Lori Shepherd is my kind of girl.  She opens the book Aunt Dimity and the Lost Prince by Nancy Atherton bemoaning the uselessness of February.  I agree with her the T. S. Eliot originally listed February as the cruelest month before finally revising it to April.  Lori is a mother of rambunctious six year old twins living in the sleepy village of Finch in England.

It’s February, and her husband is on a business trip to Majorca.  A cold snap has closed school for a week, her father-in-law has a cold and can’t receive visitors, and the barn where Rob and Will’s ponies live is closed due to a burst pipe.  Needless to say, Lori needs some help to corral and entertain her children.  Fortunately, her friend and neighbor Bree Pym shows up as an unexpected houseguest, having painted the inside of her house without realizing the need for ventilation – which she can’t do due to the cold snap.

Bree is an instant hit with the boys, and she’s a huge help to Lori.  When she suggests they visit Skeaping Manor, everyone leaps at the suggestion.  Skeaping Manor is a museum known for its creepy artifacts like the wepa (essentially an overgrown cockroach from what I gather) to skulls and other collectibles.  Lori asks the director if there is anything less icky, and he gratefully directs her to the second floor where there are collections of porcelain, jade, silver, and more.

As she inspects the exhibit, she runs into Daisy Pickering, a small child who spins a fantastic tale about a silver salt cellar in the exhibit.  Daisy’s mother is the cleaning lady for the museum and whisks her away shortly after they begin their conversation, but Daisy’s coat turns up at the thrift shop where Lori volunteers in a bag of donations.  When Lori checks the pockets, she finds the silver sleigh, and a mystery is born.

Why does Daisy have the sleigh?  And why was her coat and other clothing donated?  Bree and Lori set out to solve the mystery, trying to track down the mysterious Pickerings who have disappeared – not showing up to the daily cleaning jobs Amanda Pickering holds and abandoning the lease on the apartment they share.  That doesn’t deter Lori or Bree, and they uncover all sorts of interesting characters in their quest to solve the mystery.

The book also has a more unique aspect to it.  It is a paranormal mystery, where Lori communicates with her mother’s (dead) best friend via a journal.  Lori’s house is a bequest from that friend, and when Lori speaks to the journal, handwriting appears in answer.  Aunt Dimity is Lori’s sounding board, and she’s a sweet lady who has some moxie that makes me smile.  That was a surprise to me in the book, but it shouldn’t have been.

Aunt Dimity and the Lost Prince is actually a part of the Aunt Dimity series – of which there are now eighteen books.  The fact that I didn’t realize this until after having finished the book attests to how easily you can pick up any book in the series and read it without feeling lost or that too much is given away to read earlier books.

Nancy Atherton has created a book that is a light and entertaining read.  It’s a bit absurd at times, but it’s meant to be.  It’s a fun book, meant to be nothing more.  The characters are well meaning and sweet, and of course the mystery is solved in the end, but not at all how you would expect.  This is one where I’ll definitely go investigate the remainder of the series, starting with the first book Aunt Dimity’s Death.

We have a copy of Aunt Dimity and the Lost Prince to give to one of you (U.S. only). Just leave a comment if you’d like to win, and we’ll announce the winner in our June 5 giveaway column.

Written by Michelle who wishes she had a sounding board in a journal who could provide advice when needed.  Of course, she rarely has enough quiet in her life where she could sneak away to use it without anyone suspecting she were off her rocker.  See what’s keeping her busy by reading her blog Honest & Truly! or following along with her on Twitter where she is also @HonestAndTruly.

Last year I read (actually, listened to a great audiobook version) Sarah Jio’s Blackberry Winter.  I loved it! When offered a copy of her newest book, The Last Camellia, I didn’t hesitate. I found similarities in the style of both of these books, and what I didn’t notice until later, is that the books are actually mostly free of language or sexual content, which I don’t miss at all when it’s not there.

The Last Camellia presents the stories of two women in alternating chapters. Both Addison and Flora live in the same home in England — Flora as a nanny and Addison as a visitor to the home that her husband’s family has recently acquired.

