Let’s talk about books. Not just LGBT books, but kids and young adult books in general. What are your kids reading now? Please share in the comments (along with their ages and/or grades, as a guide for others).

My second-grade son is very into the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney. I’m ambivalent about the books myself—I find the humor a bit sophmoric—but I suppose that’s the appeal to the second-grade set. My son will sit and read them for a long time, though, so I can’t really complain.

He’ll also browse his LEGO Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary for hours. While there’s minimal actual reading there, he gets ideas for things to build and then has to figure out how to do so with the Legos he owns, sans instructions, since I’m not going to buy him everything in the book. Future Engineers of America? Who knows, but he’s having fun.

We’re also enjoying family reading with the The Chronicles of Prydain series by Newbery Award winner Lloyd Alexander. Yes, in many ways they’re “Tolkien Lite,” but they’re more digestible for younger kids, IMHO. We did read The Hobbit a while back, but I think I’ll save the full, dense, Anglo-Saxony Lord of the Rings goodness for when he’s a bit older. I like to think of the Prydain series as a nice warm up—although there’s much good to be said about them in and of themselves, if you like medieval fantasy adventures.

That’s us. How about your families?

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