Connecting with Literature – A Parent Workshop
Wednesday, Oct. 8 @ 7:00 pm

Quick--
who’s your favorite Bone character?
isn’t there a book about Nicholas Flamel?
who is Nicholas Flamel, anyway?
did Satchel Paige really name his pitches?
who are the Sinisteeds?

Don’t know the answers? That’s ok. If you’re interested in using what your kids are reading to make a connection with them, that’s a great starting point.

What we read is a window to who we are. This is as true of children as it is of adults. But our kids’ growing independence in their reading choices can often leave parents at a loss.

The CHMS Library invites all parents to come together to bridge that gap. In this series of monthly meetings, we’ll discuss topics raised by a range of books popular with your children. Find out:

• what’s popular in the library now and why;

• what our kids’ reading habits may say about them (and us);

• how a little more knowledge of children’s literature goes a long way with your kids; and

• why all of this matters.

Please join Steve Madden in the CHMS Library for our first meeting on Wednesday, October 8, from 7:00 to 8:00 pm. Please RSVP to steven.madden@cesu.k12.vt.us, or call 434-7962.

Goblins by Royce Buckingham.

Along the lines of Suzanne Collins' Gregor the Overlander, Buckingham creates a macabre, wacky underearth, populated with human guardians, oversized bugs, and horrendous (but pretty funny) Goblins. After PJ (17) and Sam (12) run into an unidentified animal with PJ's dad's "borrowed" police cruiser, they receive an unexpected visit from "animal control." Sam, realizing he is on the cusp of great adventure, follows the two "animal control specialists" into a vast network of tunnels and enormous caverns--the "Underearth." Reluctantly, PJ follows, only to find himself seen as a savior for the overwhelmed guardians, the humans who protect the earth from the threat of Goblin invasion from the Underearth. Lucky for both of them, the Goblins are as inept as the guardians are heroic, and the humor flows as freely as Goblin blood. In the end, all is made right, with the hint of a sequel to come.

Ah, brotherly love. It's the kind of thing to make you want to go out and hit a bucket of golf balls really hard. And when it doesn't hurt so much, it also keeps you laughing. Chris Lynch's The Big Game of Everything brings us a summer in the life of Jock and Egon, two brothers in a family of self-described freaks. Leonard, their dad, takes the day off from the barbershop, declaring, "This is a day no hairs will die." Meanwhile, their mom, Peach, bearhugs Egon and explains that his bursts of random violence are what make him "unconventionally sweet." But everyone takes a backseat to Grampus, who owns a 13-hole golf course and is working on a new invention -- the square baseball.

It is at Grampus' golf complex that Jock and Egon find themselves working for the summer, and it is two months full of mousing, chasing off hares, fighting off their nemeses (the wild, red-eyed Nobblett brothers), working on a nonexistent golf game (Jock's), and stealing a tractor to keep your inheritance (Egon's). It's a great ride, even if the only options are the golf cart or your bike. Just watch out for flying duffel bags.

Check Out Some New Books in the CHMS Library!