They both are involved in trying to find out more about the rare Middlebury Camellia reputed to be on the property. Both have secrets that haunt them while they are there. As the stories unfold, we also find out more about what the women are hiding and why.

This novel combines the best of historical fiction with a contemporary setting as well, featuring romance, family drama, mystery and suspense. The story wrapped up nicely, but not in a completely predictable way. Like I said, after reading two of Sarah Jio’s books in the last year and a half, I’m a definite fan.

This video trailer gives a tease and really sets the stage. It makes me want to be there right now!

I remember the days when street food wasn’t cool.  It was what we called roach coaches, where little silver trucks would pull up to worksites to offer some sort of hot food to factories or construction sites.  Or they were the carts in Chicago pulled by individuals along the sidewalks selling Mexican corn (delicious, by the way) or shaved ice or hot dogs.  The whole game has changed now with food trucks becoming big business around the country.  James Cunningham captures the essence of this with Eat St.: Recipes from the Tastiest, Messiest, and Most Irresistible Food Trucks.

Because yes, there is a tv show now focusing on the cuisine of food trucks, and James Cunningham is the host who has spent four seasons on the Cooking Channel with Eat St. where he ventures to various mobile-truck food vendors to taste their wares.  This cookbook shares more than 125 of recipes from those visits.

While many of the recipes are not ones that I would recreate in my own home – they’re too out there or they’re too involved or the ingredients are ones I just don’t have on hand and wouldn’t finish if I bought for a particular recipes – there are others that I already have on my menu plan.  The avocado melt is one of those.  It’s a sandwich from FoodFarm in San Diego that includes an arugula walnut pesto slathered on thick bread with Swiss cheese, avocados, and bacon.  My stomach is growling just writing that description.

And like every good – in my humble opinion – cookbook, (almost) each recipe has an accompanying photo to help draw you in and decide that yes, this is exactly what I want to make.  There are only a very few exceptions in the book, and I was disappointed to see that there were some missing.  I love photos of the food as it should be.  I recognize that my end product may not quite look the same, but I know what I’m aiming for.  Many of the photos also include the unique proprietors of each mobile-truck, making the whole story of the food come even more to life.

The recipes are listed by section in the book, ranging from mobile snacks to soups noodles & saucy things to sweet wheels.  Within each section is a plethora of recipes that share the vendor and its location (so you can track down the real thing if you’re so lucky) as well as James’s quick story about the recipe and vendor and what makes it special.  It’s just another touch that makes this more than a simple cookbook and helps draw you into the recipes.

There is of course the requisite index so you can find the recipes you crave.  And smartly, there is also a food truck finder.  It lists the trucks alphabetically by name and shares their websites and social media handles.  The only thing is doesn’t include is where the trucks are located.  Personally, I would also have loved to see an index of the trucks by location – because in addition to creating something from the trucks, I would love to visit the ones that inspire me.  That information is there with each recipe, however, for which I’m grateful.

Written by Michelle who loves to cook but couldn’t imagine actually owning a mobile-food truck.  Instead, she dreams small and shares her recipes on her blog Honest & Truly!  You can also find her on Twitter where she is also @HonestAndTruly.

Only one more day until the new family film EPIC releases on May 24th. Get ready for an incredible visual experience– a lush world comes alive on the screen, a world of tiny warriors called Leaf Men who battle the forces of evil who want to spread decay across the forest. Protecting the life of the forest is their duty, and they go to great lengths to keep it safe.

I had the immense pleasure of attending the movie premiere in New York City, and though I didn’t know much about the movie before seeing it, I was immediately drawn in. The amazing CG animation wowed me from the start, as it was unbelievably life-like and just plain gorgeous. Both my 12-year-old son and I truly enjoyed the entire film.

