Summer Reading

The Tale of Despereaux

What do you get when you combine a brave but tiny mouse, an evil rat who can't help but step into the light, a lovely and enchanting princess, a plain and lowly servant girl, and some delicious soup?  A great story which left me in tears. I know that this book has been out for awhile - about 10 or 11 years I think - but it was new to me.  The kids and I had so much fun reading it together.  

At the end of the story I was delighted to find a coda at the very end which said:

"Do you remember when Despereaux was in the dungeon, cupped in Gregory the jailer's hand, whispering a story in the old man's ear?

I would like very much if you though of me as a mouse telling you a story, this story with the whole of my heart, whispering it in your ear in order to save myself from the darkness, and for it to save you from the darkness, too.

"Stories are light," Gregory the jailer told Despereaux.

Reader, I hope you have found some light here."

I feel like this little coda captured why I love stories . . . even stories that "aren't true."  Because a really great story has light - it has truth - and some essence of what life is really all about.  And great stories make me want to be great.

Knuffle Bunny Free

The other book that brought tears to my eyes this week was this one.  I am a big fan of Mo Willems, but hadn't read any of the Knuffle Bunny books yet.  We lucked out and got two out of the three at the library. I loved this story in particular, which is about Trixie, aged 9, who loses her beloved bunny, only to discover that she doesn't need it anymore.  I won't spoil the ending for you, but there were a few cute surprises that really hit a true chord.  Emmy slept with Baby Kate until she was just past 8 years old.  When she decided she did not need to sleep with her anymore, I was so sad! She'd made a decision to grow up just a bit more. I could barely get over the nostalgia of my own passage from childhood to the grown-up world - how can I bear seeing my own children do the same?  

This book gave me a little hope that I might survive it - not without a few tears, but with the sense to rejoice in the passing milestones and to celebrate the beautiful, wonderful bigger people that my littles are becoming.