Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Which of the three tasks would you want to compete in? 

Julia (9): "I would choose the second one, the gillyweed one, because it would be easier to find a spell to help me go through."

Gabe (7): "I would do the dragon one because I want to see what the dragons really look like." 

Mom's Notes: Jonny read this one. It's been fun for him to be involved in the HP books as he's never read them until now. The kids had been begging to read this for months, and they were completely captivated from the spooky first chapter. They were a little disappointed in the movie though, what with characters and subplots being left out. Still, they thought it was amazing and can't wait to dress up as Harry and Hermione for Halloween in a few weeks!

James and the Giant Peach

If you were stuck inside (or on top of) a gigantic fruit, which one would you wish it to be? Why? 

Julia (9): "A pomegranate or a cherry, because cherries are really juicy and delicious and so are pomegranates. And the pomegranate would have a ton of little tiny homes for each person."

Gabe (7): "An apricot, because it's my favorite fruit."

Which insect did you like best? 

Julia: "I like the Spider because she's really kind, and dark and smooth."

Gabe: "I liked Centipede because he's funny and he likes being a pest. He says, 'I'm a pest and I'm proud of it.'"

Mom's Notes: Now we have another incredibly imaginative and expectedly wacky Roald Dahl tale under our belts this year. There's just something completely unforgettable about picturing a giant peach sailing through the sky. And the crazy cloud men!? RD's first very first chapter book for children was as big a hit as his others in this house. 

Gone-Away Lake

Imagine you were given an amazing old house to use as a club house. What would you name your club? What would you do in your club house?

Julia (9): "I would name it 'The Great Gone-Away Explorers.' We would find new ways to use the plants in Gone-Away and we would decorate the house in our own type of way."

Gabe (7): "I would name my club "Wu Crew" because the people in the club would master their Spinjitzu like in Ninjago."

Mom's Notes: Elizabeth Enright is a favorite author of mine. She writes kids so well. You feel like you know (and want to be friends with!) Julian and Portia. Her books may be dated, but the way the kids act and think is relevant. I remember reading this as a girl, and though I'd forgotten much of it, the atmosphere the book emits stuck with me. We'll read the second one next summer!

The Magic Finger

A "magic finger" is a powerful thing! What would you do if you had one?

Julia (9): "I would use it on all the people who are bullying people, until they learn their lesson. Also, I would give myself every power I can imagine!"

Gabe (7): "I would use it to make enough money for the lego set I really want to buy."


Mom's Notes: Whenever we take a break from the RD box set, one of the kids brings us right back when a new read-aloud is needed. Gabe grabbed this one and we read it in a few sittings.

Because of Winn Dixie

How is this book sweet and sad like a Littmus Lozenge?

Julia (9): "It's sad because because her mother went away and didn't come back in the end. It's sweet because she finds a new friend, Winn Dixie, who introduces her to other new friends. Like Otis and Gloria Dump."

Gabe (7): It's sad because her mom doesn't come back. And it's sweet because she learned to live with that."

What does Opal learn about making friends?

Julia: "That it can be hard to make friends and easy to make friends."

Gabe: "You can be friends with anyone you want."


Mom's Notes: This book has a beautiful way of showing rather than telling. Even in such a succinct novel, there is so much to learn and discover about the characters - and about ourselves. I hope to read this book aloud many, many more times through the years. Life is complicated and heartbreaking at times, but there will always be light and love and truth. I treasure this book for the hope that it radiates - beginning even with the cover illustration. 

Number the Stars

Mom's Notes: This book was a Julia (8) and Mom book club pick. Julia's teacher read it aloud at school, and she pulled it off our shelf to read it again on her own. It's been years since I read it, and I'm very impressed with Lowry's approach to showing the effects of WWII through the eyes of a child. Even though it's a very short novel, the characters are so well-developed that your heart aches for the families in hiding and you find yourself praying for their safety and cheering on their rescuers. 

Redwall

Which Redwall character do you relate to most?

Julia (8): "I relate to Cornflower. She's always watching out for Mattheas and I watch out for my friends and family."

Gabe (6): "Matthias. Because I would kill a snake."

If you were Matthias, would you trust the crow? 

Julia: "I would keep her as prisoner, and see if she was right or wrong. Then I would release her and we would be friends, if she was telling the truth."

Gabe: "Maybe. Because two of the crows were good."

Mom's Notes: Jonny had mentioned reading some of the books in this series as a kid. I surprised him with the first one for his birthday. The British vocabulary and prose made this read-aloud a bit of a challenge, but the kids were ever-attentive and followed the story of bravery and sacrifice well. I wouldn't be surprised if they pick up a few more in the series on their own in a few years.