A dip into the pool reports: 'help

AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta

From a White House pool report filed by the Los Angeles Times' Kathleen Hennessey who followed President Obama Saturday while he shopped at a local bookstore in Washington, D.C.:

POTUS was wearing a brown leather jacket and light tan sweater. After about 20 minutes, he made his way to the registers, saying "Happy Holidays" to a little boy and turning to look for Sasha and Malia. "I need their help."

His books ... were already on the counter. POTUS chatted with the sales clerk about a bookstore in Chicago ...

Asked what he bought, POTUS said "it is a long list" and "Books for every age group, from 5 to 52," he said, smiling. With that, we were ushered out. POTUS left by saying, "Have a great holiday!" and the shoppers applauded.

The books Obama purchased with some descriptions...

Half Brother - Oppel (two scientists bring home a baby chimp to raise as a human)

Heart of A Samurai - Preus (the crew of a stranded Japanese ship is rescued by Americans)

Flora and Ulysses - DiCamillo (superhero squirrel)

Jinx - Blackwood - (young hero in a magic forest)

Lulu and the Brontosaurus - Ciorst/Smith (young girl searches for a dinosaur for a pet)

Ottoline and the Yellow Cat - Riddell (girl and her cat investigate crime)

Moonday - Rex

Journey - Becker

The Lowland - Lahiri

Red Sparrow - Matthews

Harold and the Purple Crayon - Johnson

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena - Marra

The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance - Epstein

Collision Low Crossers: A Year Inside the Turbulent World of NFL Football - Dawidoff

Ballad of the Sad Cafe: And Other Stories - McCullers

My Antonia - Cather

Ragtime - Doctorow

The Kite Runner - Hosseini

Buddha in the Attic - Otsuka

All That Is - Salter

Wild: From Lost to Found On the Pacific Crest Trail - Strayed