The Dread Crew: an early, once-removed review

Tonight when I went to finally switch off the light in the boys’ room, Nathan was already sleeping, but Lex was still reading.  Nate was curled in a quilt on his bed, the bottom bunk, and a few inches away from his head was Kate’s new book.  My mom brought it over for us tonight, and because of several turns of circumstance, she also brought over Nate’s early birthday present; a new camera.

He’s been taking pictures for the school newspaper this year, and I am loving the way he frames things.  I think this will be the first of many cameras for him.  She gave it to him early because he’s about to leave on what I hope will be a fun adventure with his dad and step mom and brother and sister.  New York.  DC.  Maybe Boston?  Definitely Connecticut.  I wonder how he’ll photograph all of it.

Before I switched off the light, I went to sneak the book so that I could read some and then put it back in the morning.  But his bookmark was a shoelace, one end between the pages and the other tied to the bunk bed ladder.  And I decided that I could wait.  He woke up, and smiled at me, something we both needed.  Today was a little rough and we’d gotten over that part, but still, we still needed some more warm.

Here, I said, handing him a corner of a slip of paper from the desk behind me.  Put this in the pages so you can take it places and not lose your spot.  And, um, honestly dude, it’s a first edition and I totally don’t want you to warp the cover.

He nodded and said, Mom, your friend sure can write a great book.  And I’m not just being nice.  I really, really like it.

I do, too, I said.  And I haven’t even read it yet.

The kids leave on Friday morning, it’ll be good if they are nice and sleepy for the plane ride because they’ve stayed up late all week reading.  Right?   

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