My family has many happy memories associated with our after dinner reading. Gordon Korman’s No Coins, Please is one of very few books that has warranted being read aloud twice as a family. There are many hilarious passages throughout the text, but probably the most memorable is when one of the characters announces “Sheldon, Cow Expert!”
Those words are perhaps not funnier than the rest of the book, but for some reason the first time those words were read over the dinner table the family was reduced to uncontrollable laughter which continued for some time. The second time we read this book, despite (or perhaps due to) being anticipated, similar mayhem ensued. And now that phrase and book are associated with one of may happy moments we have shared.
Although not extremely flexible, we nevertheless find situations where we can quote those now immortal words. Whenever we do, the family joins together in laughter and any unfortunate bystanders simply stare quizzically–we’ve mostly given up trying to explain. It’s just to hard to explain who Sheldon is, what a Cow Expert is, why Sheldon is a Cow Expert, why he announces “Sheldon, Cow Expert!” and why it is so funny to my family.
