Wonder

Wonder is the story of Auggie Pullman who has a facial deformity.  He has been homeschooled all through elementary and his mom decides its time to go to public school when he is entering middle school at 5th grade.  The book follows him through his journey that first school year.

This book is incredible!  Everyone should read it, especially parents and children together.  It is so important for us to have these conversations with our kids.  Conversations about self-esteem, bullying, honesty, kindness, acceptance of others and self.

It is written in a different kind of format where part is written from Auggie's perspective, other parts are written by kids at school, his sister, even his sister's boyfriend.  The story isn't bogged down by the change in narration at all.  It is a great tool for showing/teaching/learning how big a difference perspective makes.  Its important to put ourselves in other people's figurative shoes to try to understand what motivates them to do/think/the way they do.

Wonder is so good!  Read it.  Read it with your kids (or give it to them to read) and talk about it!  We all feel not accepted at times, its important that our kids know they aren't alone!

Ranger's Apprentice

I found a new series to read with my boys!  The Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan is so much fun!  Will is a ward of the Castle Redmont because he is parentless and his father died as a hero.  He knows nothing of his parentage other than that.  On Choosing Day all the wards get to meet with the Masters and declare their hopes for an apprenticeship.  If they are accepted, they begin their work in their desired field.  If they are not accepted, they are sent to work the farms outside the city in the countryside, a thankless and difficult job.  Will has his hopes set on being a battle school apprentice, but Choosing Day brings some disappointment and surprises his way.

The Ruins of Gorlan is book 1 in this series and I highly recommend it!  I have it listed as part of my Books for Boys list, but know that it does come with some good talking points.  There is a significant amount of bullying and a some violence (there is a battle school, after all).  I think it presents these topics in a way that really can open up discussion with your kids.  It might be a perfect example of why its important to read what your child is reading so you can open up discussion about some topics that might not be easy to get into otherwise.

I have only read through book 4 in the series.  There are 11 books that come highly recommended and a book 12 that I've heard you might want to avoid.

Bottom line:  If you're looking for a new series for your older child (age 9 and up?) I couldn't recommend this one any higher!  I can hardly wait to read more of it!

Summer Activity Time with the Kids

Trying to keep the kids busy with fun, active, learning opportunities for the summer.  I have a list about a mile long and want a place to see it all... some of the ideas aren't online, so I can't just pin everything, so I'm going to just make a list.  If you see something that sparks your interest, you can ask me for more details.  It may be in my brain or I can direct you to a source. I will be listing if its passes a requirement for my cub scout with the achievement in parentheses.

Food Related:
Make a fruit bouquet
Lemonade Stand
Homemade popsicles/pudding pops
Make jam
Can fruit
Bake & decorate a cake
Pudding paint
Homemade fruit leather
Teddybear picnic
Make Jell-O jigglers
Make cookies (Bear 9a)
Make trail food for a hike (Bear 9e)
Make dessert for family (Bear 9f)
Cook something outside (Bear 9g)
Make taffy
Pretty jell-o layers

Artsy Fartsy:
Melt crayons outside
Tie Dye
Make paper windsock
Make puppets/Do puppet show
Sidewalk chalk masterpieces
Paint Rocks (Story stones!)
Make Flat Stanleys
Sew bean bags
Sew
Photo scavenger hunt
Paint a canvas
Make play dough
Paint a piece of furniture
Make a poster about a bird or animal & how it lives (Bear 5a)
Build a birdhouse (Bear 5b)
Do fingerprints (Bear 7a)
Build a model from a kit (Bear 21a)
Build display for model (Bear 21b)
Draw the layout of a room (Bear 21c)
Make some toss games (Bear 18b)
Paint T-shirts (ink effects by Deco Art)
Sandpaper shirts
Friendship bracelets
String art
Make sidewalk chalk paint
Garden tile art
Garden Bingo
Make your own comics
Make piggy banks from old plastic bottles
Glue and food color sun catchers
Painting with oil and watercolor

