7/27/09 - Like Magic, Get Into Your Favorite Book (Literally)

Photo courtesy of Sara Alfred

So we’re a little more than half-way through summer. We’ve been through the beach parties, the water parks, the air-conditioned movie theaters…and we’ve even made that dent in our summer reading lists. I mean, you know what they say about summer – ‘tis the season to be reading.

Okay, so maybe they don’t say that.

Let’s say some of us have yet to read those books or even the list. Let’s also say, and let’s face it, some of us feel a little daunted about picking up a book, especially if we have school to look forward to in a month or two. Well, just for fun’s sake, let’s say we’re wizards. And, also for fun’s sake, let’s say that we are able to cast the spell -

Literarium Terrarium

If you’re familiar with the episode “Graphic Novel” (WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE), you know it, you’ve heard it, and now you have it at the tips of your wands. If you’re not so familiar, it’s a spell able to transport one into/out of a book. I don’t know about you, but I would have some fun with that. Just for fun’s sake:

1. Time to Time-Travel…I Mean, Study
Having trouble with that summer homework pile (at this moment you might be wondering what I’m talking about)? Maybe you’re just the despairing parent/older sibling/cousin/magical pet dragon pulling out his/her hair in hopes of helping out. Well, time to get a-studying! Just grab a textbook, flip to your section, and transport yourself inside for a hands-on experience that’s sure to land you that grade you’ve always wanted. Interrogate Darwin about his so-called evolution theory. Join a 60’s hippie revolution. Or something like that.

2. That’s a Novel Idea!
Need a vacation but unable to take time away from school/work/your pet dragon? Maybe your wallet’s an issue. Well, worry no more! We all have a favorite book – now’s the time to put it to good use. Don’t have a favorite book – now’s the time to snatch that one off the shelf you’ve always thought about reading but didn’t (because, truth be told, you didn’t really want to). With a flick of the wand, you can find yourself anywhere in the world (nay, the universe!) – a relaxing beach, the bustling city, an alien spaceship bound for planet Wooh!, you name it. And it doesn’t cost a thing. Hey, you could even get to writing your own book and play the part of your protagonist. It’d be a heck of a way to proofread.

3. What’s The Story, Tonight?
Wait a minute, you’re…babysitting? Anyone who’s ever done it before knows how you feel – you got to feed ‘em, put ‘em to sleep (in their beds!), and of course they’re going to want to play games. But you’ve exhausted all your options, they’re bored, and you’ve got to find a way to keep ‘em occupied that somehow doesn’t involve the pet dragon. What now? Why, now it’s time to firmly grasp the hand of the child(ren) for which you’re held responsible and jump into the magical world of your kid’s favorite storybook. Kids still not drowsy yet? Suggest Wynken, Blynken, and Nod or Goodnight Moon. Beats watching TV.

4. Love Sick
Having relationship problems? You know it’s not working out, he/she/your significant other knows it’s not working out, but for some odd reason neither of you wants to admit that it might not be working out. So you’re stuck. Well, stuck in reality maybe. Who says a good book can’t be your escape. Literally. Stick yourself in one of those sappy romance novels. Who knows? You could wind up finding the love of your fictional life. Then again, you could also wind up on the sidelines of love’s battlefield with only the flame of your pet dragon to warm your heart.

5. Adventure Time!
Feeling adventurous? It’s summer-time, of course you are! So say you’re the comics/manga/graphic novel enthusiast on the block - get wrapped up inside one of those for a couple of hours. Between all the superheroes, schoolgirls, and giant mechas, you’re sure to find places to be and things to do. Be brave and take your pet dragon with you for company. It’s one of the only kinds of places he might actually fit in.

6. Dear, Diary…
So you’re in need of some dirt. No, your dog is not the solution (neither is your pet dragon). But if you’re looking to dig up some of the other kind of dirt (strictly for investigative purposes), perhaps that journal/diary floating around somewhere is. With all kinds of stories, photos, and embarrassing moments to get into firsthand, there’s no shortage of evidence at your fingertips. Of course that monotonous narrator stuck in your head could get annoying.

Note to reader: These six suggestions are not meant to be taken seriously. Please don’t try these at home (unless you think you and your pet dragon can take the possible consequences).