Wonder

Molly and I always read together before she goes to bed. When I pick the book, we usually end up reading one of my childhood favorites, like Pippi Longstocking or Charlotte's Web. When Molly picks, it's usually one of her favorites, like Bad Kitty or Dork Diaries.

Lately, we've been reading something that's new for both of us -- Wonder by R.J. Palacio. The movie version came out last year, but we never saw it and decided to read the book first. I'm so glad we did because it's really, really good. Molly has even been tucking herself into bed early to give us extra time to read.

The only problem? This book keeps making me cry. There have been times I've had to hand it over to Molly to finish the chapter while tears roll down my cheeks and I lose the ability to speak. It's not always what Auggie has to go through that gets me so choked up -- he's a 5th-grade boy with significant facial deformities. More often, it's the conversations he has with his parents that just kill me.

Don't let that stop you from reading it though :) It's sad at times, but also funny and heartwarming. And reading it together with Molly has led to some really good conversations about how things go at her school and with her friends. We're not finished yet, but unless this thing has a terrible ending, I think it's sitting in 5-star territory.