TRW Tribute: Pam Bachorz 11:45

So I'm pondering what to make my family for dinner. It could be grilled chicken, or maybe whole-wheat pasta, or there's that leftover chicken soup from the other night...

Are you salivating? Longing to knock on my door and join me, Little Dude and Patron of The Arts for dinner?

No??

What if I said I was considering homemade belgian waffles with peanut butter sauce and chocolate chips? Or maybe an apple pie with ice cream. Or deep dish pizza straight from the oven, with garlic sticks on the side. Or... how about a sampler platter of every cupcake made by Georgetown Cupcake?

That's more like it, eh?

Nutrition has its place in our everyday lives, and so does the Very Important Reading that teens have a regular diet of in school. You can't miss out on Steinbeck and Shakespeare. But you know what? Sometimes all you want is something that you picked out. Something nobody told you to read. Something that made you drool---like a red velvet cupcake, only, you know, made of paper and entirely inedible.

That's what the American Library Association's Teen Read Week is all about. Libraries all around the country are putting together fun programs this week to encourage teens, and pre-teens, to stop on by for some partying and some fun reading. Call your local library to see what's stirring in your town, or check out the ALA wiki for the event.

And even if you can't make the event, pick up a book that fascinates and transports you. My recommendation? Read it under your bedspread, with a flashlight, and maybe even a cupcake (shh, don't tell anyone that part was my idea). It will be even more delicious.

And psst.... adults, this is for you too. Put down your work report/night school textbook/bank statement/ Very Serious Book and grab something you're just dying to read, too. Like... a YA novel. C'mon. You know you want to.

Pam Bachorz