In Order

Sometimes it is challenging to match a fifth grader with a book when so many of the books I would suggest have already been read by the child. In the past few weeks, Brian Jacques's Redwall series has been the perfect match for several fifth grade boys.

Today one questioned which was the first book. He insisted it had to be Redwall since that is the title of the series. He showed me hard and true evidence: the inside cover lists the books in the series, and Redwall is listed first! I invited him to view the facts at www.redwall.org. Indeed, Redwall was the first book written in the series (published in 1986), but a note tells readers that the chronological order is different, making Martin the Warrior first in the tale. "But how could he do that?" he asked incredulously? "How could he write them out of order?" We imagined together how a brain would weave events and characters in and out through the years and books.

At home, I went to my eldest son's bookshelf to see if his Redwall collection was in any order. Amidst a mini Lego Tie-Fighter, his old sunglasses, and various pieces of paper, the books await his post-college days.