I noticed there was a reading challenge at my local library. I figured it was for kids so I didn’t pay attention to it. Yet, one day I looked at it and noticed one of the categories was “Love Triangle.” Now, I know kids are a lot more mature than I was, but I still don’t think a “Love Triangle” would be in a kids Reading Challenge Bingo. Then, after looking at the libraries website, I noticed that it did say for young adults and adults. “Hey! I’m an adult (physically),” I thought, so why not try it? I picked up a sheet, and only had until the end of February to finish (it was a few days already into the month). Oh well, if I don’t finish no big deal, but it’ll be a fun way to find new books perhaps. Well, not only did I finish in time (a few days early even), I completed the page (I guess they only expected you to do one or two lines? Silly me!)
Two of the categories were the typical ones you find in most challenges. Reading a book the year you were born and a book turned into a movie. I had to google that one as the only one I could think of I had read before and hadn’t liked. I was also looking for something quick to finish the board with. This book turned out to be Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst and Ray Cruz as the illustrator. I am trying to remember if I had actually read it before, but I knew that I had heard it via Reading Rainbow. So, this class story brought back memories of that show. Of a more innocent time.
If you do not know the book, Alexander has a really bad day: no toy surprise in his cereal, problems at school and problems at home. He just cannot catch a break. He feels so rotten he wants to run away to Australia (as a kid listening to this, I thought that sounded exotic). Of course, he learns that there are bad days all over, even Australia. There might not be the ending you would get in a modern book, but it really brings back that old school style of books.
The one for the year I was born was going to be a bit harder. The books were ranging from things I wouldn’t want to read or a few thousand pages. This one turned into A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni. The first time I read the book was 50 years after publication, so in 2025. Or at least I do not remember reading it. (How did I miss so many classics?) All I can say is that books from the 1970s are odd, but fun! The chameleon in the story wants to be one solid color but as a chameleon they don’t stay that way. They meet another chameleon and a friendship is born. Of course, if you are looking for scientific accuracy, this isn’t it (I’m assuming they can’t go plaid or polka dots or stripes or some of the other not in nature colors or designs).
But I took off my adult cap and let my inner kid have fun. It was just a neat book that I could play with, even as an adult. I was thinking if I had a kid it would be a way to teach colors, or friendship or even a reading with an adult book. There was a lot in a few pages and a handful of words. There might not have been a huge life lesson, but it still was fun. And I liked the idea that the book was still out there for new generations to find.
Overall, this reading challenge was what I expected, but I also like that I found two “new books” to add to be IDRT (I Done Read This) list.
