Reading & Writing

Sometimes I'm asked "What have you been reading lately?" .... by Aunt Ginny, for instance.  I usually have a brief panic attack, because I hate to admit that a) I haven't been reading a book at all (although I do really do read magazines and like to read on-line), or b) if I have been reading a book, it's probably a literary abomination - almost always as a romance novel.

BUT the good news is that early this new year, we've been reading a book delivered by Santa - the D'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths. Before bedtime, you're discovering (and I'm re-discovering) the stories of Titans, the Cyclopes, and the creation of the mighty gods.  It's a real soap opera.  I have decided that close relationships with Gaea "Mother Earth" were pretty dicey as she frequently plotted against her own family.  Gaea had her son Cronus chase away his father Uranus "Lord of the Universe".  (.... how you do pronounce Uranus???)  Then she had her newborn grandson Zeus hidden away from his father Cronus; Zeus grew up and overthrew Cronus (after his cousin Metis tricked Cronus into eating a magic herb which caused him vomit up Zeus's brothers & sisters that he had swallowed as tiny babies).

Well, in other recent reading-related developments:

• Brock has been reading the Guinness World Records 2012.  He also loves Pokémon story books & pokedex guides that list numerous Pokémons.  I have learned that each one goes through 3 stages of evolution; for example one of the fire-type Pokémons begins as Charmander, progresses to Charmeleon, and finally matures to Charizard.
  
  
• As to Sasha, I'm not aware that he's been reading books for recreational purposes lately....  He does like fishing magazines.  But do know that he's been reading his Spanish text book; as examples "Hola, Clarita.  Como estas?"  and "Diego, adonde vas?  Voy a la tienda de discos." 

And in the writing department:

• Brock's least favorite homework assignment is writing 10 sentences for each set of new spelling words.  The sentences he writes can be quite interesting though, such as "I know how to work a flamethrower."
  
  
• Sasha, in your case, I've just asked you to supply a 9th grade writing sample and you declined.  But, in 7th grade you wrote this absolutely beautiful poem:

             Imagine

Murky lake water clouding beneath my feet

Giant mountains leading to the heavens

Loud splashing from an old bullfrog

Earsplitting gunshots from a hunter so near

Fragrant flowers dancing in the wind

Burnt marshmallows fill my stomach

Red hot hotdogs fit in a bun

Tasty smores as hot as a wildfire

Rough and hot stick that my marshmallow burned upon

Dirty mud all around me

Extremely relaxed and at home

Reading was probably my single favorite activity as a kid.  I hope you too will learn to love reading - the genre doesn't matter.  And reading will help develop your writing skills - which will be important as you continue through school and later in your chosen jobs.  Here's a recording of Jimmy Durante (a famous comedian and actor, who you can read about here JimmyDurante) singing a funny song "The Day I Read a Book".  His voice might sound familiar, since he was the narrator for the Christmas special Frosty the Snowman.