I also picked up and have read a bit of Lizard Music by Daniel Pinkwater on the excellent recommendation of Isabella at Magnificant Octopus. I am loving it, even though it has stalled on the bedside for the time being. So far, it seems like an excellent book to teach with older kids, maybe middle school. Pinkwater perhaps overdoes the figurative language at times, but there are some really thoughtful and instructive similes like this one:
The people were passing by like a long freight train, and I felt like a car stopped at a crossing. (28)What I'm not reading? The newspaper. For years now, I have enjoyed free daily delivery of our local paper (long story), but now that we have moved, I have made the difficult decision to not subscribe. Here's the thing: I love the paper. I love knowing what's happening in my community, even if some of it is stupid and small. The problem is not just the expense. It is a matter of priorities. I have so much stuff (both mental and physical) to contend with at present, and the paper is a burden. A great one at times, but it is still a burden. If I don't get it read each day, I can't just put it in the bin and move on. I must catch up, and the truth is I don't need another to-do item right now.
I don't really miss it. How wrong is that?
I'm glad you're enjoying Lizard Music -- I found it really refreshing, and I hope my daughter will appreciate it some day. Middle school age seems about right.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember when last I picked up a newspaper. Gone are the days when I could spend hours over one with coffee, in bed or at a diner. Now I scan headlines online. I think I miss those hours more than I miss the news.