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Please excuse this self-indulgent story. Sometimes I just find my kids incredibly awesome and want to share them with my Hatrack family *******************************************************************************
King’s Dark Tower Series has become a favorite of my son and mine. On the way to school, we’d listen to it; on the way home from school, I’d give John verbal “clift notes” of what I’d listened to during the day and then we’d listen together the rest of the way home.
We finished Wolves of the Calla in January and he’s been pining for Song of Susannah, asking me every couple of weeks if they’ve changed the release date.
Before the Tower Series, John was a real snob about non-fiction. He said that biographies and histories and science/nature books were the only things worth reading. I told him that you had to use your brain as much or more with fiction because you have to figure out what is opinion, what is fantasy and what is fact. He began listening to the series with these thoughts in mind.
It’s interesting because he doesn’t seem to judge the story, yet he absorbs the details and asks questions when he doesn’t understand a context. John had never watched The Wizard of Oz, and during Wizard and Glass, the whole Oz khef was lost on him. I ran down the basics of the WofO for him until he said “Yeah Mom, I got it. Let’s turn the story back on.”
Since we’ve finished book 5, we’ll relive favorite moments of the story. Whenever it's riddle time, he’ll look at me with a twinkle in his eye and say “Why did the baby cross the road?”
So last night at dinner, John and his little brother and I were taking about an episode of RugRats where Suzie goes to Oz. We were taking about the little variations from one story to the other, yet you could still tell it was the WoO story.
John has recently seen the WoO and said, “In Dark Tower, the slippers were important.” John was quiet a moment then said, “Mom, which color did Oy’s slippers open?” I said, “I’m sorry John. I don’t understand the question.” He said, “Well, if Oy wore 4 slippers, that made 12 all together and each one could open up one color of the Wizard’s Rainbow in the gate.” I said, “That’s interesting. I’d never made that connection, but what about the last color?” John said, “Oh, that’s Black 13. They could each open up one color with each slipper, but when they worked together they were more than just 12; they were 13.”
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Christine raises some fine kids, that's for certain. And not only are they thoughtful, they're nice, polite kids who enjoy laughing. That's gold.
Posts: 7600 | Registered: Jan 2001
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John- Ya know he misses you Wolvie. When are you going to get your buttocks to So Cal?
BTW- Thank for the help with the email attachment protection. I'm waiting for my IT guy to try it out, and if it works, I may throw you a parade.
Posts: 2425 | Registered: Jan 2002
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I have to save up enough dough for a trip, but I promise to visit the Lazer King when I get there.
Posts: 779 | Registered: Dec 2003
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Wow, that is so insightful. I olve The Dark Tower and wonder when I will let my 7 year old read them ( his reading level is up to it.)
Posts: 2711 | Registered: Mar 2004
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