The parents were pondering how to make their children's lives better. It was the ninth of 20 sessions at the Parent Leadership Training Institute of Bridgeport and I was there to speak on the subject, dubbed by the Institute: "The Power of the Media and How to Use It."

I told the gathered young parents that sometimes I go around mumbling, "ku plink, ku plank, ku plunk," which is a phrase from "Blueberries for Sal," a terrific book I used to read to my daughters when they were young. The ku plunking was the sound blueberries made when Sal picked them and dropped them in her tin bucket. We talked of the importance of reading to our children.

Across the hall last Tuesday evening were their children, sitting in a circle. They were reading and writing — reading books and writing to the newspaper.

The parents were working on important projects that could improve their children's lives. One was trying to revive middle school sports programs. Another was trying to set up a bicycle park. A third was putting together a predator alert system. Yet another was trying to set up reading programs at libraries. These parents felt that publicity would help turn their ideas into reality. They wanted to write letters to the editor and submit their own stories and photos to the weekly Neighbor to Neighbor section. Letters to the editor are a community talking with itself, I told them. They are a vital part of the great marketplace of ideas that is democracy. Please send us your letters

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and your "neighbors" news, I said.

And across the hall, their kids were way ahead of them. Their letters to the editor were ready to go.

First they showed me some of their books and we talked about the more you read the better you can write. Their letters were in careful script by 11- and 12-year-olds holding forth on issues important to them.

Hannah Wilkins from High Horizons Magnet School wrote that "In sixth grade and in other grades also we have old books ... most books are very old. They are simply out of date. Some of the books don't even have accurate information." She said she and her classmates do have some new books "but my math book is literally falling apart. It is simply unreasonable and not correct."

Brittany Raye, an eighth-grader at Florence E. Blackham School, wrote "to persuade you our school needs extra money" for extracurricular activities. "Having things to do keeps us out of trouble and doing productive things." She maintained that "one-third of Bridgeport kids get in more trouble than kids who do sports and clubs after school.

"Undoubtedly you're probably thinking money doesn't grow on trees. But if you publish this people would start making donations to our school." She emphasized that "now is the time to start considering this idea (and) to take this seriously."

JoAnna Darby from Curiale School had a similar plan. "I feel that seventh and eighth graders should have recess. We are working almost all day. All kids deserve a break from doing work. Recess is fresh air and exercise. I remember how recess used to be the best part of the day ... Recess should really be added back on the schedule."

And nutrition, too, agreed Karla M. Tlahuextl at the Multicultural Magnet School and Biantha Figueroa at Achievement First Bridgeport Academy. Both wrote to complain about their lunches. "A lot of children don't eat their school lunch," wrote Karla, "because most of the time the chicken and bread are too soggy ... sometimes uncooked and not very tasty.

"The problem isn't that the kids don't want to eat. The problem is that the food isn't good."

Biantha agreed "the chicken nuggets are not well done and soggy on the bottom. Also the food tastes artificial.

"People are throwing up and getting sick. It's hard to concentrate in the class because kids are weak. We deserve to have decent food as well as a decent education."

So there you have it, parents and children working to make their city and their schools better.

James H. Smith is the editor of the Connecticut Post. You can reach him at 203-330-6325 or by e-mail at jsmith@ctpost.com.