Back to School

Two things that tell us summer is ending - kids going back to school and a daytime high in the low 50's. In Minnesota we got both of those things the last two weeks. For my kids school started the day after Labor Day.  And this week we have been treated to highs in the 50's and low 60's. I am happy about the weather, but even happier about the start of school!

Five days into the school year, my fourth grader's teacher sent out the information on ordering books through Scholastic. My kids love books as much as I do. Taking them to a bookstore is quite dangerous because they will have a huge stack of books in no time. Libraries are a little easier on the wallet. After all, the fines for late books don't match the cost of buying even more books for our house. (The boys already have an impressive library.) I am excited to see what the boys will pick out. Last year my oldest son was into Minecraft books and the "I Survived" series. One of my twins reads any and all hand me downs from his older brother (I have two very advanced readers) and my other twin has just started to embrace reading. Nothing warms my heart more than when we get home from football practice and my reluctant reader and my oldest immediately open their books to start reading!

All of my kids are supposed to read every night. And how does that affect me? I find myself reading more as well. Because I read so much for my job, there are nights when I just don't want to read anything at all. Yet there is something magical when you see three heads buried in books. It makes me want to join them in their adventures. Getting lost in a book is the best feeling in the world. Then I saw this on facebook:

 

Knowing that my boys are taking in these stories, making them come alive with their intrepretations and imagainations, well, it reassures me that there will be books and stories and adventures in their lives for years to come.

(If you have any suggestions for kids's books - lay them on me! My oldest is in fourth grade. He used to only read non-fiction, but now has added ficiton. He is currently reading the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. My twins are in first grade. One is at a third grade level, the other at first/second grade. They read anything, but more fiction than non-fiction. Thanks for any suggestions!)

Comments

[Jessy Randall]

My kids are in 5th and 8th. Favorite elementary-school books of theirs along the lines of Wimpy Kid: Captain Underpants (I gotta admit the series is pretty funny), Franny K. Stein series, Nate the Great series. Also: Pippi Longstocking, Little House, Daniel Pinkwater's books, Jenny Linsky (old fashioned but wonderful), Mushroom Planet (same). Oh and Harry Potter of course.

[Sandy Wood]

I have teenaged boys now, who lover Percy Jackson (and other series by Rick Riordan -- I love it when they tell me that the book is better than the movie). At least the first 2 Harry Potter for a fourth grader. One son loved all of the Star Wars books (there are a million of them). My favorites were the Bill Myers series "My Life as a " hilarious. For younger kids, you have to read Junie B. Jones. Most hilarious series since Ramona the Pest (also a great series).