This girl.

She is extraordinary. She is smart and curious and empathetic and gracious and beautiful and funny. And, today, she is nine.

The last year of single digits. Even though she’s been growing up since the day she was born…it feels like she’s really, really growing up right now. One minute you’re here…

…and the next minute you’re here.

And while we have no idea how it happened so fast, we couldn’t be more proud or love her more than we do.

Like last year, I’ll use this special day to tell you all about our latest adventure with LiNo’s Libros — a book club for two vivacious readers.

It was Lily’s turn to pick a book and she chose Roald Dahl’s The BFG.

I love all things Dahl, so I couldn’t have been more excited with her pick. My local library had this beautiful copy, too. #bellabomb

With work/school, life/activities, it takes us a while to get through a book, but over the course of a few weeks we took turns reading to each other, reading some chapters on our own, and reviewing with questions and projects.

Dahl does such an incredible job at describing the BFG that I had everyone draw their own based on his words.

Mine:

Lily’s:

Booh’s:

Tim’s:

The suitcases get me every time, especially Tim’s.

When we reached the end, we prepared five questions each, just like we did with the first LiNo’s Libros pick. Spoiler alert for anyone wanting to read this again!

NoNo’s Questions:

1 In the book, Dahl calls farts “whizzpoppers.” What would you call them?

L: NoNo! ….okay, whizzies

Booh: Farbunkles

N: I choose Brrrrumpscotches

2. Make up a dream that the BFG might catch.

L: A dragon comes to life at a Chinese wedding and we have to take cover. One person comes in late, usually me, and everyone in movie theater is hiding in the shadows and I say “What’s everybody doing?”

N: That sounds like a nightmare. Mine would have Bella in a garden of flowers and a butterfly can land on her nose. It can talk and tells her that there’s a wonderful world among the flowers. So Bella crawls in the flower bed and meets all the pretty flowers and nice bugs.

Booh: Sounds like the dog version of Alice in Wonderland.

3. Make up your own giant.

L: Instead of catching dreams, I’d catch air, no, I’d catch sand. I could put it in bedrooms and it would help clear out worries. It’s like dream sand, but it’s memory sand.

Booh: I’d only go to houses with more than one child and would eat all the siblings.

N: …what? Okay. I’d collect all the cookbooks in the house, bake treats to leave for them in the morning, but steal all of the cookbooks.

4. In the book, the giants visit certain countries based on what those living there taste like. What would we taste like in Oklahoma and Wyoming?

L: Oklahoma would taste like fried chicken.

N: Yeah, I was thinking bread-flavored with undertones of grass prairie.

Booh: Home Fries.

N: What about Wyoming?

L: Snow cones!

N: Yes! Or woodsy-flavored.

L: But no cocoa flavors because it always snows.

5. If you could change the ending, what would you change?

L: That he rode an elephant through the woods instead of writing the book.

N: I wanted Sophie to be adopted by the Queen and become royalty.

L: Sophie of Sofaness!

Lily’s Questions

1 How would you feel if you were taken from bed?

N: I’d be terrified, wouldn’t you?

L: A little scared, but kind of excited. You know when you can’t sleep at night and don’t have anything to do? It can be a bit boring.

2. What would your giant name be?

N: I’ll go with my description above and be the Bake Booker.

Booh: Sibling Snatcher!

L: BFGG – Big Friendly Girl Giant

Booh: Tim says he’d be the Big Fat Giant.

3. How would the story be different if the BFG caught something else?

N: What if he caught bugs, like frogs or spiders?

L: Frogs and spiders aren’t bugs.

…

Booh: What if he collected art from bedrooms? That would be cool.

4. If you could invite one character to dinner, who would you choose and why?

N: I’d choose Sophie since she’s an orphan and I’d have everyone over so she could experience a big family dinner.

L: I choose the Queen of England. I just think she’s really cool. But, no BFG. That’s a lot for mom to cook!

5. Use three words to describe this book.

N: silly, tender and fantastical

L: dangerous — for the men to capture the giant, cool — catching the dreams, and sad — missed England

Love you, Lil, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!

Next up for LiNo’s Libros: Nancy Drew and The Mystery at Lilac Inn!

Click here for last year’s LiNo’s Libros: The Indian in the Cupboard.