Just Plain Fun:
Giant paper airplanes
Giant bubbles
Homemade bouncy balls
Treasure hunt
Scavenger hunt
Waterballoon catapult
Play Jax
Play freeze tag
Build blanket forts
Homemade Backyard Twister
Paper airplane contest
Charades
Magic tricks
Hula hoop contest
Sock bubbles
Family band
Sprinklers
Hide & seek
Learn a dance
Make a movie
Nature scavenger hunt
Make a commercial
Backyard gym (Bear 18a)
Learn magic tricks (Bear 22e)
Fun with ropes (Bear 22a-d)
Giant Jenga
Passing Practice Tarp
Ice excavation treasure hunt
Outdoor human board game
Exploding sidewalk chalk paint
Make bird feeder
Pool noodle games
Cereal box pom pom & straw soccer
Paddle ball with paper plate paddles and balloon
100 cup challenge
Airplane catapult
Oobleck


Purely Educational:
Readathon
Learn to play the ukelele
Write what makes America special to you (Bear 3a)
Learn about historical places of interest in the area, visit one (Bear 3d)
Learn about a bird or animal and how it lives, make poster (Bear 5a)
Name an animal that's become extinct in the last 100 years.  Find animals on endangered list (Bear 5e)
Look at newspaper back issues at library, what happened on day you were born?  5 years ago? 15 years ago? (Bear 8a)
Family tree (Bear 8d)
Write a story about something your family has done (Bear 18f)
Write letters (Bear 18 b)
Write thank you notes (Bear 18e)
Wizard's Brew
Ivory soap souffle

Above are things that I can mostly do with the kids during the day while the baby is asleep. Below are listed things that would be fun to do as a family when my hubby is around or outings for a day.

Farmer's market
Go out for frozen yogurt
Outdoor movie
Go on a hike (Bear 12b)
Visit a waterfall
Backyard campout
Talent show
Visit a lake
Play night games
Dollar movie
Mini golf
Run in a race as a family
Go to a baseball game
Dance party!
Go to the beach
Update a room
Go berry picking
Go bowling
Spongeball war
Glowing bubbles
Waterballoon fight
Go fishing
Help a stressed mom
Leave nice notes on cars
Visit historical sites (Bear 3d)
Fireworks
Feed ducks
Go ice blocking
Family picnic (Bear 12c)
Family camping (Bear 12a)
Family day trip (Bear 10a)
Family game night (Bear 10b)
Go to the zoo, nature center, wildlife refuge, aviary, or game preserve Bear 5d)

So much fun to be had, so little time!  When we do something on our list I will strike through it so we can keep track!  Yay summer fun!!!  We are also starting a book club for the kids and a running club that meets 3xs a week.

Fairytale Genre

Fairytales; Retellings 

Wildwood Dancing, Juliet Marillier

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow, Jessica Day George

Princess of the Midnight Ball, Jessica Day George

Before Midnight, A Retelling of "Cinderella", Cameron Dokey

Fairest, Gail Carson Levine

The Outlaws of Sherwood, Robin McKinley

Ella Enchanted, Gail Carson Levine

Just Ella, Margaret Peterson Haddix

The Witch's Boy, Michael Gruber

Enchantment, Orson Scott Card

Beauty, Robin McKinley

Peter and the Starcatchers, Dave Barry

The Goose Girl, Shannon Hale

The Princess Bride, William Goldman

East, Edith Pattou

Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, Gregory Maguire

Cinder, Marissa Meyer

Entwined, Heather Dixon

A Curse Dark As Gold, Elizabeth C. Bunce

Snow: A Retelling of Snow White & the Seven Dwarves, Tracy Lynn

Beauty Sleep: A Retelling of "Sleeping Beauty", Cameron Dokey

Midnight Pearls: A Retelling of "The Little Mermaid", Debbie Viguie

------------------------

Fairytales; New?

