Something New Bookwise!

This week was a pretty relaxing week and the only thing I really did out of the ordinary was to attend a meeting at the Health department this past Friday. It was a meeting about what is allowed or not allowed at a Farmer's Market. It was a good meeting and I gained answers to some questions I had been pondering. I and some of my vendors need to tweak our baked good labels a little bit; but other then that, I think it is safe to say we are ODA compliant.

This week I also did something a little out of the ordinary literarily speaking. I started listening to an audio chapter book titled, The Map Trap. I am only on chapter seven of this fabulous book by Andrew Clements, but already I am riveted to the drama unfolding as the narrator expertly helps the pictures in my mind come to life. It is the story of boy named Alton who is obsessed with maps. His map obsession comes honestly and from before his birth when his parents chose his name from a location on a map. The story of his naming seemed to inspire his relatives to send him maps or map related gifts, thus promoting a love for maps and the different information maps could hold.

As Alton grows, he not only continues to collect maps and wear map related clothing, he also starts to draw maps. Not ordinary maps. But maps like what he thinks the brain of his new teacher contains. When they disappear from Alton's cubby, he realizes that if they  fall into the wrong hands, people may not understand and feelings will be hurt. 

I can hardly wait for the next chapter to see how Alton goes about trying to recover his stolen maps, and I suggest you rush over to your local library and see if they have a copy you and your young readers can listen too. And if that isn't an option, I'm sure a hardback copy will have to suffice.

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me for another exciting episode, same crazy time, same crazy channel. And feel free to drop by my personal website, Fun With Aileen, any day of the week for even more on reading, writing, my very own early grade chapter book, Fern Valley, the sequels, Return To Fern Valley,  and Cooking In Fern Valley, along with my very first picture book, Quack and Daisy! I'm also on twitter @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.