Monday

Still trying to select the Perfect bunch of books for my little co-op group to read this year. As I confessed to my dad today, I'm sure that I am spending much longer reading, pondering, and agonizing over finding Just the Right books than they will spend reading the books and thinking about them. Oh well. Anyway, our Children's Librarian says that The Book Thief is marvelous and that it is perfect for eighth graders. I sort of wanted something new (okay, that is a lie. Travis said, "Couldn't you pick some new books?"), and this one is set in the right period and got good reviews. I'm not at all sure, but I'm only on page seventy-one, so who can tell? I, Robot is my daddy's suggestion, and I think it is a good one. Although I read the book when I was a teenager so I really don't remember it. I've added it to my stack. And Catcher in the Rye has moved down the stack. Part of me feels like it is very age/theme appropriate, and another (crankier) part feels like these boys already have enough arrogant, obnoxious Holden Caulfield attitude without having it further modeled in print for them.

We knocked off school a little early today and went to the pool! I read, and the kids and Ed splashed around, so everyone was happy.

I think that I caught Travis's best dive to date! Maybe we will try to watch at least a little of the Olympics after all, just so that he (and Katie) can get an idea of what dives are supposed to look like!