The Princess and the Hound, Mette Ivie Harrison

Princess of Glass, Jessica Day George

The Ordinary Princess, M.M. Kaye

Once Upon a Marigold, Jean Ferris

Book of a Thousand Days, Shannon Hale

Zel, Donna Jo Napoli

The Two Princesses of Bamarre, Gail Carson Levine

Dragon Slippers, Jessica Day George

Dealing with Dragons, Patricia C. Wrede

Howl's Moving Castle, Diana Wynne Jones 

Books for Boys... part 2

I am going to try to be a better book blogger (say that 10 times fast!). And since I'm reading lots of things now as a pre-read for my 8 year old son who eats books up I figured I'd add a category to my book list as Books for Boys. See it on my side bar? Just click on it and it will take you to my reviews of Books for Boys on this site.

Whenever I write a review for a book in this category from here on out I will include its appropriateness for boys in the upper elementary age group.

I'd love suggestions for books too, so keep them coming.

The Tapestry Series

A while ago I was at the city library (kind of rarity these days... but that's another story for another post) and happened to spy a book called The Tapestry. Upon further inspection I learned that it was Book 1 of The Tapestry series and titled The Hound of Rowan written by Henry H. Neff. I picked it up and read the dust jacket. It sounded interesting and fun and good for my boy who is needing good things to read, so I checked it out. From goodreads.com

MAX MCDANIELS LIVES a quiet life in the suburbs of Chicago, until the day he stumbles upon a mysterious Celtic tapestry. Many strange people are interested in Max and his tapestry. His discovery leads him to Rowan Academy, a secret school where great things await him.

But dark things are waiting, too. When Max learns that priceless artworks and gifted children are disappearing, he finds himself in the crossfire of an ancient struggle between good and evil. To survive, he'll have to rely on a network of agents and mystics, the genius of his roommate, and the frightening power awakening within him.

I began reading and almost immediately recognized that there were similarities between this and Harry Potter. But it felt different to me. Equally entertaining, to me, but different. For one, it feels darker. Not necessarily in content, but in tone. The voice of the narrator seems more mature... so does Max, for that matter!

I love the first two books (haven't started the 3rd yet). But many, many people do not love them. I've read lots of reviews that just think they are OK or that they are a HP ripoff. I loved so many things about these books. I really like Max, first and foremost. He is a good kid, he loves his dad, he has hope.

Really all of the relationships in this book seem very natural and comfortable. I could relate to these characters far more than I expected. The magic within is based on Celtic folklore and that has me intrigued. I'd like to do some research and learn more about it... especially with my affinity for Ireland. I think any book that can get me motivated to learn more is a good thing!

After reading the first book, I decided that I would let my 8 year old read it. He was excited and read it pretty quickly. He told me that his school library has the second, but he has to be the next level up to check it out. He seemed excited to get it. So, I think it was a good fit for him. I don't know if he enjoyed it as much as I did, but I would recommend this series for boys reading at a 5th grade level and up.

As for me, I gave it 5 stars. Because I thoroughly enjoyed it.

A great site for fun learning activities with your kids

We have been doing a little bit of "summer school" at our house. Not the boring kind of school, but fun stuff where they learn a little something too.

I found this great site Sun Scholars. She has an entire program for learning throughout the summer with your kids. We have done some of the activities and really enjoyed them. The best part is the kids are so busy having fun, they don't worry that they're doing math!

One thing I love is that she has a "free sample" of the program you can download to see if you would like her stuff.

Anyhow, she is getting close to her 1000th follower and is giving away her entire summer program for FREE to the lucky person who becomes the #1000! I figured I'd share it here so if you're interested you can sign up. And incidentally, if you're #1000 and you let her know that I referred you, I also get the program for free! Win-win-win!

She also has great ideas for things other than learning too... some of my favorites:

This awesome shark watermelon. Seriously how cool is that?!?!

I love her lemonade stand learning ideas!

Adore these fabulous flower pillows! I had a picture here, but I couldn't get it sized right for some reason...

So go check out Sun Scholars and see if its tickles your fancy like it has ours.

Whooo Loves Babies?

A friend of mine had a baby, and I was asked to make a cake for her shower. This is what I came up with. I have to admit, I love it. I loved it so much I had to make a cute shirt to match!

