read a lot this weekend. Tell her that too, ok?

Wow! I am not sure if I should be more impressed that she pulled off a complex lie to her mom and I both that spanned a whole week before either of us figured out that something was not quite right OR if I should be more concerned that a 6 year old convincingly, bold-faced lied to me for a week straight like it was nothing?