Oldies, but Goodies

I'm talking middle-grade books here.

About six months ago, I bought THE MOUSE AND THE MOTORCYCLE by Beverly Cleary for my kidlet. She wasn't quite ready to read it yet and so it gathered dust on her bookshelf next to Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson books (which BTW she says she doesn't need to read because the movie will be out next summer. Mom's response: "nah-uh, youse reading it, kidlet, or no movie!").

On a side note: Of course, I've read all the Percy Jackson books except THE LAST OLYMPIAN--so I bought it for ME for Christmas. Yes, you heard me--I bought it for myself. I want to know how the 'series' ends. Well, I haven't read it yet, but I cheated and read the last two pages. . . there's a lead-in for another set of stories. SURPRISE!!

Anyhoo, back to the kidlet and the mouse book, she started reading it in November and finished it in about ten days. So I bought the next one . . . and the third one. She's disappointed that there will be no more Ralph books (shoot, they were written before I was even born! Hey, no jokes about the stone age. . .). But to get past her disappointment, she's had me reading a chapter to her every night before bed. I know it won't last forever since she's nine and will soon enter the "I hate you" stage, but for right now I enjoy our togetherness time.

The one thing that surprised me about the mouse story was how selfish Ralph was. I didn't remember that as a kid, and I don't think the kidlet even noticed it, but of course, Ralph grew as a little mouse when he realized his human friend was really sick and needed medicine {Aspirin--which opened up a HUGE discussion with the kidlet, since children are NOT allowed to take aspirin now days due to Reyes syndrome!}, but the medicine could kill Ralph if he touched it.

We finished the book last night and she wants me to start on Runaway Ralph next. I don't know if I want to read that one or another book, 'cause the kidlet raked in the books for Christmas, too! No surprise considering I'm her mother! I chose a variety of stories, plus a few she requested, THE WIMPY KID DIARIES, so I think she'll have enough to read in the coming year.

And if she doesn't read them, I will. As a middle-grade writer it's smart to keep up with what is out there, old and new.

It's kinda like shoes. My kidlet's feet are almost as big as mine (size 7) so I won't let her buy ugly shoes, 'cause when she outgrows them guess who inherits them?? :-) And no, I won't let her wear my stilettos (yes, when I wear heels, I wear 4-5 inch high ones)--she's too young, and when she's old enough, her feet will be too big. WooHoo! *high fives myself*

Time for me to get down to writing FF again. I'd like to have the first draft finished by the end of this month. Why? I don't know. I don't think I'll query any story this year. I'm just tired of receiving Rejections. I know it's a part of this biz, but it gets me down and I want to enjoy writing again.

Anyhoo, Write on!