When We Notice

Ever notice how you can drive the same streets and never notice a type of car and then someone talks about buying a new car and suddenly you see them everywhere you drive?

Tonight on the eve of Mason's library day at school, I picked up his book to read to him after many a round of losing at Dao.  A game he loves to play because he is so good at it.  I have yet to win a round. No worries, I don't think it would be nearly as fun if I did. So a few nights ago he and I read the beginning of said book and quite honestly I couldn't tell you much of these first chapters of the book other than the formula they all have...Jack and Annie have traveled in their tree house to Japan, in some time period, and they're on a mission. I know this well as I have read many a Magic Tree House book.  I had a lot on my mind while I read, mind wandering to other thoughts and got sleepier each page. Somehow the thought of renewing this book for the third time seemed like something I wanted to prevent, so I picked it up not nearly as sleepy and began to read thinking...what the heck is this story about?

We burrowed under the blanket and as we read, pages were turning and suddenly I was hooked. It was like the cars on the street...suddenly the unfamiliar character had purpose for me as I read he was a poet. All my current research on poetry was dancing in my brain.

One of my new, very favorite books!

We read on. The fire in the village was blazing, and everyone was rushing with buckets of water attempting to put it out and just like that I was transported to Claremont last summer playing with ideas for "Scotland's Burning" with my Education Through Music colleagues and friends. The characters recited "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" to escape capture and again more connections. As we read on I was dying to see how it all played out.  My favorite part was just as I was realizing all that was meaningful to me, Mason turns and says, "I don't know why, but suddenly I just feel so happy."

It wasn't planned. It wasn't assigned. It was real.

We read on now, not because we had a certain number of pages to finish to get that book turned in on time, but because we were in.  We had to see where it was taking us. As we finished the book Mason said, "I think you should share that one with your class. It is true how the poem can help you really feel like you are right there.  Just those few words, and in your mind it is like you are right there."

So deep. All this from a book I had written off in my mind two days ago as one to "just get through". It became so much more, for him, for me, for us.

Read with a child, see where the journey takes you.  Suddenly, you might just find poetry everywhere you look.