|
| Author |
Message |
Mameblanche
Member
08-24-2002
| Monday, June 19, 2017 - 2:11 pm 
How how could this Canuck have possibly omitted Anna Green Gables? Smacks self up-side of head.
|
Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Tuesday, June 20, 2017 - 1:40 am
Last year, Michael's (the craft store,) had children's classics on sale for a buck each. Things like Black Beauty, Polyanna, and Treasure Island, Charlotte's Web may have been one of them. Like 6-8 different books (but not Anne of Green Gables, Little House on the Prairie,etc.) I bought one of each and split them up between the younger kids. Should check and see if they have any different ones this year, since it was sometime in the summer when I found them.
I sometimes worry about getting them the classics, that they might be a little old-fashioned or outdated for more modern kids. On the other hand, I really want them to get to know those classic characters! I may have some more luck with the niece who loves to read than some of the others.
|
Legalboxer
Member
11-17-2003
| Tuesday, June 20, 2017 - 2:35 am
The classics were all I wanted as a kid...especially from centuries before I was born  Dickens, Robert Louis Stevenson, Dumas, Twain, (especially dickens)
Where the Red Fern Grows may not have a female lead but is a must read tear jerker coming of age book. Who doesn't fall in love with Old Dan and Little Anne.
Cynthia Voight is a must read author too.. diceys song, homecoming, and the whole series on the Tillermans. Come a stranger is part of the tillerman family series but about Diceys best friend and a great book on race. And the side books like Izzy Willy Nilly about a girl that gets injured and learns about friendship, along with Voight's medieval fanasty series (jackaroo)... all are great with mostly female leads. I haven't read her newer Bad Girl series books but anything pre-1995 is beyond great.
Cynthia Voight herself thought I was too young to read Diceys Song at age 10, but she was wrong. (before moving to Maine, she taught in my hometown so I still have that "when you are old enough..." quote in my first edition of Diceys Song when it won the Newberry)
|
Grooch
Member
06-16-2006
| Tuesday, June 20, 2017 - 3:51 am
Wargod, there's nothing wrong with classics. It's a chance to learn a little bit about history.
I hope you keep us posted on what you guys read so we can live vicariously and see if they held up.
My 17 year old niece wanted to see the new updated remake of Anne of Green Gables on Netflix. I read the reviews and saw that they updated it with things like pedophilia and stuff like that to make it more modern. I was aghast that they would do that to this classic. I handed her my copy of the book and told her to read the first chapter then watch the movie to compare. I figured she would read more than the one chapter. Sadly, the book is still sitting there. She said she'd read it this summer. I'm not holding my breath.
|
Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Tuesday, June 20, 2017 - 3:54 am
I was not a princess-y type girl at all, but I absolutley adored the Black Stallion series at that age. Other good horse books (that's a boring unicorn, right?) included Pounding Hooves and If Wishes Were Horses. Of course, I devoured The Little House Books as well as the Anne of Green Gables series.
She might also enjoy Hugo - it's an absolutely gorgeously illustrated book (the illustrations tell the story as much as the word) and one of the main characters is a little girl about her age. The movie is excellent as well.
In a year or two, she might also enjoy Eragon. It's a dragon-based series but it's excellent, and the author was only 15 or 16 when he wrote Eragon.
|
Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Tuesday, June 20, 2017 - 4:53 am
I wasn't exactly a fan of the classics, if I went to buy books, or asked for them, the classics weren't at the top of my list. Uh, wait, I'll take that back, I did buy myself Dracula (I still have my original copy, with my name and date printed neatly inside, lol, I was 11), Frankenstein, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. But, I was such a voracious reader that I read pretty much everything in the school library without complaint, lol.
Where the Red Fern Grows is still required reading here. Or was, not sure if it still is. Caleb argued in his book report that it was cruel to make kids read such a horribly sad story.
|
Legalboxer
Member
11-17-2003
| Tuesday, June 20, 2017 - 6:29 am
ha. its all in the reader. i found nothing cruel in that "horribly sad story". Just a love story - be it with animals.
|
Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Tuesday, June 20, 2017 - 3:16 pm
Caleb's never liked books or movies where dogs are injured or die. His argument was that it was cruel to make kids who would be upset read it.
|
Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Tuesday, June 20, 2017 - 3:51 pm
Good for Caleb!!
Nonfiction, ok.. There are sad things that happen..
Of course Disney stuff, no matter how pretty, did have sadness.. Bambi, for instance.
I read My Friend Flicka, Thunderhead and The Green Grass of Wyoming at a younger than recommended age.
Besides the school library, I was racing through the public library where I had gotten access to at least an area with books outside the kids section.
Then I had my mom's magic stash of books for me, doled out on sick days of Danny says or down days.
And.. my mom's bookcases.. I was a bit more stealthy but I am quite sure she was pretty aware of my selections.
Readers Digest condensed books (I hate that concept now).. I remember a murder mystery, Night of the Hunter and the serial killer had something like
H A T E and L O V E tattoos on his knuckles..
And that was creepy and scary and not recommended
|
Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Wednesday, June 21, 2017 - 1:47 am
Caleb's soft spot is dogs. Disney didn't really bother him (and some of that was pretty bad, I'm still traumatized over Brother Bear) much, other animals he found sad, dogs wrecked him though. We've had dogs his whole life and growing up, Harvey was his best friend. Not to mention he spoils Pj probably as much as I do (she just followed him upstairs to go to bed, lol.)
