100 books!

Yesterday, WCK turned in her fifth list for the library's summer reading program, which means she completed 100 books this summer. More accurately, MOMMY completed 100 books this summer. I really enjoyed it, though.

WCK has a freakishly long attention span when it comes to listening to books. When we get home from the library with our stack of books, we sit underneath the dining room table and read them all. I don't know why we have to sit under the table. We just do. If it were up to WCK, we would read under the table forever. Seriously, one day I read for an entire hour straight. My throat was dry and sore. I was getting lightheaded. WCK insisted we go on. Still, reading under the table is much less physically demanding than, say, playing "chase" around the table, so I can't complain.

We did not make it this far in last year's reading program. Checking out books with a just-turned-two-year-old turned out to be, um, challenging. I'd try to select books, and WCK would take off running through the library. I also had to limit her to board books, since I was nervous she'd rip "real" books to pieces. When I would finally get WCK and our bag of board books to the check-out desk, she'd take off running again. After last year's reading program, we did not check out library books for a LONG TIME.

Everything was much different this summer. WCK would either patiently help me look for books or she'd pick out a book and sit on the ground and look at it while I made our selections. We were able to graduate to the "big kid" books, which means I got to read a lot of my old favorites. Yesterday we got to read "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein, and I almost cried. WCK also loves Richard Scarry, Dr. Seuss, and the Mercer Mayer "Critter" books:




In our last round, I re-discovered the "George and Martha" series by James Marshall. Anyone remember George and Martha, the hippos?

I'm happy to say that WCK loves George and Martha (or, as she would say, "George and Marfa"), and they're just as funny to me as they were when I was a kid. My favorite one is when George goes to the scary movie and gets so scared he turns white and Martha has to help him walk home. Heh.

Will she be ready for the Little House on the Prairie series next summer? Bring it on!