Read Aloud Challenge, July 15, 2011

I've neglected to join Debra's read-aloud challenge at Footprints in the Butter for the past few weeks. Sadly, as our summer has gotten busier and busier, we haven't been finding time for reading lately. Sometime in the past month we finished The Incredible Journey and started The Westing Game. Addison remembers most of The Westing Game, but Brennan and I are still enjoying the mystery and seeing everything unfold. Addison told me that we could continue reading on while she was gone on her mission trip for the next week or so, but I don't know that we will.

I wonder if anyone can guess what I'm still reading to Lauren? Better yet, I wonder if anyone can guess how many more times I'll read these Junie B. Jones books? When I packed our overnight bag for the hospital earlier this week, she requested Junie B., First Grader: Dumb Bunny and Junie B., First Grader: Shipwrecked. Tim and I took turns reading Dumb Bunny while we waited for her turn in the OR, and that evening I read a few chapters of Shipwrecked while she fell asleep.

Thankfully, she's expanding her tastes a bit and has checked a few different audiobooks out of the library recently. Next week, we'll be heading to church camp. I'm sure that she's bring lots of Junie B. audiobooks for the road, but I might pick something else to bring with me to read to her if we find any free time. I can't decide if I want to start Charlotte's Web, or if I want to bring one of the children's anthologies we have -- either the one containing different picture books or one of the ones with lots of classic fairytales that she may not have heard before.

Even though my read-aloud time was limited lately, I did find time to read a book myself. I really enjoyed The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon. It was a gripping story, one that really made me think about the way our society treats people with disabilities. I'd highly recommend it.