Well, I admit I still need to read the books, but Stidkid#2 has a new favorite author, it seems.
Lately, he has been reading aloud the Artemis Fowl books, by Eoin Colfer to me while I drive him places or do housework. This is a great series! And one I recommend. I think I still need to do a decent review on those…
Tonight, he and I attended a local Q&A and booksigning by Patrick Carman, a really fun speaker and “good egg.” His series of books centered on The Land of Elyon looks like it will be another great find. Though apparently for slightly younger children than Stidkid#2, it is the genre we enjoy: kids having great adventures, with a bit of magic and mystery thrown in. We had already put the series on our list of things to get… His new series, Atherton is a science fiction story, aimed at an older audience, and will be our next purchase. And, like many good stories we have all enjoyed (The Hobbit, Winnie the Pooh, Little House on the Prairie), his tales began as bedtime stories, building on the dreams and experiences of his own youth.
What would our lives be like, if we all spent our days dreaming of great adventures, and doing things that make the world more beautiful, more livable, more peaceful?
It was the first time I had done something like this in a long time, and it was good. Really nice was seeing all the children (from about six years up to the teens) excited waiting in line, not for a sports star’s signature, but for a few words with a real-life author.
Standing in line to get books signed, I fell into conversation with a somewhat tired woman who had an elementary-aged boy and a pre-school girl with her.  But, we moms will do anything for our kids! So there she was after a long day at work, spending her evening at a book signing, because Mr. Carman had visited her son’s school and sparked his interest. Not one to deny our children the joy of discovery, we stood at the back of the line for over an hour, to give our kids the chance to meet this man and get his autograph. And so we talked about parenting, about the worries our kids give us (broken limbs and all), what it’s like to try to provide for your family, what learning is all about. The usual “moms in line” type of conversation. And that was very nice, too.
Yoli, if you found your way here from my other website, hello!