She liked it

Hannah inhales books.  She reads books at astonishing rates and is always questing for MORE MORE MORE!  Someday I’ll take pictures of the stacks of books that she creates around the house, because she also likes to read books again and again (which is good, since she reads so quickly), so she has stacks all over the place, wherever she happens to have been reading or rereading or rerereading.  Ha!  Spellcheck tells me that “rerereading” isn’t a word.  In Hannah’s world, it is.

When we go to the library, I pick out a handful of books that Hannah hasn’t heard of and bring them home for her.  15 minutes later, she’s ready for more.  Okay, that’s not quite true.  But she usually takes my book suggestions and inhales them and comes back for more.

The last time we were at the library, I checked out The Incredible Journey.  It’s the story of three animals (regular ol’ ones, not talking) who foolishly decide to try to travel thousands of miles from one part of Canada back to their family home in another part of Canada.  It’s a good story.

Hannah looked at the pictures (there aren’t too many, just one at the start of each chapter) and decided: too scary.  It had been some time since I’d read it last, so I refreshed  my memory by paging through and dipping in here and there.  I determined that Hannah would probably like it, if she could get past the bear picture and the porcupine picture.

Accordingly, today, I told her to read chapter 1.

H:  Mama, it’s too scary. 

Me:  No, I don’t think it is.  I went over it again, and I think you’ll like it.

A few minutes later:

H:  I read chapter 1.

Me:  How was it?

H:  A little sad.

Me:  Okay, try chapter 2.

H:  Mama!

Me:  Just try it.

A few minutes later:

H:  I read chapter 2.

Me:  How was it?

H:  Still sad.

Me:  Really?  [I didn’t remember this much sadness in the book.]

H:  Yes.

Me:  But not scary?

H:  Not yet, but look at the next chapter’s picture.  [She showed me the bear picture.]

Me:  I think you’ll like it.  Just give it a try.

H:  Uuuugh.

An hour and a half later:

H:  I read it!

Me:  How was it?

H:  Good.  There was a sad part, when the Labrador had some porcupine quills in his face, but a human got them out.

Me:  Yes, I remember that part.

H:  But it was good.

Me:  I’m glad you liked it.