Did you know that the movie was inspired by a picture book? Being a huge children’s literature fan, I was excited to learn that the concept of the world in EPIC came from the book The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs, written and illustrated by the highly talented William Joyce. If that name sounds familiar, I’m not surprised. Those of you moms and dads have likely found yourself reading Rolie Polie Olie, George Shrinks, and Dinosaur Bob and his Adventures with the Family Lazardo at some point in your parenting life. Both Rolie and George found their way to the small screen, and more of Joyce’s books have inspired some of my own family’s favorite films, too– Meet the Robinsons and Rise of the Guardians among them.

I knew that Joyce’s book had served as inspiration for the film, but I was surprised to see his name appearing in the credits several times as well, sharing a role in story, screenplay, and executive producing roles. So when I had the opportunity to participate in a roundtable interview with the Director of EPIC, Chris Wedge, I had to ask about the collaboration with William Joyce on the film.

Chris Wedge:  “Well, Bill and I are great friends.  We met years ago.  But, we realized we were the same person in two bodies.  We made a very quick, close relationship. But, we just started dreaming up an idea for a movie.  It was this place, it was the woods that we started thinking about.  And Bill had just finished that book, The Leaf Men. And so, we took that notion that there are leaf men out there and put it in our movie, but that’s all we took from the book.  The book’s a very charming, beautifully illustrated by him, painted like a bed time story kind of book.  But, I just loved that idea that those guardians were out there.  And that’s really all we took from the book.”

I have to admit that I’ve been trying to track down a copy of the book, alternately known as The Leaf Men, but I haven’t had much luck so far. While I know that the story differs from the, well, epic, tale of the film, I’m still curious to see the original concept and artwork created by William Joyce. I’m hoping that my luck with my statewide interlibrary loan system will come through soon!

Are you familiar with the William Joyce book The Leaf Men? Will you be taking your kids to see EPIC in the theater this weekend?

For my other thoughts on EPIC, be sure to check out these posts on 5 Minutes for Mom:

• Discover a Hidden World in EPIC — Read what Director Chris Wedge had to say about the themes of the movie and learn more about the beautiful story told in the film.
• The Funny — and Slimy!– Side of EPIC — Aziz Ansari and Chris O’Dowd cracked me up onscreen and during the interview!

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Dawn recently attended the EPIC movie premiere in New York City. Expenses for her travel and lodging were covered by 20th Century Fox. All opinions expressed here are wholly her own.

Mary Roach, called “America’s funniest science writer” by the Washington Post, has tackled the science of death (Stiff), sex (Bonk), the afterlife (Spook), and space (Packing for Mars, linked to my review), and her newest exploration is into the world of digestion.  Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal covers how we eat, from tasting, chewing, and swallowing all the way down to, well, pooping.

While writing the book, Mary visits a dog food manufacturer to learn about taste, interviews a saliva expert, sticks her hand inside a live cow’s stomach, and observes a fecal transplant, which is exactly what it sounds like.  Her usual wit — Mary never passes up a good pun — is ever-present and makes some nausea-inducing topics easier to stomach (see what I did there?).  She shows a child-like glee for appropriately named individuals, such as  a detergent industry consultant with the last name of Grime.  She tends to go off on tangents but always brings it back around, with clever transitions to the next chapter.

Those plagued by digestive problems will especially be interested in the chapters that discuss those not so pleasant aspects of the processing of the food we eat.  From acid reflux to constipation, it’s all discussed in fascinating, and at times disgusting, detail.  But this is the type of book that you can’t keep to yourself – I was constantly entertaining my family with tidbits I learned, such as why some animals eat their own feces, and just how it is that competitive eaters can stuff 50+ hot dogs down their throats.

This is not a book for the squeamish, and it’s more appropriate reading material for the bathroom than the lunchroom.  But if you want to know if thorough chewing aids in absorption of vitamins and nutrients, are curious about whether mealworms can really eat their way out of a stomach, or want to learn how Elvis really died (it was on the toilet), then Gulp is the book for you.

Nancy is fascinated by how the human body works. She writes about her boys, books and life in Colorado at Life With My Boys and Books.

