Age Appropriate?

Went shopping yesterday with a clutch of my christmas book tokens.

Bought Cormac McCarthy's The Road (which I note is a short book, spread out thin across the pages to look like a bigger book) and the latest John Grisham - on Buy one Get one Half Price - for myself, and three large, full colour wildlife and general reference books to keep on hand for my nephew.

He is due to visit next weekend, and last year when he came by there was a bit of a problem that we had nothing for him to do in the quiet times before and after lunch. We had tried at the last minute to buy a wildlife magazine at the local supermarket but hadn't been able to find one, and the failure was glaringly awkward.

It may sound like this is a worry about nothing, but with special educational needs our nephew has an interest level way behind his chronological age of 18+, so that nothing we have in the house these days is remotely suitable for him.

Better late than never then, I have realised we need to keep a Rummage Box ready for visits, where nephew can root around for something to catch his eye. And to this end I have bought the books, a couple of 'educational' games for early readers and counters, and the beginnings of a collection of plastic animals. Very small beginnings it has to be said, due to the outlay on other items.

Next time I will hope to add some larger and more dramatic models including items from the ever-popular dinosaur family!