What We’re Reading

Posted March 20, 2015 by Alison Mitchell

Last week, my husband, Andrew, our daughters Katherine (8) and Sophie (6) and I took a short trip.  Between the four of us, we took the following reading material:

• Seven magazine back issues: The New Yorker (Andrew and me), High-Five (Sophie), Cricket (Katherine) and American Libraries (me).
• The previous Sunday’s New York Times (I only read Sunday Styles, but I think Andrew read most of the rest of the paper).
• Honeydew by Edith Pearlman.  Edith is a good friend of my mother-in-law, and also an amazing writer.  Her books have been nominated for (and won) many prizes, and her newest collection of short stories is outstanding.  I recommend it highly.
• How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish.  I’ve heard lots about this book, but never felt I needed it, since my kids have always been pretty good talkers and listeners.  However, a few recent episodes made me think I should check it out (literally, from the library), and I have to say, it’s pretty great and the strategies totally work!
• Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher.  This tremendous book was recommended by the librarian at the girls’ school.  I read it out loud to Katherine and Sophie and we finished it in about two days.
• School Days According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney.  I read this entertaining and pleasant book out loud on the plane home.  I’m sure our fellow passengers were thrilled (and would be even more thrilled if they knew there were 12 Humphrey books all together!).
• Table of Contents by John McPhee.  This was Andrew’s, and he kept reading snippets out loud.  I think John McPhee is excellent; my favorite book of his is Coming into the Country.
• Katherine, an avid reader, brought some books of her own: a Warrior Cats book, and something she got from the Porter Square Books Fresh Ink program.

I’m not really sure what this assortment of books, magazines and newspapers says about my family, except that I’m no longer in the “buy a People Magazine in the airport” phase of life.  I guess I’m just really glad that my whole family likes to read.

What do you read when you travel?