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44 Random Questions I'm stealing this from Ryan over at Wordsmithonia. It seemed like fun. 1. Do you like blue cheese? No. 2. Have you ever been drunk? Yes, but it's been a while. 3. Do you own a gun? Yes, actually. It's a reproduction black-powder Colt that a crazy man gave me once upon a time. It's beautiful, which is why I keep it. We don't have any ammunition for it and I don't know how to shoot or load it. 4. What flavor of Kool Aid was your favorite? Red. I'm not sure what flavor it was. 5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? Yes, definitely. 6. What do you think of hot dogs? I like them, but only grilled or over a fire. I cook them fairly often, though, because they're a perfect match for mac and cheese out of the box. 7. Favorite Christmas movie? There are several. Charlie Brown's Christmas, The Muppet Christmas Carol, the traditional Christmas Carol. I'm sure I'll...
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Charlie and Mama Kyna by Diana Rumjahn

Charlie and Mama Kyna by Diana Rumjahn This cute story starts when Charlie, an adorable frog, breaks his mom's favorite vase. Instead of telling his mom, he runs away. He meets Leo, a lion, and Joe, a giraffe, and the three of them live in a tent outside a bakery. Eventually Charlie decides that he wants to go back  home and his new friends accompnay him on the journey. When they get back to Charlie's house, his mom, Mama Kyna, is thrilled to see them and invites the two friends to live with them, too. Of course, they all celebrate and in the end Charlie promises never to run away again. This delightful book is geared for kids ages 3-8. Amber, my daughter who is 9, said it would be good for younger kids even though she found it a little boring. The book itself is a sweet story, but it felt disjointed at times. It touches on some good lessons, like...
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The Lost Years of Merlin by T. A. Barron

The Lost Years of Merlin by T. A. Barron When we bought this, I really had no idea what it would be like, but my daughter had a minor Merlin obsession at the time, so we picked it up. I was pleasantly surprised. The story starts off with a boy, Emrys,  washed up on shore with no memory of who he is or where he came from. The woman who is with him, Branwen, claims to be his mother, but never tells him anything personal or anything about their past, so Emrys is suspicious of her claim. As he gets older, he develops unusual powers. The turning point in the book is when, in defense of Branwen, he uses those powers to kindle a fire, almost killing another person and blinding himself. As he is healing, he learns to use his "second sight" instead of his eyes. At the age of twelve, Emrys sets off alone to find the truth about who he...
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I is for I

Vicki of Reading At The Beach hosts A-Z Wednesday. Today's letter is I. I read this novel in the summer of 2007. I don't remember many of the details, but I do remember loving it. It's not actually on my shelf anymore, but I still wanted to share it. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith Seventeen-year-old Cassandra Mortmain wants to become a writer. Trouble is, she's the daughter of a once-famous author with a severe case of writer's block. Her family--beautiful sister Rose, brooding father James, ethereal stepmother Topaz--is barely scraping by in a crumbling English castle they leased when times were good. Now there's very little furniture, hardly any food, and just a few pages of notebook paper left to write on. Bravely making the best of things, Cassandra gets hold of a journal and begins her literary apprenticeship by refusing to face the facts. She writes, "I have just remarked to Rose that our situation is really rather romantic, two...
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