Books for Boys

My 8 year old is being a stinker. He just finished reading the Harry Potter books. He loved them. But now he "isn't interested" in reading anything else!!! I need to get him going on something exciting and new so he doesn't lose his love of reading, but he just turns his nose to everything I present.

So, I'm asking you, blogland, for help. Please send recommendations!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Multi-Seasonal Wreath

My Christmas wreath made me so happy, every time I walked in the door I smiled. I wanted to do something for Valentine's Day too. Trouble was, we got snowed/iced in for a week and I couldn't get to the store to buy supplies for a new wreath. Soooo... what is a girl to do? Reduce, reuse, and recycle of course! Everything that I used here was something I had on hand and you probably do too!

I know Valentine's Day is past, but I made this wreath and took all these pictures and figured I'd post them anyway. And the best part about this wreath (to me, anyway) is that it can be used formore than one holiday. I don't know about you, but I don't have room to store a different wreath for every season/holiday. This one is whimsical and happy, very cutesy, but that's what Valentine's Day is all about, right?

What you'll need if you want to do it my way:

• A pair of old pantyhose
• A bunch of plastic bags from the grocery store
• A piece of cardboard, as big as you want your wreath to be
• Yarn
• Felt
• Glue gun and glue sticks
• Bobby pins
• Ribbon, for hanging (if desired)

This is a great project for anyone! So simple and fast! Since I was just shooting from the hip, there are things I would have done differently. I'll add those in italic.

Step 1: Stuff your pantyhose with wadded up plastic bags. I ended up using both legs of my pantyhose so that the size was more uniform. I tried to stuff them in tight enough that it was solid, but not so tight that I couldn't move it a bit. Just keep stuffing them in until you get it the size you want. Tie off the ends. I think it would have been more uniform if I had used both legs to the same length, rather than one longer than the other.

Step 2: Cut a circle out of your cardboard about 1 1/2" wide the diameter of your desired wreath. I used a sturdy pair of kitchen shears, but whatever you feel comfortable with will be great. I even had a cut in my circle to get to the inner circle. Once its all wrapped up, it doesn't matter at all. I would have definitely used a guide for this, I just used my stuffed pantyhose as my guide, but a big bowl would have been better!
Step 3: Hot glue your stuffed pantyhose to the cardboard.
Step 4: Start wrapping your yarn around your wreath form. It might take a while. I did it in about 6-8 inch increments, not filling it all in the first time around. As I went around the entire wreath, I would go over the other areas surrounding it. Wrap and wrap and wrap. I found it to be helpful to make a ball of yarn, hold the wreath upright between my legs and pass the ball of yarn over and around the wreath over and over, then rotate to the next section. I kept going, overlapping in a fun layered way until I ended up with:
Step 5: Make your embellishments. I just cut out some hearts and letters with my felt. I layered two shapes together with hot glue. I attached the letters with hot glue as well. You could sew these to make them uber cute, but hot glue was fast and easy!
Step 6: Now this is the part I'm really proud of. I was just going to glue the hearts to the wreath, but again thought about the hassle of having too many wreaths and this is what I came up with.... put the embellishments on bobby pins with a small dab of hot glue! That way they can be removed and I make others for spring and Easter! Perfect! I'm not sure if it would be better, but placing the bobby pin further up on the embellishment might make it better. I think doing some of your embellishments this way, at least, would be nice. I do like having some of them stand up into the center of the wreath.
Step 7: Arrange your embellishments on your wreath. What's that you don't like the way it looks? Go ahead and try again! Its so forgiving, you can just keep moving, adding, subtracting, etc. until you get it right! Tie a ribbon and hang it on your door! So fun!
This doesn't have to be a RRR project either, you could definitely just head to the craft store for a foam wreath form and just wrap it up in yarn. I'm excited to decorate it in flowers for spring (yep, its spring already in Texas 80 degrees! Wahoo!)!