I started reading Stephen King (Pet Semetary was my first one of his) at 10. Friend of my parents was staying with us while he was in town and he left it laying on the table. I picked it up and started reading it. LOL, he thought I was too young and my mom would not approve and all she said was, first nightmare you have I'm taking it away. For the next four years, we were pen pals when he was out of town or book clubbing when he was in town. Now that I've raised a couple kids and have nieces and nephews that are around 10, though, I often wonder what the hell my mom was thinking, lol. While I was perfectly able to read and comprehend his books at 10, 11, etc, and they never gave me nightmares (though I still can't read IT unless all the lights are on!) the stories really weren't suitable for a 10 year old.
I try to keep that in mind, especially with the niece I'm looking for books for (btw, I've started a list, so thank you again everyone! and if you have more suggestions I'll take them.) While she is smart and her reading and comprehension level is high enough she could read more advanced books, she's still 8 and doesn't have the maturity to read something I might get for one of the older kids.
Teach! I forgot Eragon! I actually have that series, bought it for Caleb. I saw the author being interviewed right after maybe the 2nd book came out and was so impressed with the kid, I went and got the books. I'll have to pull those out and thumb through them, it's been quite a while since I read them.
Hehe, I went through a phase when I was little where all I read was horse books. I can remember the school librarian had a whole shelf, both fiction and non fiction of horse books.
I actually didn't go to the library that often as a kid. It was too far from our house to go by myself, so going was a special treat. We had a book store only a couple blocks away though and I did a lot of chores, recycling cans, and odd "jobs" for my parents friends to earn money and was a frequent visitor there. And the school library, I spent a whole lot of time there during the school year.
|
Jimmer
Moderator
08-30-2000
| Wednesday, June 21, 2017 - 5:47 am
Pet Semetary was such a sad disturbing book and movie. My DD and I watched it about a year ago. Her English teacher asked them to watch it (they were studying Frankenstein and Dracula, etc. and she thought it was a relevant comparison).
Despite my DD's enjoying books, I'm having trouble coming up with suggestions for an eight year old. Their reading comprehension varies so much at that age.
|
Legalboxer
Member
11-17-2003
| Wednesday, June 21, 2017 - 8:43 am
Their reading comprehension varies so much at that age.
you are spot on with that one - which is why i never assume anything about a person at any age.
|
Heckagirl631
Member
09-08-2010
| Saturday, December 19, 2020 - 6:27 pm
I've been reading all my life. I remember loving the Little House Books, was so impressed they were based on life. And the show was also part of it. My mom had Alfred Hitchcock books. I always liked those. Then I graduated to Stephen King. Some of his books have given me nightmares. Salem's Lot for one.
|
Rieann
Member
08-26-2006
| Saturday, December 19, 2020 - 6:51 pm
Hecka, The Three Investigators books? I loved those! Little House was big for me too as well as Nancy Drew.
|
Heckagirl631
Member
09-08-2010
| Sunday, December 20, 2020 - 6:11 pm
"The Three Investigators ?" Not familiar with those. I also like Nancy Drew.
|
Rieann
Member
08-26-2006
| Sunday, December 20, 2020 - 7:39 pm
When you said Alfred Hitchcock I thought those were the books. Can't remember why Hitchcock's name was attached. They were about three boys who solved mysteries. It brought up a memory.
|
Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Wednesday, December 23, 2020 - 7:20 am
I grew up reading Little House (and watching it) as well as Nancy Drew, Anne of Green Gables and the Cheerleader series. Re-reading a few as an adult in these times, however, makes me positively cringe due to the stereotypes and racism (blackface minstrels, etc.) they include. Anne is about the only one I'd still recommend to young readers.
|
Jimmer
Board Administrator
08-29-2000
| Wednesday, December 23, 2020 - 9:04 am
I read some of those as well. Which ones had blackface and minstrels?
|
Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Wednesday, December 30, 2020 - 12:10 pm
Jimmer = Little House on the Prairie - the one titled The Long Winter. I even remember that particular scene being illustrated in my copy.
|
Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Wednesday, December 30, 2020 - 12:11 pm
Went looking and here is an entire article about the Little House books, and it includes the picture!
http://www.jenlongo.com/blog/2014/04/18/the-beauty-of-uh-oh-pages
|
Jimmer
Board Administrator
08-29-2000
| Wednesday, December 30, 2020 - 12:28 pm
I have mixed feelings about this. I understand the discomfort. However, those events and that type of thinking was a part of America at the time the story takes place so it's simply a realistic portrayal of the time. It's not something that should be hidden, ignored or forgotten. I don't see how it can be sanitized. Blackface and minstrels were a part of America at that time. I think it would be okay to recommend it as long as that is discussed. However, I agree that it's not a topic or distinction that young children can easily understand so I understand your reluctance to recommend them.
Now if a story contains characters behaving in stereotypical ways then that is even more of a concern.
ETA: Good article!
|
Jimmer
Board Administrator
08-29-2000
| Wednesday, December 30, 2020 - 12:57 pm
This reminds me of reading one of my old Nancy Drew books to my DD's (yes I still have them  ).
I read a lot when I was young (and at an advanced level for my age). LOL there wasn't much else to do in the evening when we were visiting my Aunt and Uncle at their cottage. So I very quickly worked my way through the seventy or so Hardy Boys books and being desperate moved on to reading all the Nancy Drew books as well.
In re-reading the Nancy Drew book to my DD's, the one thing that fascinated me was how passive Nancy still was despite her portrayal (for that time) as an exceptionally active, outgoing, assertive young woman.
|
Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Saturday, January 02, 2021 - 12:14 pm
I don't want to hide it, but if I had children that were of the age to read these today, we'd be having a LOT of discussions that I never had when reading them 40 years ago.
|
Jimmer
Board Administrator
08-29-2000
| Saturday, January 02, 2021 - 12:25 pm
That's for sure!
|
|
|
|
Closed: New threads not accepted on this page