Summer of the Monkeys

Those monkeys were tricky! How would you try to catch them? 

Julia (8): "I would just put food in the corn crib and lock the monkeys in there, then try to make friends with Jimbo."

Gabe (6): "I would call Batman. And then Batman would put out his traps and capture them."

How did you feel after finding out Jay Berry was willing to give up the gun and pony for his sister's leg operation?

Julia: "I felt surprised, shocked, and happy-sad. I knew that Jay Berry almost had something he'd been dying for his whole life, but he helped his sister with something she'd been wanting her whole life."

Gabe: "Sad, because he loved the pony and the .22. And good because he was helping her."


Mom's notes: Wilson Rawls is a talented storyteller. (Plus, his dialogue is just plain fun to read!) We laughed at the antics of the monkeys, commiserated with Jay Berry as he tried his darnedest to capture them, and were moved when he gave up his hard-earned prizes for Daisy's operation. 

Meet Molly

Mom's notes: Julia (8) and I read this book individually after Nana gave it to us. It jump-started our mother-daughter book club!

We met in Nana's lovely garden room, where we had lemonade and treats, talked about the book, and Nana helped Julia pot a plant for her own.

Then we ended up reading all six books in the Molly series! (Thanks to Aunt Julie who lent them to us.) For our bookclub activity we walked to the Six Sisters' Deli, just a few blocks from our home. We chatted about the Molly books that we loved while eating a patty melt and sipping orange cream soda.