The 5th grade neighbor boy at our bus stop did this adaptation of War of the Worlds. I love the morning bus stop discussions Pablo y Doodles have with a 2nd grade girl, 3rd grade boy, neighbor mom and this budding artist. Like today, when I placed a note that simply said “Poop” next to some errant dog crap left where the kids stand. It was akin to putting a sign that said “broken glass” over a pile of broken glass (Noah Baumbach’s Kicking and Screaming) rather than clean it up, sure, but we don’t have a dog. Why should I clean up after yours? That said, our morning discussions about the school and their hopes and dreams (read: wants, like iPod, bike, etc) are a highlight to kick off the day. I’ve learned of the book club in which the 2nd grade girl was reading Superfudge by Judy Blume.
When I asked if there were any boys in the club, she said: “No. Wait, there’s two.”
Jefe: How many total kids are in the club?
She: Four.
Jefe: It’s half boys but for a second you thought there were no boys in the club?”
She: Yeah. I wish it was all girls.
Do boys read? Do your boys read? I’ve been reading that the boys in America are behind the girls in reading. And graphic novels may help them get back on track. Don’t forget this Saturday is Free Comic Book Day. Try Double Danger or Big Brain in Minneapolis.
A Song a Day…
“Meet Me in the Basement” by Broken Social Scene from Forgiveness Rock Record
Instrumentals are so useful when you still want to listen to music whilst reading. But this one packs a wallop for an instrumental. Quite a majestic sounding basement we’re visiting here. I’ve been privy to a few of those in my time. Can you hear the Thin Lizzy sounding guitar riff? In a day of many great new tunes (LCD Soundsystem), this one jumped out first. I hadn’t decided if I was going to feature more than one song from an album on A Song a Day…but I think Forgiveness Rock Record answers that question.
Even before Kindergarten, at the age of 4 and 5, I was reading comic books. Pick N’ Save, a grocery store a la Cub, sold three comics with their covers removed in a clear plastic bag. You could tell what two of the comics were easily, but the middle one was a bit of a mystery. I’d do my best to try to see what title it was by prying and pulling the bag. Along with Spider-Man and Fantastic Four, one of the first comics I remember loving was Invaders, a World War II setting involving Captain America beating up Nazis. Classic stuff. My mother credits the amount of Sesame Street I watched for my early advanced reading skills, but I know getting 3 comics a week helped, too. In fact, Sesame Street Almost Killed Me. That sounds like a Hold Steady title and I’ll save it for another post.
