Tips from The End

Posted by Heidi Shelton-Jenck Oct 29, 2006

Book 13 in the Series of Unfortunate Events arrived in stores on – of course – Friday, October 13th. Tweens adore this series in spite of the fact that each of the 13 books in the series begins with a warning against reading it.

The End, book #13 in the series, warns readers not to read the series, because –

“…your only reward will be 170 chapters of misery in your library and countless tears in your eyes.”

If that isn’t enough to make you put the book back on the shelf, the author, Lemony Snicket, continues…

“The end of this unhappy chronicle is like its bad beginning…”

These warning, of course, are part of the reason kids keep reading the series.

Even the official website for the Series of Unfortunate Events tries it’s best to keep kids away from the site:

“…this website is plagued by a terrible villain, littered with information that will make you weep uncontrollably, and very hard to leave…wouldn’t you rather click somewhere else?”

So what does this series have to do with parenting tweens? I thought I might try Lemony Snicket’s advice with my own kids:

1. Do not put your clothes in the dirty laundry each night. It will only bring you misery.
2. It’s best to stay far, far away from your toothbrush. Brushing your teeth will only make you weep uncontrollably.
3. Do not, I repeat, do not make your bed each day. Doing so will bring countless tears to your eyes.
4. The vegetable bin in the fridge is plagued by a terrible villain. Stay far away when you want a healthy snack.

Do you think it might work?