Fantasy for the middle grades.

Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke is a fantasy favorite of mine for kids in the middle grades (3-6).  Ben teams up with various creatures to find the Rim of Heaven, where Firedrake and all of his dragon friends will be able to live forever.  We listened to it on a car trip; the audio book is read by actor Brendan Fraser who does different accents for each character.  He is fantastic.

I don't know how many of you will agree with me, but I love beets.  Especially roasted.  It is so easy to do.  You simply peel the beets and wrap them up in tin foil with some olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake at 450 for 30-45 min. When they are cool, I slice them over some lettuce and add this   For a delicious dressing:

Yogurt Dressing

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

2 tsp. sherry vinegar

olive oil

s +p

Whisk together yogurt, vinegar, and 2 Tblspns. oil, s +p.  Thin as desired with 1 to 2 Tblspns water.