Gone With the Wind: Clarification

OK, it appears that I need to clarify some thing. I didn't not like the book. I just don't know how much I did like it because the end totally sent me into a tailspin. That's why I started off by telling you how much I enjoy a good road trip. Road trips are fun, beautiful, quality time. So I guess I need to explain further what I liked and what I didn't like about this book... feel free to expound on your love of it as well. Also, there will be major spoilers involved below... read at your own risk. :)

Alright, let's start with what I didn't like and just get it out of the way. Its no secret by now that the end was not my favorite. I like to live in a bubble of happy endings, I guess? Does that make me shallow or immature? I hope not. I talked with my sister-in-law about the movie ending and the way it seems to me, the movie gives a feeling of hope. Maybe if I'd seen the movie first, I wouldn't have interpreted things the way I did.

Rhett's famous line in the movie sounds like he's full of attitude and he's just fed up with Scarlett. In the book, there is no "frankly" preceding the infamous words~I think this is indicative of a different emotion than that portrayed in the film. His emotion, to me, was more of a broken man and rather than just being done with Scarlett, he'd like to care, but he just can't. He has nothing left give. Its quite pitiful and sad, he doesn't even have desperation within any longer, he's just given up.

And Scarlett... well, according to my SIL, Scarlett's last words of the film are, "For tomorrow is another day." Thereby showing Scarlett's resiliency, her strength of character. The thing that makes Scarlett who she is is that she is never beaten. It is this trait which leaves the film with a feeling of hope. The book has the little addendum after Rhett walks away too, but her plan just isn't feasible. She can't just leave for Tara tomorrow. She has Melanie's funeral to take care of, she has Ashley and Beau who will desperately need someone, she has to go and get her children from where she left them. Not to mention, what does she have at Tara? I know there is the connection to the earth, the work, her mother's memory to buoy her up, but what of SueEllen? You know that's not going to be a happy reunion, for either of them. She is utterly alone and it made me feel such immense despair.

I saw a lot of myself in Scarlett. That was hard for me because she was so flawed, but good for me too. I internalized her plight more than I ought to have and it has haunted me nearly every day since finishing the novel. Truly I wake up thinking about her, several times a day I'm thinking of her, I can't escape. :) The book has affected me more than most books, which is a large part of why people love it. And I loved it too, but it still haunts me.

You may still be thinking, "So what did you like about it, Kim?" And to that I would say, "Oh, so many things!" Up until the last 100 pages, I was planning on buying it for my personal collection to read and reread through the years. However, once I realized the direness of the ending, I was thankful that I did not. I don't think I can put myself through it again. It was the journey that was so wonderful, even if the destination was not. I loved learning about history (history has never been my thing, but I think it should be). I was fascinated by all the different facets of society at the time, the class divisions among: farmers, slaves, Northerners and Southerners to name a few. I truly enjoyed many of the characters and related to so many of them on many different levels. The relationships, the passion, the dreams, the connections. I loved that the earth was a character in its own way and how the characters had such different relationships with it. The same could be said of the South. It was extremely interesting. I could hardly wait to see what each page would say. It was exciting! I'm sure I could go on, but I'll stop for now, this is a good starting point for discussing what made the journey so great.

The history. Honestly, I'm embarrassed to admit that the extent of my knowledge of the Civil War comes from this book. Until I read it, I knew two things about the war: that it was North against South and that slavery was the issue at hand. Pathetic, I know. Reading this made me thirst for more information about the Civil War. I don't know how accurate Ms. Mitchell's account of the events is, but reading about the war cry, the retreating Johnson, Sherman's forces taking Atlanta and how the railroad was so critical to victory, States' Rights... it was all so enlightening. Not to mention how ugly war is and sad. The hunger, fatigue, and death of so many. The loved ones at home left wondering. The raids and burnings. War is just ugly.

