Reviewing

NaNoWriMo is moving right along, and I've managed to keep about three days word count ahead of the goal. Fingers crossed that keeps up through the rest of the month.

Over the weekend the kids and I read the second of the Magic Tree House books, Knight at Dawn.  The premise of these books is great-- kids find a magic tree house full of books that takes them to different periods in history. 

Well written, informative without being heavy handed.  However, following so closely on the tail of the laugh-fest that is Captain Underpants, it came across as a little dry. Didn't hold the 4 year old's interest, but the 6 year old was willing to sit still and follow the story.  This series gets all sorts of Mom Points though, including calm-down-it's-bedtime awards. I won't get asked to read it again anytime soon though. 

I think next on our book radar is  Phineas & Ferb chapter book. Maybe we'll strike a balance between Kid Likes, Mom Approved? Fingers crossed.

-Meagan

The Adventures of Captain Underpants- review

In the midst of NaNoWriMo, I resolve to not read anything, lest my free time be taken up consuming a good book instead of writing one. However, that does not stop me from reading to my 4 and 6 year old boys at bedtime.  I hit the local library pretty much every weekend, and come across a lot of good books, so I thought I'd start reviewing them here.

Generally we read picture books, 1-3 a night, but this week we're diving into an early chapter book.

The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey.

We're currently about two-thirds through the book, but the kids are loving it. My 6 year old first grader, whose sense of humor has recently turned to fart noises and giggling at the word "booty", finds it hilarious. The 4 year old and I look at him incredulously every time he bursts out laughing at the mention of underpants. Clearly he's the target audience. The story is paced well though, and is easy for everyone to follow along. Pictures on every page give them something to focus on while I'm reading aloud, so everyone's happy. While the humor's not my taste, I'm thrilled that the story's got both boys involved enough that they beg for one more chapter before bed. Note: not actually the best "calm down, go to sleep" vibe with this one. Great for encouraging reading though.

**EDIT**  The 4 year old gave this his ultimate stamp of approval by asking to keep the book in his room after we finished it. This means he's going to go through it after I leave, poring over his favorite parts and reenacting the action.  This is the first chapter book to get this treatment. Bravo Pilkey!**

-Meagan