Recovery, Relaxation, and Reading, of course

The day after the marathon I drove down to one of my most favorite spots in the world - our family summer home in Sagamore Beach - with my youngest daughter, Hannah, and her best buddy, Holly. Brian and Beau will join us on Friday, as they had to stay in Medfield for Beau's baseball season, and Kallie (the spoiled brat!) is on a beach in St. John's with a friend for the week.

The weather has been amazing, and I've been able to catch up on new literature we are considering for the Middle School summer reading list. My most favorite read of the week was Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass. A great coming-of age novel with wonderful, warm and witty characters. This has great potential as our upcoming all-school read this summer. Here is a review from Publisher's Weekly:

"What is the meaning of life? Mass (A Mango-Shaped Space) introduces a winning narrator who attempts to answer this question and ends up accomplishing much more....Much of the novel's charm derives from Jeremy and Lizzy's unique friendship.…Jeremy and Lizzy find what they are looking for and more, but not where or in the way they expected. This exquisitely executed plot twist, combined with an ending that requires a few tissues, makes this soulful novel one not to miss." —Publishers Weekly *starred review

At the end of the novel, Jeremy begins his own collection of life lessons that he will most likely share with his future children with this wonderful gem: "From the day I realized that love is stronger than death and that people you barely know can amaze you - age 13".
This particular lesson hit home as this reminds me of why I run with DFMC and the wonderful people I've met over the years.

I strongly believe that the world would be a much better place if people spent more time reading quality children's literature and Austen!