A Fun Week of Reading, But Busy!

COME VISIT TEACH.MENTOR.TEXTS, WITH JEN AND KELLEE WHO ARE HOSTS OF THIS KIDLIT MEME, FROM PRIMARY TO YA.  CHECK OUT THE LINKS TO SEE WHAT SO MANY ARE READING!

        It's Monday! What are you Reading? is another meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys, a variety of reviews to find even more books for your TBR list. 


It's a special day, Memorial Day.  I hope everyone sends a thought and a prayer of appreciation for all that our military men and women do for us.

A recent quote seen in a newspaper:  My test of a good novel is dreading to begin the last chapter.  ~Thomas Helm       
                                                      - Don't you agree?

           I’ve tried to find more time to finish Divergent, by Veronica Roth.  I’m nearly finished, but I’ve had too many other things to do this week.  I may finish late tonight, but cannot review it until it is over.  Those of you who’ve read it probably know what I mean.  I am enjoying it, but will include more response next time.

           I also completed an audio re-read of that sweet, sweet story of a dog and a young woman named Opal who brings a lovely group of lonely people together.  It is Because of Winn Dixie, by Kate Dicamillo; it made my trips to and from work and appointments, etc.  quite a pleasure.  Those of you who live now in a small town or who have lived in one at some time in your lives and who have read the book will understand the connection I made with this.  I lived in a small town until I was in 7^th grade, and spent time with eccentric old women (sometimes couples) just visiting, looking at their gardens, eating coffee cake and sweet tea on their front porches, and enjoying their company.  They had stories to tell, like in this book.  I know that others might think it was a little far fetched, but it is not.  There are people like that everywhere.  It’s just that in small towns, we seem to be able to get to know them.  It’s been a while since I read this book, and I’m sorry that I have waited so long.

                                     The Elephant and Piggie books, by Mo Willems

         I’ve seen several references recently about these books and checked 3 from the library for the weekend because I wanted to read them and my 3 year old granddaughter was going to spend Saturday & Sunday with me.  We read them & she was delighted.  Some of the humor was a little above her, but she loved the hilariousness of There Is A Bird On Your Head and understood the My Friend Is Sad because she has a “best” friend in her pre-school, a beginning understanding of friendship and doing nice things for friends.  I Will Surprise My Friend was too subtle, but I can see those children a bit older thinking it was the funniest of the three.  I’ll look up more in the public library.  Mo Willems definitely has a funny bone in his writing brain!

          We stopped at a favorite Indie bookstore, The Tattered Cover, while we were out, and my granddaughter chose another Mo Willems pigeon book, Don’t Let The Pigeon Stay Up Late!  She loves these pigeon books and this was fun for her too, although I’m not sure she wanted to talk much about all the ways she tries to stay up late.

         NEXT:  Lucky Me!  Our library has recently acquired The One And Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate and Fake Mustache by Tom Angleberger.  Those are at the top of my pile, after Divergent ends.  I’ll download Insurgent after school is over.