Kim Ford’s Book Blog

We had all the boys in the library today.  It was time for our annual ‘Sexual Harassment Training’ with the guidance counselor.  The eighth graders did fine – they were trying very hard to look and act mature, so there was only the occasional snicker.  The seventh graders did the best they could – there was a certain amount of snorting and elbowing, but they were very respectful.  And then in came the sixth graders.  As soon as they realized that the words SEX and ASS were in the title, they lost it!  They just turned into a tangle of silliness.  I had to use the word ‘knucklehead’ more than once – not that it did any good.  I think the cards were stacked against us from the get go. 

Which leads us to today’s BOOK OF THE DAY …  Jon Scieszka’s recently released Knucklehead.  This is one of those laugh-out-loud true tales of childhood.  Jon and his five, yes-five, brothers were classic knuckleheads – as were the Sudderth kids.  That’s my brothers and yours truly.  (When you are the only girl, you take on some of the knucklehead qualities – it goes with the territory.)  His family had “Stop breathing my air,” while in my family it was “Make him stop breathing on me.”  They drove from Michigan to Florida jammed together in the back of the family car; we drove from Arkansas to California.  This book is just too funny.  You will love it, your kids will love it.  I’m buying copies for my brothers for Christmas.