Society. Having a BS in Sociology, it should come as no surprise that I loved (loved!) reading about all the divisions among the classes. Not that I delight in separation, but it was just so fascinating to see how plantation owners looked down on "white trash" and how house slaves looked down on field workers. I also loved the exploration (albeit slight) of the Northerners' views of blacks versus the Southerners' views. The conversation Scarlett has with the women from the North looking for a good nurse for her children was so interesting. There were Southerners who loved and cared for their slaves and their slaves loved and cared for them in return. The prejudice was still there, believing them to be like children, unable to think or care for themselves, but it wasn't disdain... not like the Northerners portrayed. Northerners wanted the slaves free but they didn't want anything to do with them. I found it sad and somewhat shocking the level of hatred the Northerners and Southerners had for one another. It reminded me a lot of the Nephites and Lamanites in the Book of Mormon. How they were taught from the earliest of ages to hate one another. It made me grateful for my upbringing, that I was taught to accept everyone. I had a professor who used to always say, "The only thing that this generation won't tolerate is intolerance." I learned about the origins of the term "white trash," about the Ku Klux Klan, about scallawags and carpetbaggers. So many things that have been adopted into our normal vocabulary.

Also on society, the desensitization of Scarlett to things "unladylike" was very akin to the desensitization of society to similar things. I find it so ironic how prevalent letting go of one's moral standards was implicated in this novel and then that this, of all movies, is the first film to include a swear word. How far we've come. Of course, some of the evolution of our society has definitely been for the better. Like I mentioned earlier, tolerance is much more prevalent now. Women's roles have evolved significantly. I guess with any change you can't pick and choose what comes with it, you just have to take the bad along with the good and make the best of it. Kind of like Mrs. Merriweather (was that her name? I truly don't remember) who opened up a bakery business to provide for her family. She was willing to sacrifice some of her ladylike virtues, but she was able to make the best of it for herself by holding onto her moral integrity. I'm not saying she was right, I'm saying she didn't change who she was and what she stood for as society changed around her- she adjusted to the new environment as best she could).

If you've been reading my reviews long, you know how much characters mean to me, I have to believe in them, empathize with them, love them to really enjoy a book. There are so many amazing characters in Gone with the Wind. I really identified with many of them.

I, like my friend who recommended we read this one to discuss, hope that I am most like Melanie. She was a person who was just so good. Do you think there really are people like Melanie? Do you think she knew about Scarlett's secret love for Ashley? Was she a believable character to you? To me she was. I believe people are good. I believe that we should look for and choose to see the good in people. I think we should be forgiving of people when they make bad choices. What I loved most about Melanie was her loyalty, to people, to state, to principle. She had more integrity than anyone I've ever met. She had fire, but was able to keep it under control, a master of self.

I enjoyed Rhett's character as well, flawed as he was. I really loved his interaction with everyone~ except maybe Scarlett (except the times that he was genuine with her). He made me laugh, he made me cry, he made me excited and filled me with dread. Talk about a full character! Then you add to it his relationship with society, the South, and the earth. Very interesting. Makes me wonder what I would value if I lived during that time. He was pretty amoral, even his honesty that he claimed he valued so much was questionable. I think he was "honest" with people because he was a rogue. He wanted to be different, wanted to push the envelope, he liked making people squirm. I think he was less than honest with himself most of the time. His feelings for Scarlett and serving in the army both exemplify his dishonesty, to me. It wasn't until the end that he actually became vulnerable and really honest with himself. I ached for him and his emptiness.

Honestly, I liked Scarlett. I think that's a big reason that I had such a hard time with the end. I feel like Melanie, a strange protectiveness for Scarlett. Melanie would not have liked the end of the book for sure. I can't say for sure what I liked about her. I'm fairly certain she and I wouldn't really be "friends" if we knew one another. I think it comes down to when you know someone so well, you can't help but feel a kinship with them. She had many flaws, many of which she didn't recognize as flaws. Although, many others were more than willing to cast stones of judgement at her. She also didn't give herself credit for some of her strengths. I wanted so desperately for her to be happy. Once she was running in the fog and recognized her dream and that she was running toward Rhett, I hoped against hope that she would find that happiness. I guess the good news is that she figured out some things about herself in those moments. She can find that happiness within herself. She can make things right with those that are important to her.