Given the subject of this novel, Molly Grant, divorce lawyer to the rich and ruthless, I am surprised how much I loved it. Divorce happens — it’s happened to friends of mine, it happened to my parents — so I’m not just living in perfect-marriage blissworld. That said, it’s a difficult topic to approach in a genuine way. I wouldn’t want to read a jokey lighthearted fictional approach to marriage, but truly plumbing the depths of the devastation isn’t really “entertainment” either.

The Love Wars isn’t really a story about divorce. It’s a story about a divorce firm, and specifically attorney Molly Grant’s move from corporate to civil law. This is a true “workplace drama” setting. This was one of the most charming elements of this novel, getting a true look at the arrogant partners, the associates’ long hours that they work as they try to make partner, the relationships that are formed between associates, the involvement in clients’ cases, and sometimes — especially in Molly’s case — in their lives.

I think that because the clients are profiled are the uber-rich and spoiled, there wasn’t as much of an emotional attachment for me. I ended up with a vague feeling that those who were wronged were better off without the rich jerks, though those aren’t my true values in regards to marriage. Divorce isn’t really good for anyone, save the few abused spouses, and even then it’s not easy.  And this side is apparent as well, as children are dragged through custody battles etc etc.

There’s an interesting twist to the corporate angle with one of Molly’s particular cases, and of course a little romantic tension. L. Alison Heller used her real-life experience in law to give The Love Wars a fantastic setting that made for a great read.

This book is included in the BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge, and I agree that it has the right elements for a light but totally absorbing summer read.

I enjoyed What a Mother Knows for the plot, but I felt that the pacing or the writing was off in places. That said, for me, sometimes all I want is a book that will just carry me away to a different place, and I definitely got this from this book. In the suspense genre, that’s what is expected — a great plot with some twists and turns.

Michelle Mason is returning home after two years. She’s been in a medically induced coma and then in rehab recovering from her numerous injuries. Because everyone thought she needed to stay calm and not worry, they’ve kept secrets from her — secrets about her daughter, who she thinks is being an exchange student in Australia, but is really missing; secrets about the accident, in which a passenger was killed; secrets about her husband, who has been working on the other side of the country.

Michelle is ready to go home, and her past success as a Hollywood exec means that she’s not going quietly. She refuses to accept the vague answers that she’s getting and the insistence from her disconnected husband and her overbearing (and mostly unhelpful) mother that she just rest. She takes on the law suit head on, even though with her traumatic brain injury she doesn’t remember everything. But as her memory comes back in bits and pieces, the reader is forced to reevaluate her true involvement in the wreck, which really made the story pop.

The ending was tied up nicely, ending with a bit of emotional relief after the intensity of the previous pages.

NOTE ON THE COVER: I don’t like covers that are misleading. This cover features what looks like an 7-year-old girl, when this mother has two teenagers. It’s also quite happy and springy for such a fast-paced and sometimes-dark read.

We have a copy of What a Mother Knows by Leslie Lehr to give away to one of you. Please leave a comment below if you’d like to add this book to your list of great summer reads. We’ll announce the winner in our June 5 giveaway column.

Check out our current giveaways. Subscribe to our feed. Follow us @5M4B on Twitter or on Facebook.

• The winner of Choke Point is #1 Sheila K.
• The winner of One Thousand Gifts is #16 Tarissa.
• The winners of Hand Me Down are #11 Samantha W. and #1 Liz.
• The winner of Honey Do you Need a Ride? Confessions of a Fat Runner is #11 Staci A.

Once or twice a year a packet of new releases arrives on my doorstep from Sylvan Dell publishers and we always enjoy that moment. If you are unfamiliar with this particular publishing company, they specialize and focus on books that integrate science, math and geography. How do they do this? Primarily through animals, which most children are drawn to. Their titles are a mix of fiction and non-fiction but each has scientific fact woven in or mathematical problems for the young readers to solve. It is a very unique publishing company, and one worth looking into.

As mentioned, a list of their new releases arrived and I’m here to share them with you today. (You’re welcome.)

