Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide To Mother’s Day

I love my mom so much. She’s the best mom in the whole world. Except when she asks me to do crazy things, like make my bed and empty the dishwasher and do my homework. That can get annoying. But otherwise, she’s a really great person and mom.

So, in honor of Claire Jackson, I give you the five best ways to show your mother how much you appreciate her:

1. Write a poem that tells her how awesome she is.  I’ll get you started: “Cats have claws, dogs have collars, you’re the best mom, especially when you lend me five dollars.” You can take it from there.
2. Offer to take her out to dinner. She’ll hug you and thank you, then she’ll take you out to dinner.
3. Tell her she looks great in those pants.
4. Let her know you appreciate everything she does for you, even though it might seem like sometimes you take her for granted. Then, try not to take her for granted for like a week.
5. Read a book. Or at least, read as much of a book as it takes to get her to notice that you’re reading a book. Then put it back on the shelf where it belongs.

 Tommy Greenwald is the author of the “Charlie Joe Jackson” books, a middle-grade series about the most reluctant reader ever born. It is a projected five-book series based on Tommy’s three sons: Charlie, Joe and Jack. The first book, “Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Not Reading,” was published in July 2011; the second, “Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Extra Credit,” was published in Summer 2012; and the third, “Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Summer Vacation,” was just released.