It’s Saturday night! It’s also finally mid-October and I’m ready for the cold and rainy season to be upon us. I’m back with another Saturday night post, and this time with author David Gorman! I’m soon going to be reading his fun mystery series Waldameer Mystery Files, based on an ACTUAL waterpark his family runs (talk about a dream job?!)
Because his book is middle-grade readers, his suggestions are for the young and young at heart (like me!). Take it away David!
Saturday Night Book Suggestion
Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire is a delightful, near perfect story about children who stumble through doorways into magical worlds that fit their personality and disposition. Inevitably, they accidentally come back to our world, but yearn to return to their newfound magical home. They live at Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children, waiting for their magical world to call them back. I think of it as a modern, spunkier version of The Chronicles of Narnia. Upon its publication, Every Heart a Doorway won numerous fantasy awards, and it’s one of those books that truly ignites your imagination and the creativity of your mind’s eye. It’s short enough to read in one sitting, but you won’t want it to end. Luckily, there are six more installments in the series, and each explores a different fantastical world.
Saturday Night Movie Suggestion
Grab some Oreos and peanut butter and watch The Parent Trap. A young Lindsay Lohan plays both twins, and it’s just plain fun. I can’t tell you how many times my sister and I watched The Parent Trap growing up. There was so much wish fulfillment in the movie for me as a kid: going to summer camp, playing pranks, traveling to a new country, orchestrating elaborate schemes, putting a villain in their place. I could watch The Parent Trap on repeat and never get bored because it taps into that inner child in me. If you have kids, introduce them to The Parent Trap and get a boost of wholesome nostalgia!
Saturday Night Wild Card Suggestion
Do yourself a favor and buy Codenames from Target or your local board game store. It’s a fun, easy-to-learn party game for teens and adults. Best with at least four players, Codenames’ premise is two teams of spies competing to identify their secret agents first. One player from each team gives one-word clues that point to multiple words on the board. Codenames has a great mix of light strategy/brain power and downtime to converse.
If you’re feeling daring, try a game I call Wikipedia Mashup. All you need is access to Wikipedia, paper, and pencils! Each player writes a short story using a character and setting randomly decided by Wikipedia. First, go to Wikipedia, select English, then choose “Random Article” from the options. Click “Random Article” until you find yourself a character and setting. Then, get to work writing a story. Wikipedia decided my story will be about Kim Nilsson, a Swedish floorball player, in Mount Tabor, New Jersey. After writing your stories, read them aloud as a group and let the hilarity ensue!
Thank you so much David! I encourage all of you to add his book to your reading list. Start at book number one with THE LONG-LOST LOCKET.
Thanks for featuring him!
Loved Parent Trap! It was such a cute movie and always made me wish for Lindsay to get her act together.
Same!!