Animal Helpers: Sanctuaries contains full-color photographs. This book, of all the new releases, contains the most text, explaining how animals are found and placed into sanctuaries. It also shares of how the animals are cared for, trained and loved. The book takes a look at six different sanctuaries around the country and gives the reader plenty of information to mull over as they consider how they might wish to help provide for or maintain these sanctuaries – or work in one for themselves!

The Deductive Detective, by Brian Rock was my oldest son’s favorite. There are 12 animals participating in a cake contest when the cake is discovered missing! Duck is called in to solve the case of the missing cake and as he eliminates the possibilities, the young reader practices a little subtraction. This is one of the more clever of Sylvan Dell titles that we have enjoyed that involves math. A big thumbs up from all of us on this title! It’s a winner for sure.

As you have likely ascertained at this point, Sylvan Dell titles rather give away the main idea of the book. On the Move: Mass Migrations, by Scotti Cohn is no exception! Each page spread features a different animal and their migration habits. We learned about horseshoe crabs, sandhill cranes, caribou and salmon, among others. As is typical of Sylvan Dell titles, the back of each book contains additional facts and information and, occasionally, some ideas for crafts and experiments. In the case of this book, the back contains more information on why animals migrate. If you are currently studying this topic, here’s a title you won’t want to miss!

Balloon Trees, by Danna Smith was my personal favorite. Mommy probably appreciated this book more than the kids because I knew absolutely nothing whatsoever about rubber trees. The kids loved the pictures of the balloons (naturally!) and I enjoyed learning how balloons are made. An informative, interesting read to be sure!

Lastly, for purposes of this post, is Shark Baby, by Ann Downer. This book follows the adventures of a baby shark who doesn’t know exactly what type of shark he is or where he belongs in the ocean. As he meets different sea creatures, he wonderes if he might be related to them. He can puff up, so does that make him a puffer fish, etc? In the end we learn that baby shark is a Swell Shark. As our family hadn’t heard of this variety, this was a fun adventure.

As I mentioned, Sylvan Dell has created a unique line of books. They also provides tips and ideas for how teachers, parents and home schooling families can use these books to their advantage as they expand their children’s knowledge of the world around them. Do check out their website for more information.

Many thanks to Sylvan Dell who sent the above titles my direction in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Carrie does blog about books other than childrens’ over at Reading to Know. However, given the fact that three of the readers in her home are under the age of 7, she features a lot of titles that are appealing to our younger reading friends.

Seventeen-year-old Becca works so hard to protect her younger brother Ryland, for the voices that he claims to hear in his head have been a regular source of trouble. Problems range from teasing and social isolation to the slew of “experts” who have tried to take him away in supposed attempts to help him. But, Becca knows better, and she will do whatever it takes to keep her brother safe from harm, for she knows he’s not crazy or dangerous. In the opening of Julianna Scott’s new Young Adult novel, The Holders, Becca wonders if the people offering help this time are different. She and Ryland soon discover that there may not be help for Ryland, but there is a whole new world for him to enter where he can feel accepted and useful.

There’s something different about the people who have come to Ryland’s mom asking to help him, and his mom trusts them, even though Becca remains somewhat wary of their intents. When the two men from St. Brigid’s, a special school in Ireland, agree to have Becca accompany Ryland on the trip over, she reluctantly agrees, never knowing that the trip will actually change her life just as much, if not even more, than Ryland’s!

The biggest difficulty for Becca lies in the fact that this is the school that is run by her and Ryland’s father Jocelyn– the father that abandoned them years ago, shortly after Ryland was born. The intensity of her hatred for her father fuels Becca’s fierce protective nature toward Ryland, for she sees herself as the other parent figure he has always lacked. Though she wants nothing to do with Jocelyn, she feels oddly drawn to one of the school’s representatives, Alex, whose compassion and openness gets her to begin to trust. It is Alex who helps introduce her to the world of The Holders, a race of people who possess an array of special powers ranging in strength and reach. Alex eventually reveals the full story about an ancient prophecy, an impending danger, and a Holder child who will deliver the world, Holders and humans alike, to safety.

