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I come from not-quiet-during-the-movie people. We repeat lines, give encouragement, remark on interesting facts/costumes/discrepancies, and, most of all, make predictions about what we think will happen. We make other people crazy, including and especially Nick, but we would have us no other way. I was trying to trace the origin of this behavior in my own personal history and I think I found it yesterday. The hubby and I were discussing what books we enjoyed as children and what effect they had on us. A number of common titles got tossed around--by Tolkien, Ingalls Wilder, Lewis-- and then Nick asked if I had ever read the Encyclopedia Brown series and a little bell went off. I did read, and love, every page of those kid detective stories, and that is where my fascination with picking up the clues and figuring out the ending started. Not that I didn’t have the family trait before then (I know I’m at least a carrier because my son is a devout movie-talker, too), just that it found its expression once I had memorized the adventures of Encyclopedia and his friends. And now it’s second nature. If I can’t figure out the major plot points and the ending by halfway through any movie, I feel a bit frustrated. Unless they really surprise me, and then I have to give credit where credit is due. In Mary J. Fulton’s Detective Arthur in the Case of the Mysterious Stranger, Arthur gets a big surprise ending. That’s nice.

http://www.abebooks.com/9780307618818/Detective-Arthur-Case-Mysterious-Stranger-0307618811/plp

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Yes, indeed, The BRUNER BOYS BEWARE are back! Darth Bill and I saw them yesterday and had a good time. We encouraged them to write again, since it's been a long time, and they wrote back right away! Let's hear them:

Master Zach already gave Austin the BIG NEWS so we are waiting for the OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT! WHOOHOOOOOOO!We are reviewing TEN things in this note to catch-up!

So, we saw the Almighty Carlman today at Imaginon and discussed some of our latest reads and checked out THESE that were just lying around... Knights of the Old Republic GN Vol 2 and Vol 3. They are awesome, of course, DUH they're jedi! And talked hush hush with Darth Bill and saw a REALLY powerful and dangerous action figure (Darth Bill says "he means business"). But Austin is half way though a book recommended by Master Zach on thursday called Something Wickedly Weird, The Wooden Mile. Austin gives this book 4 stars for being 1. easy to read, 2. A bit weird and creepy, and 3. recommended by Master Zach.
For family read-aloud we are anxious to start Inkspell because it's coming out in a movie and because Cornellia Funke is one of Mom's FAVORITE authors (she TRULY has some serious jedi writing skills).Bruner Boys also decended into the Chess Club at Mint Hill Library last Friday to sharpen our strategy skills for jedi battles ahead... we recommend it (even if the teacher is a GIRL) and are now successfully beating mom thanks to the tips we received.

We also have been watching ALL the John Wayne movies Austin can find and watched Hatari and we thought it was great(rhino catching, cheetas as pets and gun slinging)! We just finished up The Apple Dumpling Gang, which is just plain FUNNY... renting movies at the library is EASY!

One more thing to recommend... ALL THREE of the audio books of Encyclopedia Brown. You get to hear the story, then try to guess it before he tells you the answer! It great fun for the car and everyone like to listen and try to figure them out and we learned a LOT of cool stuff (like that squirlls NEVER go backwards down trees... who knew?!?!)Mom read The Alchemyst in 24 hours it was so good and is waiting patiently to get the second book. It's about a brother and sister, twins, that have these majical powers and are saving the world from the evil. It's gripping, majical, provoking. Even though she's a GIRL... she was impressed that instead of BUYING the book at Target... she could just pop into the library and pick it UP! Eldest too! PS... we want to see that mysterious author wrestle a LIVE alligator! We've asked mom to locate one so we can try out your tips.

Very good work, guys!! I'd like to find a LIVE alligator too, so we could see Darth bill wrestle it. Anyone got one at your house? Darth Bill will be very glad to hear that you're watching a lot of John Wayne movies--John W is, perhaps, Darth B's favorite movie star. You're right--getting movies from the library is easy. And you don't have to rent them; you can check most of them out for free!! (Just be sure it's ok with your parents) I' m also glad you're listening to audiobooks. They really are great fun ,especially on a car trip. One more thing--I'm flattered, but don't call me the Almighty CARLMAN. That title belongs rightly to another, but that's a conversation for another time. You can call me The Great and Powerful CARLMAN and still be right, though!!

Well, it's good to hear from you guys again! Don't be strangers. And here's something for you and all the other guys out there to rock out to--Thin Lizzie singing "The Boys Are Back in Town." (Yeah, that's how I got the title to this post) Rock on, dudes!
Carl

Encyclopedia Brown parodies are fine frolicsome creations that should really only be attempted by those people who are well schooled in the genre. Now J.L. Bell at Oz and Ends has pulled together a list of references and tips of the hat to Encyclopedia (nee Leroy) Brown. Little Willow also chimed in with her own thoughts on the boy wonder. Required reading for those of you who miss the days of villains who wear crooked crowns.

Funny no one's thought to write this before now. It's the story of Wikipedia Brown, which synthesizes many of the problems people have with that particular website. If you didn't grow up reading Donald Sobol's stories as a kid, you may feel you are missing something here.

Thanks to Eric Berlin for the link.