I've had a case of the blahs lately. My day to day life feels dull. Dull! And this despite the variety of exciting projects I'm working on such as a new novel featuring a lovable but repressed public defender; my blogging class full of funny, motivated students; creative writing workshops for kids, and, uh, some other stuff that is also no doubt very exciting but that I can't remember right now. (Photo of Grover courtesty of Muppet Wiki)
Part of it is that I spend too much damn time alone. Sometimes the only people I talk to the whole working day are baristas who make my coffee. Part of it is just being jaded and momentarily ungrateful of the great BOUNTY that is my life, full as it is of health, fun fame, and hot men. I mean man. Hopefully I'll snap out of it soon.
Yesterday's blahs, however, were blown away by a class full of kindergarten students who formed the uber-appreciative audience to my stellar reading of "Where the Wild Things Are" and "The Monster at the End of This Book." (I volunteer for a literacy program called Page Ahead where I read stories twice a month to a kindergarten class).
The Monster at the End of This Book (featuring the lovable muppet Grover), while perhaps not as famous as Where the Wild Things are, is a minor classic in its own right. I remember being both terrified and thrilled when I read this book as a child. On every page Grover warns you not to turn another page because there was a MONSTER AT THE END OF THE BOOK! His warnings turn to begging; his begging to desperate pleas. DON'T TURN THE PAGE! tension grows. You are terrified; and then...
Well, I don't want to give the ending away. But let me say that at first I felt guilty reading this story to these children, who started clutching each other in fear, their gasps turning to to screams after every single page ("NO NO DON'T TURN IT!"), so that by the end of the book it was mass hysteria, and I thought oh no, I've forever traumatized them!
But apparently not, because "Read it again!" they all screamed when it was over.
Now how can you be blah after that?
From The Emerald City to the Salish Sea...
7 years ago
4 comments:
"The Monster at the End of this Book" was one of my favorites when I was a wee lass! I had completely forgotten about it. I'm glad to know that kids are still enjoying it. Great choice!
I don't remember that book! You'll have to get it for the kids when they are older.
I LOVED that book! Ah, I remember it well.
After the first warning I HAD to turn to the very back and see what the heck was going on...so much for tension building!
(Still, I loved it!)
1. Now I MUST go read that book to find out what happens!
2. I hope baristas know what an incredibly important role they play in the lives of people who are alone all day! I had special feelings for them when I was unemployed because they were usually the only people I talked to all day.
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