Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

After a speedy trip to Idaho and back for the first half of spring break, we’ve been to three doctors in three days.  Twice at the pediatrician’s office (we saw two different people), where my youngest and second oldest got (different) antibiotics for (respectively) badly infected eczema and strep, and once at Primary Children’s Hospital, where a very nice emergency room doctor reassured us that my oldest daughter’s mild concussion (!) showed no indication of requiring a CT scan.

I feel somehow that I should fill in some details, but I haven’t got it in me tonight.

Instead, I give you Andrew Clements’ The School Story, which I actually own (courtesy of an Andrew Clements pack from a Scholastic book order a few years back) but checked out of the library on audio for our aforementioned drive to Idaho.  Topically, it wasn’t the best fit for my (very young) first grade boy, but my 9-year-old was completely enthralled and my oldest was enjoyably distracted from the drive (I’m not counting my 4-year-old’s vote).  It’s really a lovely little book, too–it’s a little bit about writing, a little bit about grief, a little bit about parent/child relationships, and a whole lot about good friends, supportive teachers, and working hard to make dreams come true.  Natalie and Zoe are a lovable team as they work to get Natalie’s mom’s publishing company to publish Natalie’s book without Natalie’s mom suspecting a thing; being along for their ride made ours feel a whole lot shorter.  Mid-elementary school girls are the best audience for this one, but try it with boys as well (after all, it’s by the author of Frindle!).  Read it yourself while you’re at it, because it’s short, just sweet enough, and entirely worth it.