Sunday, February 28, 2010

February 2010-our first anniversary

Leslie chose "When You Reach Me" by Rebecca Stead and we gave it a sold 4 stars.  We had breakfast, instead of lunch, at Ruth's Diner up Emigration Canyon.  It was snowy and cold but the food was great.

Leslie says: My favorite part of this book came after I finished (devoured) it. I turned it over, hoping for more, and here's what I read on the back cover: ". . . an intriguing look at how global warming is affecting the arctic regions . . . "

And I was like, "HUH????" Because there was a couple of allusions to the future when the earth needs a dome, but what the heck?? What kind of distracted, not-paying-attention-person gets THAT out of it?
 

And then (after an embarrassingly long time) I realized that review was for Stead's first book.

My second epiphany was when it occurred to me that maybe I'm not a very thorough reader, and even though I knew who the future person was about halfway through, I should probably read a little more for comprehension. Or at least not start in the middle of a page and read selected sentences.

So thanks, Rebecca, for an amazing book that addressed not only the issue of global warming, but helped me become a more careful reader. I congratulate you on your Newbery award.


Alison says: One of the most unique children's books I've ever read, When You Reach Me is required reading for time travel aficionados, fans (of all ages) of Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time, and grown-ups who loved Harriet the Spy, The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, and The Westing Game as young girls. (I belong to each of those categories.) It's also great for those - unlike me - who see the late 1970s as "history."