(I've been thinking of dropping this blog and blogging on Facebook instead, since I don't really have a lot of readers and I don't update all that often. Still thinking about it.)
I have an issue with library fines. The issue is, there are fines. Lots of them. This irritates Jeff more than he can say. I see it as a fee for using the library, and a necessary evil considering the number of books we go through (at one point a few years ago, we had 123 books out, and several holds waiting to be picked up). He sees it as lack of organization, and unnecessary. Lately I've been doing a better job of keeping the books together, but it's still hard.
I love children's literature, but haven't been reading as much of it lately. I'm also trying to get the girls out of their reading ruts. Sarah is still obsessed with Harry Potter, and Lauren grumbles if there is anything other than Calvin & Hobbes or Magic Tree House to read. I have nothing against any of those books, but I'd like a little more diversity on our shelves.
I recently found this list: Top 100 Children's Novels and got a lot of ideas for things I'd like us to read. Many of the books that made the list are old favorites of mine (The Witch of Blackbird Pond, A Wrinkle in Time, The Phantom Tollbooth), but some I'd never heard of. I reserved a bunch from the library, and am starting to make my way through them.
I just finished The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, and I have to admit, I'm glad I didn't just hand it to Sarah (it's a little above her reading level, but not much). The book is set in 1832, and reads like a kid's Gothic novel. There is some very archaic sentence structure, and a lot of the vocabulary is outdated. The plot didn't do much for me, but I can't say that it's worse than all those Nancy Drews I tore through when I was 11. I was frankly surprised to see the raves about it on Amazon. It's not something that I'm going to happily reread over and over again.
I'm looking for something to read out loud to the kids before bed. I'm not sure this is it, but I'll see what they think of the first chapter. For myself, Redwall is next on my list; I have higher hopes for it.
