A review by booksdogsandjess
A Medicine for Melancholy and Other Stories by Ray Bradbury

4.0

I read this back in grade 6 I think, and I remember how sad I felt for Margot. I also remember that this also really hit home about consequences for our actions and how a simple I'm sorry does not or will not always suffice.
So present day and I need my five year old son to start understanding this important lesson. So I know your thinking Bradbury for a five year old? Look,I am the first to say my boy Ronan is not super gifted and he is not going to be writing his memoirs at 6 or somthing, he is bright and sweet,but I don't think he is a genius. I have sparkly things hanging on my sliding glass door cause he runs into it all summer long. But my kid loves space, obsessed with space, but not Star Trek space, for reals space.


Ronans birthday cake this year
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So we start reading about children who live on Venus and it has been raining for 7 years.
Ronan says:wait wait What about the air its toxic you can't breathe?
Me: maybe they wear masks? (it does not say masks anywhere)
Ronan: is it acid rain? It should be acid rain.
Me: nope I think normal rain
Ronan : The pressure? it spose to crush you?
Me :Yep they fixed that
Ronan: how?
Me: flux capacitater,its a machine (???????????????????????)
Ronan:hmmmmmmmmm
Ronans "Hmmmmmm face"
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So we get to the point where they will see the sun soon for only a short time and for the first time in 7 years.Here is where he loses his shit

Ronan:Whoa,whoa,whoa, Its 2nd planet to the sun?It is closer? Why can't they see the sun??? What about the Volcanos? and its really really hot these kids should be melted. This book is ridiculous!

*Quick note- Ronan has read every Franklin story there is, if a talking turtle who is friends with a bear is not ridiculous then......... anyways

I finish the story and try to talk about poor Margot and those horrid little bastards who put her in the closet and I say "do you get what I'm getting at ?"

Ronan : I get this book should have been on Mars and with snow, I pick the book next time Mum,grumble grumble grumble.

So a little constructive criticisim from my 5 year old and I'm a little depressed cause he kind of missed where I was going with this and I have such strong feelings about this one and he kind of ripped it a bit.