It has been a fun week with lots of family and friend gatherings at our house.  That means lots of cooking and cleaning and the kind of work cuts into my reading time!  Hey – how can that happen?  It does.

I thought I would try to read some nonfiction this week.  I read The Fantastic Mr. Dahl by Michael Rosen reviewed here and Spiders by Nic Bishop along with Stronger than Steel by Bridget Heos.  I know lots of you may think spiders are creepy.  I’m pretty sure that walking into cobwebs freaks you out, but have you ever stopped to wonder how spiders make their silk and spin their webs.  Have you ever paused to consider how many different types of spiders you’ve seen?  They run, they jump, they drop and spin.  They are large and small, hairy and delicate.  They are never beautiful until you take time to consider how miraculous they really are.  After you read Spiders go for a walk and notice – what types to do you see?  Where do they life?  Stronger than Steel is from the Scientists in the Field series.  It is a very challenging book to read.  If you’re interested in spiders it is something you could read in bits a pieces as you learn how scientist are experimenting with spider silk and its possible uses.  You might be grossed out, but I think you’ll be totally amazed as you think about all the things that scientists wonder, question and do.

I’m also reading Wednesdays in the Tower by Jessica Day George.  (It’s the second in a series – you can read about Tuesdays at the Castle here.)  Celie and Castle Glower are connected in a special way.  Celie loves her castle.  She is interested in seeing how it changes and grows.  She cares for it and it cares for her.  Castle gives her special and important things to do.  This time Castle asks Celie to hatch and raise a griffin while uncovering the mystery of Castle’s past and the disappearance of griffins from the sky.  Every page will have you wondering right up to the very end.

Next on my pile are Captain Awesome, Chained and the 4th in The N.E.R.D.S. series.  Joe told me he enjoyed reading Tim Green’s Deep Zone.  That part of a series about football.  The author has written about baseball too.  Joe said it was great and he has pretty great taste in books and lots of experience with that genre.  What are you reading?  Let us know when you leave a comment.