Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

I’ve been saying for more than a year that graphic novels aren’t my thing, but I have to say–I really enjoyed Matthew Loux’s The Time Museum.  I don’t read much fantasy or sci-fi anymore, but it occurs to me that graphic novels may be a way for me to occasionally do it without an overwhelming time commitment; The Time Museum was an enjoyable read and a complete plot that took me less than a week (of crazy July time, no less!) to read.  What’s not to love?  The idea of a museum outside of time and the time travelers who seek out exhibits of value for it is a neat one, while Delia and her competitors (friends?) feel like a group the book’s target audience should enjoy.  (I assume.  I enjoyed them, certainly.  At almost 38, however, I suppose I’m just guessing at this point.)  My only complaint was Delia’s reticence where the Grey Earl is concerned, but that’s probably not unrealistic.  On the other hand, the friendships, the time-missions, and the twists were far more engrossing than I expected them to be, which is why I’m telling those with latter elementary schoolers or junior highers (we’re just going to call that a word, okay?)–don’t miss this one!

I was absolutely going to review another book on Friday, but that got swallowed up in the last minute “what do we wear for the family picture” confusion, and then we were staying with one of my hubby’s sisters overnight so that we could be in said picture and then head out for the family Amazing Race afterwards.  If you’ve never had such an event, by the way, I highly recommend it–although it’s hard to imagine anyone doing a better job than the sister- and brother-in-law who plan ours. (It’s actually another one of my hubby’s sisters and her husband.  Now I wish I’d asked their permission to use real names on here, because he’s got four sisters altogether, and getting the plurals and pronouns right–or at least clear–is giving me fits at the moment!)  I wish I had the time and energy to give you a full rundown, but since both of those are lacking, I’ll content myself with applauding the winning team, which included my oldest.  My team was third, my hubby’s was sixth, and it was both a fun and a very full day.

Anyway.  While we’re on the topic of fun things, you should really grab the The 3-2-3 Detective Agency:  The Disappearance of Dave Warthog for your elementary schoolers.  I put it on hold because my kids really liked a picture book by the same author, and while the writing is not as clever and fabulous as it could possibly be, the plot is hysterical and the illustrations complement it nicely.  Have you ever wondered what would happen if a hyperactive sloth, an insignificant rat, an aspiring actress/penguin, and a dung beetle/gourmet chef met each other and a donkey detective-to-be on a train?  Well, my friends, wonder no more.  Jenny Donkey convinces the others to join her at her new detective agency offices, where they begin investigating the disappearance of animals from all over Whiska City.  Their investigations lead them to a hair salon, a gated poodle community, and a great deal of cotton candy–all in the course of a 74-page graphic novel.  It flirts with a bit of bathroom humor in one spot but doesn’t fully commit, and the rest of it is just bizarrely funny.  Give it a try, because your kids are going to laugh–and so are you!

I do apologize if I’ve gotten that song stuck in your head, but really, it summed up the last week or two nicely.  In summer family comes to town…in summer we go to visit family, which involves packing and preparations and general distractions…in summer we have birthdays, and holidays…in summer we have ALL THE THINGS.   Which is, of course, why I disappeared for–well, however long it’s been since my last post.  I missed a post or two because I had family IN town and I was simultaneously preparing to go OUT of town, and then, of course, I was out of town.  We drove back from Idaho on Monday, which was my son’s birthday, but stopped to celebrate with the other side of the family and spent the night and the day of the 4th there before coming home.

We’re tired.

BUT–my sweet, stubborn boy is 5, and the kids got to bed on time tonight.  Life is good!

Now.  Before I left for Idaho–my parents and my siblings and their families are all up there now–I decided to forget trying to finish the book I was actively reading and focus on SHORT books, since vacation makes for distracted reading time.  The good news is that I’ve managed to finish three of the books I brought, and I’m more than halfway through the fourth (sure, three of the four are graphic novels, but I take what I can get!).  My first triumph was The Stratford Zoo Midnight Revue Presents Romeo and Juliet, which was every bit as well done as TSZMRP Macbeth (we’re going with that abbreviation henceforth, by the way; typing the full name out is exhausting!).*  I did wonder about the casting at first–a rooster and a bear? really?–but it made sense by the end of the book.  Once again, the creators managed to keep the essence of a Shakespearean tragedy while marrying it to a comedic graphic novel, which is an impressive feat.  The difficulty may explain why only two of these have been written, but I’m holding out a forlorn hope for more.  We’ll see what happens!

*In all fairness, I have to admit that I didn’t like this one quite as much as Macbeth–but that reflects my feelings about the actual plays rather than any flaw in the book.  Who doesn’t like the Scottish play better?