This week's New Yorker has an article about the novelist Marilynne Robinson. I read Gilead a few months ago and had mixed feelings about it -- I remember feeling it too subdued and self-contained. This article reminded me that I used to dislike Robert Frost for the same reasons, so maybe I'll change my mind about her one day. Anyway I think the article is really good, and it's always a pleasure to read about authors and their lives: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/10/05/marilynne-robinsons-essential-american-stories

It would DEFINITELY have been a good idea to have him look at samples and give input about what he wanted to use. That is a good point. Of course I was way too impulsive and have already ordered one of the Maps Charts and Graphs books. In the past, he's really liked filling in blank maps with country names, so I'm thinking he'll enjoy this, but I'm also ready to set it aside if not : )

Thank you!! I especially like the look of the Mark Twain series.

This is so fascinating; thank you for explaining!, I remember working with Chinese speakers who were learning English; they had a lot of trouble with verb tense, with -ed and -ing endings, and with articles and prepositions. Now I can see why 🙂 I didn't know that each character represented a syllable; I thought it was always a whole word. I had read somewhere that the character system made it possible for Cantonese and Mandarin speakers to use the same written language -- I guess that means that both languages combine syllables similarly into new concepts.

Thank you! This does look really interesting. I couldn't tell from the sample pages what "Robinson maps" are but I guess that's explained in the book?

I'm in awe of those of you studying Chinese! it's really interesting seeing these snippets of information : ) I don't know if this question is too vague to answer but -- what does it mean that Chinese has a very rich vocabulary? Do you mean that the sheer number of words is greater? If the grammar is almost non-existent, does that mean that you can't transform a noun into an adjective (like beauty and beautiful) and you just have to learn a totally separate word for each?

Thank you! These look like something he'll love.

Hi all, I'm looking for a few fun and relatively easy things for my fourth grader to work on, while I'm working with my second grader. His work has gotten more difficult this year -- I'm expecting more from him in terms of writing, note taking, his math has obviously gotten harder, etc. He's doing well, and it's nice to see him stretching. But I'd also like to give him some simpler work that he can just pick up while he's waiting for me. I don't mean busy work, I just mean something he can enjoy and learn a little something from, without having to be operating at maximum, if you know what I mean. Anyway, he really loves geography and is good in it. I'd like to find him a book where he can learn mountain ranges and rivers in the US and around the world. We already have a lot of atlases and spend time studying them; what I want is a workbook where he fills in names. Or even a coloring book. Does anyone have any ideas? Or any ideas about similar kinds of projects? I know workbooks get frowned on a lot, but we use them rarely enough that my kids seem to find them relaxing!

I've never read that; I'll have to look for it!

I like Raymond Chandler a lot, and the title essay in "Simple Art of Murder" is my favorite. I just took out my copy again to skim -- I love the part at the end of the essay where he talks about redemption!

I don't know that particular collection, but I wouldn't give the complete works of Twain to a nine year old. Some of Twain's essays are quite dark -- he was deeply critical of Christianity, for example, loved talking about nudity, and some of his writing is written in what's supposed to be Satan's voice. (He uses that voice to critique earthly hypocrisy. but still. It is not light hearted.) Maybe a collection of short stories would make sense instead of the collected works?

You could read Narnia -- especially the Silver Chair. If nothing else, it'll probably make it way easier when it comes time to read Plato later on.

A question for @Matryoshkaand all of you other Spanish grammar experts: I passed a Spanish-language sign today urging people to become organ donors. It said in big letters "Sea considerado." (Be considerate I guess. I didnt know "considerado.") I thought it was interesting that it used "ser" rather than "estar." If I'd had to guess, I would have guessed that "estar" was correct, since the sign was urging people to take a specific action. I guess it's "ser" because it's talking about a profound character trait?

My daughter, also 7, is like this too. She loves books in which families/siblings have adventures together-- they feel really safe and secure, I think. She loves Farmer Boy and all the Little House books. She loves Mary Poppins too. And Ramona and Henry Huggins, and the Moomintroll books. 5 Children and It. She's also loved books like Around the World in 80 Days and Journey to the Center of the Earth (abridged versions). I think there is something fun but just a little silly about them which makes them feel safe. For what it's worth, I think the Emperor's New Clothes is a scary story! I was horrified by that kind of thing as a kid too 🙂

Daniel Berrigan came up in the Dorothy Day biography a lot! I think she disapproved of some of his methods but obviously agreed with his beliefs? I completely missed that he was also a writer. Her granddaughters were part of the biography, yes, Tamar and her whole family were. There was a lot of tragedy there and I found that part of the book pretty painful, honestly. But possibly that particular biography played up the problems in the family.

I learned a lot from Asterix too! I had some in English and then for the rest I had to read my father's old French copies. I'm sure I missed out on most of the jokes and all of the puns, but those books were so good. I am totally misguided about my French because for years now, I've only used it to speak with people who know me very very well. They understand even my most incoherent phrasing, and they don't mind when I shift into English. It's been nice working a bit harder on my French lately!

Yes. I remember feeling guilty over how much I loved Baudelaire. I sometimes think I'd do better at grad school now that I'm older and a little steadier, but who knows 🙂

I definitely don't mind graphic novels. I grew up reading old French comics like Asterix and Lucky Luke, but I'd love some more modern suggestions. Maybe I can get my kids interested in them too. I love your project of reading the Bible in French, and I also see how difficult it must be : ) Do you ever listen to French? Sometimes when I'm cooking I put on French radio -- rfi.fr/fr and I don't stress over every word, I just soak in what I can. They also have podcasts.

I had no idea about the French-Texas connection! that's really fascinating. I want to learn more. Maybe my next Balzac will be La Rabouilleuse. Algeria in Cousine Bette is basically treated as a cash cow -- Hulot sends one of his relatives there to try and embezzle money from the (French) war department. It doesn't end well. So it felt really weird -- the country is not orientalized, it's just treated as an extension of French bureaucracy. Zero local color. Not a single scene is actually set in the country. (In general, I'd say North Africa counts as "oriental." Delacroix had already painted his Femmes d'Alger when Cousine Bette was written. I should get a copy of Said.)

I did not know that he had written about Texas! Do you remember that there's a subplot about Algeria in Cousine Bette? I found that fascinating. He was one of the very first to put Algeria into fiction. I have not read contes drolatiques, no.

I remember the controversy around American Dirt. It's really interesting that the book's limitations come through so clearly.

Double post

Thank you for this review! I love the idea of analogous literature.

Good question. I'll probably read more, and if so, it'll definitely be in French. After all, I did spend years studying the language, and I have French family, so I feel obliged. But it'll be out of order and with long gaps in between books. I've read La Cousine Bette, and then years went by before I picked up Le Pere Goriot. I'm curious to read Eugenie Grandet, but I'm in no rush. Editing to add -- which of the novels have you read? Is there one you'd recommend?

I just googled "banned books" and found that Maurice Sendak's "In the Night Kitchen" was banned by various library systems, apparently because of the little boy being naked in one scene. That was one of my kids' favorite picture books. I've finished no books this week. Still reading Le Pere Goriot, very slowly but with a lot of delight. I started reading Robinson Crusoe to my kids, which is really refreshing. I had gotten used to hearing it described as a book about capitalism, which may well be true, but reading it with kids makes me realize that it's also a book about adventure, danger, dealing with emotions, and so much more.