Sunday, July 30, 2017

Summer camp, here I come!

(click on title to listen to the podcast)

Summer camp. Just hearing those words stirs up all kinds of wonderful memories of my days as a camper, whether it was day camp through the Boys and Girls Club or sleep away camp with my Girl Scout Troop. Early morning polar bear plunges, singing by the campfire, eating just the chocolate and graham crackers for my s’mores because marshmallows are gross, being covered in dirt from head to toe and not caring one bit, secret training sessions with Bill Murray so I could unexpectedly bring victory to my team in the color war competition - yep, those were some of the best summers of my life and, as an adult I'm still a tad smitten with the idea of kissing my regular life goodbye for a few weeks to commune with the great outdoors (providing there are real showers and toilets, of course). Since we are in the thick of summer vacation, I thought it only appropriate to spotlight some fantastic novels aimed at eight to twelve year olds that take place at camp.

Tuesday, July 4, 2017

Double Vision...

(click on title to listen to podcast)
When I was in 3rd or 4th grade my father was backing our truck out of the driveway and almost hit a kid. That’s how I met Aron and Ryan, the two fraternal twins who had just moved into the house across the street. Now, I'm not sure if that was the catalyst for my mild childhood fascination with twins or if knowing those boys simply fanned the flames. Either way, I definitely consumed a lot of pop culture about multiples when I was a kid.