Families Reading Together

The week of November 8 thru 14 is national "Families Reading Together" week! Here in Palm Beach County, the kick-off for the week is gonna be on Saturday, the 8th, 10 a.m. til 4 p.m.,at the lovely "Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens" in Delray Beach. There'll be lots of music, games, activities and crafts for the kids.

The Morikami is a gorgeous, peaceful place inside and out. The museum's not too large, and not too small. Some displays are colorful, like the incredible ceremonial clothing; some are military, such as the armor; some are just cool, like the scaled-down car made of wood sticks, or the toys. So your kids can get a good taste of Japanese culture without tugging at your shirt with, "Can we go now? Are we done here? I'm BORED!"

After the museum, take a hike! That is, along the peaceful gravel path which surrounds the large lake. You'll see rock gardens, bonsai, and you'll walk through a bamboo grove. We even saw a small black snake relaxing on some shrubbery!

Below, is a Karesansui, or "dry landscape", where rocks are arranged in a bed of raked gravel:

Gotta love these stone lanterns:

All photos taken by Amber Puckett, my pal from the Main Library Youth Services Dept.

Here's the Morikami's web address. Man, they have so much going on!!! :

http://www.morikami.com/

Hey, even if you can't make it to the Morikami, READ WITH YOUR KIDS!!!! Pick up some good books at your public library or bookstore, and make it a family tradition. Read at bedtime; read during your weekly Family Night. Your kids'll be smarter, and your family will be that much stronger. Which is kinda important in these very challenging times....