A Conversational Book Review

Confession from a mom: Once my kids were old enough to read on their own, I stopped reading with them. Phew! There; I said it. I feel better.

Then, Irony showed up and told me that now that my kids are older, it's time to start reading with them again.
What???  I thought I was done with that.
Not so much.
Why?
Because as kids get older and can handle more intense books with strong lessons, this is just the time to read with them and then talk about what you're reading. It helps develop better kids, duh!
Okay, Okay.

I knew Irony was right and through Pat Tilton's blog, I've seen some great books to read that address the topics I don't know how to discuss with my kids: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Aspberger's Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy.

Another confession: I've really enjoyed the time A and I have spent reading together. It forces us me to stop everything and spend time reading and talking with my daughter; the perfect antidote for a workaholic like me.

And so, we're going to review the book we're currently reading together, Out of my Mind, by Sharon M. Draper, in the form of an interview. Cute, right?
Here is part one, which is based on the first four chapters of the book.

Tray: Do you remember any words from early on in your life like Melody does?
A: No, but I remember images sometimes. Like 2 years ago at the beach I remember our kite got stuck in the sand dunes behind a fence that they put up.

Tray: What do you think it would be like to have a photographic memory?
A: It would be good and bad. good because I could remember every word, every math problem. Life would easy. Bad because if I remember something scary then it will never go away.

Tray: You and I talk a lot together. After school, while walking in the park, and through letters this summer while you were at camp. How would you feel if we were unable to talk together?
A: I wouldn't like it because if I don't say something that's on my mind it bugs me forever. Plus I love to talk. Talking is how everybody communicates.

Summary, from the author's website: Eleven-year-old Melody has a photographic memory. Her head is like a video camera that is always recording. Always. And there’s no delete button. She’s the smartest kid in her whole school—but NO ONE knows it.