Summer reading: epilogue

Julia and I read the final chapter of Charlotte's Web last night. It's been the focus of many of our summer nights, finding out what would happen to the pig and the spider, and I think I'll always think of Julia at 3 1/2 when I think of that classic book. At times, Julia's been completely caught up in the story, at other times, she's been easily distracted and we've put it aside for a few days. In all, it took us about 6 weeks to get through the 22 chapters in the book. We won't be winning any speed reading awards around here, that's for sure, but she stuck with it and I suspect the story will stick with her.

In the end, she laid beside me last night looking at the pen and ink illustrations as I read the last few pages. "Look, Mom, there are 3 webs where Charlotte's used to be," she exclaimed before I got to the part where Joy, Aranea and Nellie decide to stay. Then, a moment later, "I think when these spiders die, their babies will come to live here, too."

"You took the words right out of E.B. White's mouth," I told her, and then as I read her the final paragraph, I found myself fighting back unexpected tears. Julia can try my patience and push my buttons like no one I've known in my life, and I know that as she grows, we're likely to be at odds more and more often. But I'm raising a child who shares my love of reading, and as long as we can bond over a good book, well, I think we're going to be OK.