And that is why I write these reviews. I learn more about how I feel as I emote. I know there is more to say about this masterpiece, but holy cow, I think I can finally have closure. I guess there is an underlying hope at the end of this literary classic. Just like Julia Roberts' character had to find herself before she could be happy in a relationship in Runaway Bride~ so Scarlett needed to find herself. She begins that journey at the end of our journey with her. Disneyworld can be rebuilt, after all.

Whew! After all that, I think I know how to rate it. I'll give it 4 1/2 stars because it was exceptionally well written, it made me think (obviously), it made me feel (but not in a manipulative way), I loved the characters, but I still do not love the ending.

Gone With the Wind Part 1

Oh boy. This is a really tough one for me to rate. In an effort to make my review shorter than the book itself, I will have to post it in segments. First, I think I need to explain my feelings through analogy...

I love a good road trip. I know some people don't, but I think part of the fun of a vacation is getting there. Seeing new things, watching God's beautiful creations change from place to place, quality time and conversation with those I love, all great things. However, getting there and the excitement that comes with that makes it totally awesome!

Now imagine along with me that we're on a road trip. We start in Oregon, driving through the gorgeous Columbia River Gorge and on to the green beauty of Baker City. Then we get to drive through the Rocky Mountains of Idaho and Utah and into Wyoming. By now, we've been in the car for about 15 hours, but we're so excited about our destination, we're all still happy. The next part of our drive is pretty in its own way, but we have to kind of look for the beauty of Nebraska, luckily, we're still with the ones we love... maybe reading/listening to a book and eating road trip junk food. Sure the kids are getting a little whiny, but the movies still entertain them for the most part. Ooh, now we're driving through St. Louis, we get to see the arch and the Big River and on we go through southern Illinois and Tennessee which are quite simply stunning. The kids don't appreciate the beauty so much now that we're on day 3 of the trek, luckily Metropolis is nearby to distract them from their boredom and sore bottoms, and now they're excited that we only have 1 more day til we arrive at our destination! Day 4 is filled with anticipation, the end is in sight! We finally enter Florida but soon realize, Florida is pretty big and we're still hours away... Just as we're driving through Jacksonville, we get confused as to where we need to be on the road and oh no! We cause a crash, its bad enough to be in an accident, but when its your fault, that's the worst! Nothing huge, but seriously not what we need after 4 long days on the road and just 2 hours from our final destination. No one is hurt but we are all grumpy, the car will make it with no problem so we continue on. We're nearing Orlando, the grumpiness begins to leave we see signs for Disneyworld, we start to get really excited. Everyone is giddy in anticipation, we take the exit, we head for the entrance of the park. We get there and see smoke billowing up to the clouds. Lots of smoke. Our eyes follow the smoke to its source and then we see that Disneyworld is no more. What's left of it is blackened rubble. We look at one another in disbelief and cry, what was the point?!?! We just spent 4 LONG days on the road for this?!?!?!?!?!?

Now this long story describes how I felt about Gone With the Wind. I know some of you may criticize my literary prowess for not being about to love the novel for its tragic nature. Let me explain that I had no afore knowledge of the story. At all (that's not entirely true, I did know the movie had that one line in it... the one that was the first swear word in movie ever~more on that another time). I didn't even really know it was a Civil War story. I certainly didn't know that it was a tragedy. You know the kind we learned about in Jr. High English class, where the main character causes their downfall. The kind that we as the reader read and think "WHY are they doing this? Don't they know?!" The kind that leaves you feeling insecure in your own decisions and relationships. The kind that leaves you empty and depressed for days. Yep, that's what I got myself into with this book. Maybe if I had known that's what I was in for, I wouldn't have been so ill affected, but as it was I was a wreck.

And that's why its hard for me to give it a fair rating. Was the road trip from Oregon to Florida worth it because the journey was enjoyable until the last day? Or did the events of the last day ruin the entire trip? I don't know. The jury is still out on that one for me. I'll be back to post more on the journey of this book, but for now you get the idea about how I feel about the end.