In Which My Unschooled Son Finishes His First Novel

Reading on the road.

There were no available spots in campgrounds in Asheville.  Due to the closing of the National Parks, overflow was huge into the smaller RV parks around the city.  We literally had no place to go.  I couldn't believe it.  I wanted to stay longer!  But God had other plans: it's not time for us to end our trip, it's not time for us to rest now - continue on.  Continue on...

And so we did. 

We left Asheville and started off to a great Flying J in the distance somewhere.

The night before we'd gone downtown one more time and visited a local book shop.  There, we found Star Wars: Jedi Academy by Jeffrey Brown. 

We're often picking up books at Jonah's reading level that we think might interest him.  He has, on occasion, made it through a chapter or two before throwing the book down or neglecting it saying he doesn't feel he reads well enough or he doesn't like reading.  I saw this book and thought...  maybe... maybe this might be high interest enough for him.  Maybe he would see that he was a good reader if I could just get him to try it long enough to get through... 

This isn't the first time I've thought these things.

And so we bought it. 

It's part graphic novel, part regular novel, part scrapbook/journal.

And Jonah read it all.  In two days.  Finished it.  Read it in bed.  Read it while the bus was moving.  Read it at the dinner table.  Read and read and read and then...

"Am I...?  Mom?  Mom!  I finished the book!  I read a whole book!!!"

And he had.

And he was glowing.

And it was good.