must-read

For anyone who is looking for a truly incredible book to read with a child, you can look no further.

 

I'm not talking about Harry Potter (which might be the most fun book to share with an eight-year-old) but about one of the most poignant and eloquently written books I've ever read:  The miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo.

 

A few months ago we were in the library and I was discussing books with my friend Monique.  Our daughters are the same age and we were comparing notes. She told me about this book and said it was one of the favorites she had read with her daughter.  I took it out that day.  We renewed it as many times as allowed while Ella and I finished book 2 of Harry Potter at which point I wasn't sure she would survive the disappointment of going from Hogwarts to a book about a rabbit.

But there are some things I've learned during my mom stint: sometimes rather than convincing and cajoling, you just have to start.  So I opened the book and began to read.  Like the young Fred Savage in the Princess Bride, she was reluctantly hooked.  A couple of pages in, I nonchalantly said, "Maybe you don't really like this.  Should we stop?" to which she gave a pleading, "NO! Keep reading!"

I won't ruin the book by saying too much about it but I will say that it is the most beautiful story about love: being loved and learning to love.  Magic wands and Firebolts are great but we could all do with more stories about love couldn't we?