Tuck Everlasting

Given the chance, would you drink from the spring that grants everlasting life? 

Evy (6): "No, I want to see Heavenly Father."

Gabe (9): "No. It would be boring to live forever."

Julia (11): "No. Because it would be creepy for my children."

Mom's Notes: I've been meaning to pull this one off the shelf for years. I read it as a ten-year-old, and the fascinating, haunting story has never left me. The story is much more complex even than I remembered it, though. There is a lot to think about here, and there are difficult questions to answer. We read this in the summertime, so the beautiful, detailed descriptions of the late August world and sweltering heat were especially relatable. 

Fablehaven: Book Two

Mom's Notes: Honestly, I wasn't present for much of this story. Jonny read most every chapter, and the kids were always excited to fill me in on what I missed. I think it was fun to continue the Fablehaven story together, but I imagine the kids will take it on their own from here as their interest dictates.

The Little Lame Prince

Where would you go if you had a traveling cloak? 

Julia (10): "The Himalayas. It would be a breathtaking, amazing, beautiful adventure."

Gabe (8): "I would go to Michael Jordan's house and get his autograph on my golfing card of him." 

Evy (5): "I would fly to the North Pole to see Santa!"

If your legs were lame, how do you think you would feel when seeing (for the first time) other kids run and play? 

Julia: "I would feel envious, a bit sad, but try to think positively." 

Gabe: "Maybe I wouldn't want to see them. Because I want to play basketball, soccer, and jump on the tramp. I would also be happy for them. Because anyone would deserve that." 

Evy: "Sad, because I wouldn't get to play and have fun and walk anywhere." 

Mom's Notes: This book was from Grandma Julie's bookshelf, which I grabbed because I remember Mom mentioned it. Sure enough, it's a very sweet, simple story that can be much deeper when you ponder it. I especially treasured the part about the prince forgiving his uncle. 

Bunnicula

Would you feel threatened by a fluffy Vampire bunny? 

Evy (5): "Yeah! Because he is a vampire!" 

Gabe (8): "No. Because it only eats vegetables!" 

Julia (10): "I wouldn't be because I know he would be too little to harm me. And he's only a vampire at night." 

Mom's Notes: We read this in a few nights, finishing the evening before Halloween. I hadn't read it for decades, so it was fun to revisit this semi-spooky, mostly-funny story. I laughed out loud at the dog narrator Harold throughout. 

My Father's Dragon

If you were setting out on an adventure like Elmer was, what would you pack in your backpack? (might as well recycle the question from the last reading with the bigger kids.) 

Evy (5): "I would bring my doll Meredith, an apple, and my orange computer. And my Mom would walk me there. But it would be so amazing if you could fit in my backpack, Mom!"

Mom's Notes: I read this charming classic to Evy, and Julia took over a chapter or two. Seeing those sisters snuggled up on a chair reading together was good for this mom's literature-loving heart. 

Holes

If you were at Camp Green Lake and could choose your own nickname, what would it be? 

Evy (5): "Maple Tree"

Gabe (8): "Cool Kid"

Julia (10): "HP (for Harry Potter)" 

This book tells three different stories. One about Stanley and the boys at camp, one about Katherine and Sam, and one about Stanley's "no good, dirty-rotten, pig-stealing great great grandfather." Which one was the most interesting to you? Why? 

Evy: "I like the pig one. He carried the pig up the hill and sang the song, 'If only, if only, if only...' " 

Gabe: "The pig-stealing great grandfather. Madame Zeroni was funny."

Julia: "Stanley at camp because it had more details, and it was mainly the story. I liked the Pendanski guy. He was hilarious in it." 

Mom's Notes: The big kids have seen the movie, and this has been on our "to read" list a few years. We're all glad we finally got around to it. The weaving of the three stories in this book is done so well that it really is a hard one to put down. Last Saturday we all snuggled up in the backyard to watch the movie projected on the house. It is a fantastic film adaptation that so effectively captures the hot, dusty, hopeless, then hopeful feel of the book. (And the script matches up to the book almost word-for-word much of the time.) 

The Golden Treasury of Children's Literature

What was your favorite story that we read? Why? 

Julia (10): "I liked 'Hansel and Gretel' because it sounded more realistic than the usual cartoon fairytales."

Gabe (8): "My favorite one was 'The Unexpected Party' from The Hobbit. It was funny when the dwarves were singing."

Evy (5): "Cinderella! Because I like them dancing and I like Cinderella's dress. It was yellow and it looked like big feathers were on it."

Mom's Notes: When Myra was moving out of the Durango house a few years ago, she handed this book off to us. The inscription inside reads, "To Kiera, Jonathan, Joe, and Sarah. With Love, Aunt Barb and Uncle Dan. August 1987." I took it off the shelf at the beginning of the summer and decided that many of these are valuable stories that need to be read! So for two months the kids took turns picking a story. (Some were finished in one sitting, others lasted a few evenings.) The kids truly enjoyed reading out of "the yellow book" and eagerly looked forward to their turn to choose from the lengthy table of contents. I hope they pick this book up on their own once in a while throughout the years. Classic stories are classic for good reason, and I'm glad we all met some new characters or revisited some favorites.