Though I’m not a regular reader of YA or sci-fi/fantasy, I was really taken with The Holders. The voice of Becca is so earnest and honest, and though the plot is fantastical, the setting is modern-day and realistic. With Ireland serving as the lush background, there was an implied magical component to the setting, at least for this U.S. east coast gal. Even the minor romance storyline worked for me, as this would be a big part of an older teenaged girl’s experience. There isn’t anything graphic in the romantic exchanges beyond some kissing, though. I wasn’t sure if the story was complete as I finished the last few pages, but it appears that this was just the first book in a series. It looks like I’ll have to wait until 2014 for book number two, The Seers.

Dawn enjoys reading what her kids are reading, and with an almost-13-year-old at the head of the pack, she has to be willing to try new genres sometimes. Every once in a while, she blogs away at my thoughts exactly.

As I finished Meg Wolitzer’s latest novel, The Interestings, while sprawled across my bed, my vision was blurred by the fat, hot tears rolling down my face, splashing down onto the pages below. My twelve-year-old son walked into the room to ask me a question and paused mid-sentence, noticing my emotional state. Without saying another word, he walked across the room to grab some tissues. Handing them to me, he stated more than asked, “Good book, huh?”

I haven’t been wowed by a novel like this in a long while, simultaneously impressed by the quality of the writing and taken by the flow of the story, becoming completely caught up with fictional characters who seem like they could walk right off the page into real life. Without hesitation, I’m adding The Interestings to our list of the best of the best- the 5-Star Reads.

Read my more detailed review over at 5 Minutes for Mom, where you can also win a copy of The Interestings for your own reading pleasure.

Olive Watson did not have a good 2011.  She managed to break up with her boyfriend Phil whom she loved, be embittered at her mother’s remarriage, lose connection with her best friend since college, have affairs to forget, and more.  When she wakes up in 2012 and finds herself in bed with someone she doesn’t remember leaving the New Year’s party with, she panics.  When she discovers that it is her ex-boyfriend who had broken up with her the previous February, she panics even more.  Except Phil is happy to see her because in his mind, they never broke up and 2011 has only just started.

Thus begins, The Repeat Year, in which Olive has to somehow figure out how and why she is repeating 2011 and – she hopes – not repeat it again.  I’m fascinated by this concept created by author Andrea Lochen.  Nothing is clear for Olive.  Is there something she’s supposed to do?  Some action she’s supposed to take?  Some change she needs to make?  Her main goal is to not lose her boyfriend Phil, and she makes changes to herself to do her best to ensure he doesn’t break up with her.  However, part of the reason he’d broken up with her in the first place was because she had cheated on him that previous February when they’d been “on a break” and she struggles throughout the book with whether she’s lying to him by not telling him about what happened in her previous 2011 and deciding that there’s no way to tell him and she has to just make it up to him somehow.

Olive does run into a family friend, Sherri Witan, who is also someone who is repeating a year and has repeated years multiple times in the past.  You expect Sherri to be a mentor for Olive, but she really isn’t.  Instead, she’s battling cancer on her own and hiding out from the world for the most part.  As much as Olive vows to be there for her, she is a typical young woman who has other priorities and “forgets” her promise – frequently.

While Olive has good intentions, she still seems fairly shallow and selfish to me.  She isn’t making changes to be a better person or trying to make other people’s lives better, she’s doing it to ensure she doesn’t repeat a year.  And she doesn’t always do the best job of it.  She far more gracefully accepts her mother’s remarriage – although her brother turns into the obnoxious twit in her place –  which is touching to watch as it seems like Olive is truly growing there.

With Olive’s job as an intensive care nurse, there is plenty about her life that is stressful, and watching patients die – again – and console their family members – again – is a challenge that I wouldn’t want anyone to have to face.  Olive eventually breaks under the pressure and confesses about her repeat year to her best friend and roommate Kerrigan who doesn’t believe her at first but later does.  Relieved to have a confidant, Olive shares so much with Kerrigan, though perhaps too much, as Kerrigan is a mostly solid friend who still makes some poor decisions.

