Back to School, Middle School Edition

Here are two kids heading off to the first day of 2016-2017 school year, both in Middle School! Even more remarkable, both let me take pictures of them - Daughter even reminded me!

Seattle Zoo

Great Wolf Lodge

Hamster Princess by Ursula Vernon

 

Great fun! Good sense of humor, well supported by the illustrations. Fairly typical "princess who wants to do all sorts of unladylike stuff" story but well done. 

The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig

 

This was one great read! Time travel, adventure, coming-of-age, romance, colonial Hawaii, piracy, ghost armies, lost-and-redeemed parents - it's all here. First time author, too. 

Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell

 

Surprisingly fun and interesting for the genre "dark twist on classic children's fare." A curious, unique world with interesting and well-developed characters. Could have played up the ambiguity angle to better effect. Climax was a little muddled but the conclusion was satisfying.

Sky High Summer Camp

Isaac's big summer event this year was "camp" at Sky High trampolines. He had a great time!

Canoe Loader

Rube Goldberg canoe loading device. Not entirely successful - still requires a lot of strength to control it.

Cape

Isaac rocking his new cape, graduation swag from his Pacific University Summer Speech Camp!