It’s almost the end of summer – this week is the big back-to-school picnic at the lake, where the children find out what teacher they’ll have next year. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that my daughter gets the same K/1 teacher my son had (though I’ve heard only good things about the other teachers), because she is wonderful and because my daughter has been visiting her class every day she was in the school for four years, including two years when my son wasn’t in the class.

And what are we reading?

My daughter has been listening to the Magic Tree House Collection Books 25-29 and The Collected Stories of Winnie-the-Pooh in the car. At home, it’s really been up in the air what she wants to listen to. Sometimes she wants a chapter or two from whatever Magic Tree House book is at hand, or sometimes a fairy tale or a younger picture book. She’s asked for Knuffle Bunny Too and Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems and Rapunzel – I think the Zelinsky version this week. We also have A Chair for Always by Vera B. Williams, Everyone Knows What a Dragon Looks Like by Jay Williams, Froodle by Antoinette Portis, Here Comes the Easter Cat by Deborah Underwood, Ignis by Gina Wilson, Many Moons by James Thurber, Meaniehead by Bruce Kaplan, Ninja Red Riding Hood by Corey Rosen Schwartz, No Nap! Yes Nap! by Margie Palatini, Snow White and Rose Red by K. George, Sparky by Jenny Offill, and The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco.

I’ve been holding off on checking books out for my son, as an inducement for him to finish the Dragonbreath book he started in June. I think the reading level is just about perfect for him, and he just finished it this week, and said he liked it and would read more. In the meantime my love checked out Exploding Ants by Joanne Settel and a Ricky Ricotta book – both of which are light reading for him. I’ll have to see what chapter book he wants to start next! We’re listening to From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg in the car while waiting for the next Spirit Animals book to come back in. I’m reading The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex. This is really long for us to be reading aloud, especially from a library copy, but we are really, really enjoying it.

For myself, I’m just finishing Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta in the car and have just checked out Wisdom’s Kiss by Catherine Murdock to listen to next because no library in the state has Froi of the Exiles on audio – aggh! – and I’m on the hold list for Maggie Stiefvater’s Sinner. Sigh. I do really like Murdock’s books, though, and I’d missed this one somehow. At home, I’m listening to Chamber of Secrets again, mostly because it started playing when Boston Jacky ended, and I like it too much to switch to something else.

I’m reading The Eighth Day by Dianne K. Salerni (from an ARC I won from Akoss) and Muscular Retraining for Pain-Free Living by Craig Williamson at home. The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness, The Ninja Librarians: the Accidental Keyhand by Jen Swann Downey and The Mystery by Garth Nix are checked out waiting to be read next. I have The Girls at the Kingfisher Club by Genevieve Valentine for my breaks at work and Gabriel Finley and the Raven’s Riddle by George Hagen on my e-reader for when I’m out and about.

What are you reading now?