First book review since recovering from my 18 month bout with brain damage and I am excited to share something I wouldn’t typically read and review.  This one is special for several reasons.  As part of my brain exercise training, I joined the twitter community.   If you don’t understand how participating on twitter exercises your brain cells, I encourage you to take a look at that site.  Lots of cognitive abilities required and a real testament to juggling knives on fire.  Spending time there has improved my memory, allowed me to practice interacting and being, I hope, clever.

While on twitter I ran across a fellow high school graduate from my hometown.  He is now an author and was kind enough to send me a copy of his first published work.  “Every Ornament Has Its Place” written by Vincent Verrico and illustrated by Marcus Williams, is a delightful holiday story about 8-year old Matt, a favorite ornament and the Christmas spirit.

As a parent to grown children and a former homeschool and private school teacher, I have read a LOT of books to kids of all ages.  I also know how painful reading can be if the material is not enjoyable or becomes old quickly.  Verrico has penned a book which reads well.  I kept imagining the voices I would have used with my own boys.  The reader will also likely be reminded of their own family memories of Christmas decorating.  Like Matt’s family in the story, I could relate to the anticipation of going through the boxes which hold those special treasures enjoyed only one time a year.  We have often referred to our Christmas Tree as a time capsule – every ornament representing something as we traveled the country and bought souvenirs for the tree.

What surprised me about the story was the dialogue as well as depth.  Frequently children’s books lack a lot of interesting material for the parent who does the reading.  This one will not be a chore to share with your kids.  The team also smartly chose bright, interesting illustrations for your child to peruse.  Really well done and would highly recommend as part of your holiday tradition.