Life's Little Victories

Joe and I enjoy reading to the kids at bedtime, and as they've gotten older the books have gotten more complex and interesting.  There are many series available at the library, which are often good, but sometimes more enjoyed by the kids than by us.  The superhero books can be difficult for me to stomach, not because of the storylines but because of the trite writing.  So when I'm at the library, I keep an eye out for new books, especially series, that will be interesting to the kids and better written than the superhero books.  It's a very low bar, let me tell you.  Last time I was there I picked up a book called, "The Templeton Twins Have an Idea".  I liked the cover art and I have a friend from Madison whose last name is Templeton.  The art that catches my eye, however, does not catch the eyes of my children, so they never picked up the book at bedtime and requested it.  Erik even put it in the pile of books to return to the library Friday, but I pulled it out.  Joe finished reading "Treasure Island" to them yesterday and I pulled out the Templeton Twins tonight. 

They love it.

The first few pages are pretty silly.  There's a lot of tearing down the fourth wall so the narrator addresses the reader directly, interrupting himself, asking rhetorical questions, etc.  At the end of each chapter is discussion questions, which tend to be silly, too.  The kids couldn't stop giggling at all this silliness, and I was mildly relieved that the author eventually did start the plot line. It's gratifying to have my book instincts confirmed.