Reading update: We did start Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, but after a trip to the library before a visit to grandma's, Noah got so excited about The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester that he decided not to finish re-reading Harry Potter after all. I can't say I don't feel a little sad that he is finally moving on, but it's nice to find something new, too. And, I have to say, this book is really, really fun and well-written. There is no magic involved--it's just a regular story about school aged kids and the adventures they get up to on their summer vacation. It's fun to read out loud, the story is engaging but not scary, and the writing doesn't insult our intelligence (mine or Noah's!). It's also written simply enough that we can take turns reading without too much trouble on N's part. We'll definitely be looking for more books by Barbara O'Connor.
But, what I'm really excited to tell you about is the giant pile of books in our potential "to read" pile. Early in the summer, we visited my parents. My dad, who is quite possibly more addicted to books than I am, took the kids to this fantastic bookstore near him, Oblong Books, and let Noah go to town. Noah picked out a great selection.
Great choices. He's been picking away at My Father's Dragon this summer. What a fun and quirky book. And then, two classics: Swiss Family Robinson and Journey to the Center of the Earth. We can't wait to sink our teeth into these!
Then, soon after my first blog post, my friend Laura tracked me down at the playground with two shopping bags filled with some of her favorite fantasy books that she thought Noah might enjoy. He promptly sat down in the grass and began poring over them.
What a pile, huh? Notice The Princess Bride in there? How much fun will that be? But the one Noah was most excited about was Lloyd Alexander's Book of Three. His teacher read The Black Cauldron, the second book in that series, to the class last year and he's been dying to read this one. Yay! Sharing well-loved books is such a joy. In fact, Laura and I first became friends when I planned a book swap among several women I knew. I love that she took such an interest in Noah's love of fantasy and loaned us these.
But wait, there's more! For Noah's birthday my parents gave him still more books.
He's pretty excited about those How to Train Your Dragon books, and I'm pretty excited about that beautiful edition of The Jungle Book.
It all adds up to this: A HUGE pile of reading possibilities!
Wow, how will we choose what to read next? How to Train Your Dragon strikes me as a series he'll enjoy reading himself when he starts reading on his own, but he's not quite there yet. I'm hoping to go with The Jungle Book or The Princess Bride. He may have other plans, though. How do you decide what to read with your children?
