The Disadvantages of Being a Reader - Travel

The family just got back from vacation, and when a family of readers goes on vacation, what do they need to take? Books.

Our trip included a three hour drive to the airport and a three hour flight. Six hours of sitting? Reading material is an absolute necessity. Add to that the delays for numerous de-icings and (I still can't believe this) waiting for an airplane to get off the runway because the pavement was too icy for it to reach the gate and you have two and a half more hours of reading time. (Apparently they had to unload the passengers and the luggage to lighten it up so it could move. And that's the runway from which we were taking off.)

Vacation included travel time between airport and hotel, hotel and ballpark, ballpark and restaurant, restaurant and hotel, etc. All limited reading time for Driver Dad, but prime times for the rest of the family.

And there was a pool and hot tub. And our room had a porch. And, even though we lacked a beach, there were bountiful beach chairs.

So, yeah, we needed books. Lots of them. Before we left I asked my family, "Where're we going to put all these? This is a ton of books!"

"Dad, it's simple. We need a Kindle," offers the ten-year-old.

"I'd love one, Kiddo. But we'd need four at, what, $350 a pop or something?"

"Oh. Yeah. Forget it. Pack the books." With a wave of her hand she was gone.

For the flight I had The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman, Readicide by Kelly Gallagher, and two instruction books for our new camera. What did I read? Well, let's just say I hope the pictures turn out.

Book Count Total: 4

I also carried a complete set of Stink books by Megan McDonald, including The Holly Joliday featuring both Stink and Judy and the brand new Stink-O-Pedia which we picked up on the way to the airport. That was for the seven-year-old.

Book Count Total: 10

My wife had an Arizona & Grand Canyon Guide Book and two books generally referred to as "Smut." "Trash" is another acceptable classification, I've learned.

Book Count Total: 13

The ten-year-old carried the five-book Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander, Emmy and the Home for Troubled Girls by Lynn Jonell, and The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch.

Book Count Total: 20

On to the suitcases. There were the first two books the Shadow Children Series by Margaret Peterson Haddix and two books still unread from Christmas that my wife and I agreed to share: What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell and The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick. Also included were sixteen (count 'em...sixteen) Magic Treehouse books which the boy finds, well, magical. Oh yeah, there was also one Sports Illustrated and a photocopied, twenty page article on the role of literacy coaches.

Book Count Total: 40 + 1 magazine + 1 professional article.

We read on the plane and in the hotel room. We read in poolside chairs under the sun and in poolside chairs under umbrellas shielding the sun. The ten-year-old read Stink books aloud in the backseat while the seven-year-old giggled constantly and my wife and I gave each other "Isn't that familiar?" glances in the front. My wife and I read before the kids awoke. The kids read after they were supposed to be sleeping.

No, we didn't read them all. Honestly, I didn't expect to, but what could be worse than - gasp! - running out of reading material on vacation?

At least that didn't happen.