My favorite characters in the book were actually Kerrigan (through 90% of it) and Olive’s mom Kathy.  Kerrigan is a hoot and a half, especially when you hear about her and Olive’s history together.  Kathy, on the other hand, is the kind of mom I would want.  She’s there and loving and just so approachable.  There’s something about her that just tugs at my heartstrings.

The book, of course, essentially ends once you find out if Olive “successfully” navigated her repeat year and the plenty of surprises that were thrown her way.  There were bits and pieces of the book that I didn’t like, and I found myself not rooting for Olive as much as I wanted to because she seemed so shallow and selfish to me, but the concept is fascinating, and it was a highly entertaining book that I finished quickly.  Definitely keep it in your beach tote this summer, a fitting addition to the BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge.

We have a copy to give away to one of you! Just leave a comment and you’ll be entered to win (U.S. only).  We’ll announce the winner in our May 29 giveaway column.

Written by Michelle who has a few years she would love to be able to redo.  Except she balks at the potential for losing the happiness she has now.  She shares what makes her happy – and what doesn’t – on her blog Honest & Truly! or follow along with her on Twitter where she is also @HonestAndTruly.

As parents, we try to screen our children from media that we find unacceptable for their age, and it’s no different from books. We try to give an idea of content that might be objectionable for the age in our children’s book reviews, but since content varies from person to person, what seems okay to me for an upper middle-grade reader might not be okay for you (you can always leave a comment asking the reviewer about the specifics).

I remember when there was a lot of furor over the Harry Potter books. Some conservative Christians protested their inclusion in school libraries and classroom curriculum. My daughter was too young to read them herself at the time, but as she was already beginning to find her destiny as a confirmed bookworm delving into the Magic Tree House and the Boxcar Children, I knew the time would come when she’d want to discover Hogwart’s as well.

As a Christian myself (conservative, even), I wasn’t opposed to magic in general — after all, isn’t Narnia magical? and what about Oz? But I could understand some of the possible issues of concern. I had several adult friends who had already fallen in love with the bespectacled hero, so I bought the first two books before a trip one summer, so I could check him out myself. And it was fine. I was glad I hadn’t just blindly given in to the hype and taken the time to decide for myself. I’m not knocking those who choose not to read it, or don’t want their children to (though I don’t really see any cause for concern), but for me and my family, it was fine. I did make Amanda wait to start reading until she was in 4th or 5th grade. With the amount of time she spent reading, I knew that once she started, she could have zoomed through the books too quickly, surpassing her maturity level, and they do get more mature and more intense as they go along. Kyle is finishing third grade, and I’m considering him letting him read the first two this summer.

That was something I did right, but I only recently discovered something I did wrong.

I had taken a few negative and critical reviews/comments of Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events to heart. I thought they were sinister and inappropriate, so I told Amanda at some point that she shouldn’t read them. Even though she’s about to finish her first year of high school, we still enjoy reading books aloud, and oftentimes they are middle grade books that we both still enjoy even though we’ve aged out of them officially. When we were trying to figure out what to read next, she said, “You know, I never read A Series of Unfortunate Events, but I’ve heard they’re good.” She hadn’t even remembered that I had been the reason she had never read them. I had downloaded the first one on my Kindle at some point when it was a free title, so we got to it immediately.

We were immediately charmed and amused. Inappropriate? Creepy? Not really. Count Olaf is bad, but everyone knows he’s bad. He’s supposed to be bad. Lemony Snicket tells us he’s bad and the children are going to suffer from unfortunate events. We were enjoying the first one so much that when I saw the next one at a used bookstore for a dollar, I snatched it up, and we’re reading it now. I’m going to keep my eye out for bargains, and perhaps complete the series. This is another one that I might see if 9-year-old Kyle would like to start this summer. He’s a little tender-hearted, but he also has a great sense of humor, so I’ll just have to see how he takes the first one to see if now is the right time.

Tell me I’m not the only one. Have you ever forbidden something that turned out not to be so bad? Or maybe you’ve allowed something that you later found out more about and regretted that (I’ve done that too!)? Leave a comment and let’s discuss!