Summer Reading: Challenge Accepted - Finally Slaying that Whale

 

photo by Shannon

As this is a blog to chronicle our innovations, creations, and challenges, I figured this was as good a venue as any to share my journey through a Summer Reading challenge.

Here's the back story of why, more than two decades out of high school, a handful of us are committing to reading this thick tome...

Years ago one of our teachers in high school assigned Moby Dick by Herman Melville. And I was one of those students who always did what was assigned. Always. I was kind of a dork. Still am, I suppose.

photo by Denise

In any case, I couldn't do it. I could not bring myself to slog through those pages and, along with one of my best friends who is also a rule-follower, we decided to skip it and buy the CliffNotes version. Gasp! It was a first - and last - for me. But I figured: if I split the cost of the CliffNotes with her, I was only being half as naughty. Right?

Mired in guilt, I actually did read the book at some point during that school year. But I came to find out very recently that she never did...and neither did a few of our other friends. So, though we're sprinkled all over the country - from Maine to California - we're (re)doing it this year. Moby Dick for summer reading. Woohoo. Dr. Littlefield would be proud.

J found it in Kindle-format for free in English and French. Okay, my French is a little too rusty for that. I picked up a copy as did a few other people we know. Stay tuned! I'm finally slaying this whale.

Summer Reading {by R}: The Unwanteds

I know, I know...summer vacation hasn't yet started for us. But we made a carefully curated list of books the boys will read over the next 8 weeks and R got started early when he borrowed this from one of his best buddies. He must have liked it because I see the sequels on his want-list for his kindle. Okay!

Book: The Unwanteds (click for the goodreads listing, click to find it on amazon)

Author: Lisa McMann

Comments: The Unwanteds is a great book to read. It starts out in a world called Quill and the creative ones are sent to their death because “Creativity is an infraction” in Quill. The Unwanteds are secretly saved by a magician and are in a world of the Unwanteds filled with creativity and magic. The Unwanteds is a book about a few childrens' experience in the new world called Artime. I highly recommend this book for people who love adventure and creativity. I couldn't put it down and read it in two days.