June 14, 2017 THOSE LAZY HAZY CRAZY DAYS OF SUMMER

First official day of summer vacation for my youngest. It's always an adjustment. As much as we want to abandon the clock--it takes some time to get into RELAXATION MODE. Kids always want to know what the plan is for the day. How about WE HAVE NO PLAN--now--that's my kind of plan!  It's hard for kids to adjust though-- because their lives are so scheduled.  School--sports--music lessons--homework--they really don't have much time left to relax. So when we tell  kids to CHILL OUT--GO WITH THE FLOW--they're perplexed--what's that??  When I was a kid, summer vacations were LLOONNGG, SWELTERING, totally UNSTRUCTURED  days. My brothers and I were left home to fend for ourselves. It was survival of the fittest. On a good day, we had Kool-aid and peanut butter sandwiches-- took off for the day--exploring the neighborhood or walking the streets. Who knows. Luckily, we didn't burn the house down--even though my brothers DID got caught playing with matches--HELLO--WE WERE TOTALLY UNSUPERVISED EVERYDAY.   Boy has the world changed. Today--KIDS ARE OVER-SCHEDULED AND OVER-SUPERVISED. We have gone from ONE EXTREME to the other. There needs to be a happy medium--some balance between the two--for both parents and kids. I think it has something to do with control--but control is REALLY only an illusion.

Speaking of illusions, if you like Harry Potter or Twilight then you will probably enjoy Erin Morgenstern's wonderful novel The Night Circus. Step right up and get your ticket to Le Cirque Des Reves--The Circus of Dreams. This is a wandering, magical circus that appears in neighborhoods around the world without notice. Here you will meet two illusionists--training since childhood to compete in a competition that only one can win. Celia Bowen, daughter of Prospero the Enchanted and Marco Alistair, orphan adopted by Mr. A. H. Celia and Marco along with other circus performers that include a fortune teller, contortionist, and red-headed twins will amaze you with feats of magic that become even more fantastic as the story unfolds. Unbeknownst to their masters,  Celia and Marco fall in love and decide to change the competition into a a collaboration. How will Prospero the Enchanted and Mr. A. H. react to this news?  Find out what happens to the circus and all the interesting characters when you read this well-written, intriguing novel that not only won the ALEX award but also the ALA award in 2012. This book is about 400 pages or a 6 mile run--that is satisfying on every level. Enjoy!