helena Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 (edited) My kids know the most popular ones, and in the last month (through Intermediate Language Lessons), they have started to read some more. They're both really enjoying these books. Now I'm looking at our book collection, I've managed to collect quite a few books in the genre. Many of them are vintage and are a challenge to read (not disney Cinderella). Every year I kind of have a theme, something we take our time and do all year. I'm thinking fairytales could be a lot of fun. I could break it up by countries, or by authors, or themes.. I'm not sure. I could also bring in character study somehow.. My question is: Do you think a 7th grader (I'll also have a 5th grader), is too old to spend a year absorbed in fairytales? 7th grade seems so mysterious to me. :tongue_smilie: She's still very young in her heart.. but I don't want her to think I'm treating her like a baby. :bigear: ETA: Do you have any suggestions for doing fairytales with older kids? What would you do to stretch it over a year, to keep it fun and interesting? How would you bring it into other subjects? Edited January 22, 2011 by helena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardening momma Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 I don't think it's too late. I became fascinated with fairytales somewhere in my teens. I have a pretty large collection of fairytale books now. I still add to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelanieM Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 Why not ask her what she thinks? She's old enough to tell you if she thinks the theme is too young for her, or not interesting enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helena Posted January 22, 2011 Author Share Posted January 22, 2011 I don't think it's too late. I became fascinated with fairytales somewhere in my teens. I have a pretty large collection of fairytale books now. I still add to it. Is there anything that I must find? I'm a second hand book fiend shopping fool. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirch Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 I don't think it's too old! Think of all the cool things you could explore at that age . . . how some tales appear in different cultures all around the world, deeper/underlying themes that younger children might not get, examining how some modern books or movies have those same stories and how they are similar/different from traditional versions . . . lots of possibilities! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helena Posted January 22, 2011 Author Share Posted January 22, 2011 Why not ask her what she thinks? She's old enough to tell you if she thinks the theme is too young for her, or not interesting enough. Unfortunately, she's one of those kids who shrugs her shoulders and says "I dunno, sure... I guess" to everything. Well.. I just asked her and she said "Uh, I don't know".:glare: She does enjoy many things I choose for school, and she does have a good attitude in class... she's just hard to pin down. And I feel out of the "older kid" loop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardening momma Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 Is there anything that I must find? I'm a second hand book fiend shopping fool. :001_smile: I just packed up a lot of books, because we're trying to get the house ready to sell. I have quite a few fairytale collection books--just story after story after story, often fairytales that you've never heard of before (classic stories. Not Disney's versions). I'd look for things like that. Some that come to mind are the books by Andrew Lang--The Blue Fairy Book, The Yellow Fairy Book, The Pink Fairy Book, etc... You can find books pertaining to one culture--Russian Fairy Tales, English Fairy Tales, French Fairy Tales, etc... I have a few of those kind. I also really like Gail Carson Levine's books. They're retellings of popular fairy tales. Fairest, Ella Enchanted, The Two Princesses of Bamarre, The Princess Test, The Fairy's Mistake, etc... Cameron Dokey writes some good ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helena Posted January 22, 2011 Author Share Posted January 22, 2011 I don't think it's too old! Think of all the cool things you could explore at that age . . . how some tales appear in different cultures all around the world, deeper/underlying themes that younger children might not get, examining how some modern books or movies have those same stories and how they are similar/different from traditional versions . . . lots of possibilities! Yay!!! That does sound good, doesn't it?? I'm going to edit my first post to ask how I could make it more challenging for an older kid. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardening momma Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 Yay!!! That does sound good, doesn't it??I'm going to edit my first post to ask how I could make it more challenging for an older kid. Thanks! Depending on where she is in creative writing, you could have her read a classic fairy tale--either one she's heard of or one she hasn't, and have her rewrite it a couple of different ways. Or give an alternate ending. Or give her an alternate middle--what would have happened in the story if the characters did this instead of that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelanieM Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 Unfortunately, she's one of those kids who shrugs her shoulders and says "I dunno, sure... I guess" to everything. Ah yes. I have an 8 yo like that. Kind of a blessing and a curse, eh? Nice to have them be content with whatever you offer up, but sometimes you just want to know what will excite them! Well, I don't have an older kid so I'm not in touch there either... but I think the idea sounds very exciting and I bet you could have an amazing time with this! Of course then you'll have to share all the details with the rest of us so we know how to follow in your footsteps. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardening momma Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 ETA: Do you have any suggestions for doing fairytales with older kids? What would you do to stretch it over a year, to keep it fun and interesting? How would you bring it into other subjects? Geography: Mark on a map where this story took place (she might have to research where the story originated). What other countries have a version of the same story? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funschooler5 Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 I think it's a great idea! My 7th grader loves fairy tales. You can get the original "more grim" tales if you think things are going to be too easy. But we also enjoy the lighter illustrated tales, and reading different versions of the same story. I figure, if I'm getting something out of it, I'm sure my oldest is too. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardening momma Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 Cameron Dokey writes some good ones. The Cameron Dokey books are part of a series called Once Upon a Time. Other authors write books for this series also. I have Golden (Rapunzel), Beauty Sleep (Sleeping Beauty), Before Midnight (Cinderella), The Story Teller's Daughter (Arabian Nights) and Snow by Tracy Lynn (Snow White)--I didn't care for this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Unfortunately, she's one of those kids who shrugs her shoulders and says "I dunno, sure... I guess" to everything. Well.. I just asked her and she said "Uh, I don't know".:glare: She does enjoy many things I choose for school, and she does have a good attitude in class... she's just hard to pin down. And I feel out of the "older kid" loop. Maybe you need to write her one of those "Do you want to do fairy tales? CIRCLE ONE: Yes/No" notes that teens are so fond of hehe. I'd leave it up to her at that age- my 5th grader definitely still likes fairy tales. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephanier.1765 Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 "If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales."-Einstein I just read the best fairy tale! (yes, I'm that excited because it was so good) It's called In Search for Wondla and written for 5th-8th graders but really excellent for all ages. I told my 14 yo SON about how much I enjoyed it so he picked it up, read it in a day and totally loved it too. Can't recommend it too highly. Oh, if you are wondering why I was even reading a book at that level, it's because the librarian recommended it to me because she had loved it so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomOfOneFunOne Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 You could collect versions. There are lots of different versions from different cultures of the same tale. I can think of several Cinderella tales including Korean, Native American, Chinese, Itallian as well as the plain white princess version. We've also run across different cultural versions of beauty and the beast and several others that aren't coming to mind just now. My 11 year old LOVES fairy tales. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 My 12yo is fascinated by fairy tales. She likes to read the really grim (or Grimm now that I think of it) ones and then search to see if there are others across cultures. I'm not sure how she happened on that but she's been doing it for about a year (shortly after she ended the Greek myth period). My 9yo still likes them too so I don't think they are too old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalknot Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 My 12yo is fascinated by fairy tales. She likes to read the really grim (or Grimm now that I think of it) ones and then search to see if there are others across cultures. I'm not sure how she happened on that but she's been doing it for about a year (shortly after she ended the Greek myth period). My 9yo still likes them too so I don't think they are too old. :iagree:! Grimm's Fairy Tales are what I have planned to cover during my eldest's middle school years (when I'm doing standard fairy tales with my younger kids). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helena Posted January 23, 2011 Author Share Posted January 23, 2011 Thanks everyone! I just remembered that I have a set of nice maps I never opened or used. I'll mount them on a cork board so the girls can put pins in where the story came from. So many great ideas!! :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 (edited) Oh, as for ideas: You could also ask her to write new endings to the fairy tales, or to write modern day versions of the stories, if she likes writing. You could ask her to design a poster (or "book jacket" or "movie poster" or some such, or just draw her own illustrations, for the fairy tales, if she likes drawing. Or some other craft if she likes crafts but not drawing, maybe some sort of sculpture or something else that reminds her of the fairy tale. You could ask her to do a dramatic reading of the fairy tale and video tape it or to design a costume and do a skit/play from the fairy tale (with your 5th grader?), if she likes drama/theater. You could challenge her to memorize passages/portions of the fairy tale and recite it to you without looking. You could learn more about the origins or authors. You could read this article, called "The Science of Fairy Tales" http://www.livescience.com/strangenews/080211-fairytales-science.html You could check out these "Fairy Tales For Teens" http://www.epl.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=587:fairy-tales-retold-for-teens&catid=75:young-adult&Itemid=304 If she likes to knit there's a book called "Fairy Tale Knits" http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Fairy-Tale-Knits/A-Stewart-Guinee/e/9780470262689 (it's like kids clothes but maybe she could even sell them or something!) Is she into computers/Photoshop? This site tells how to "create your own fairytale scene" in photoshop: http://10steps.sg/tutorials/photoshop/creating-you-own-fairytale-scene/ Edited January 23, 2011 by NanceXToo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelanieM Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 This thread is making me want to do a huge fairy tale unit study of our own. What great ideas you all have! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helena Posted January 23, 2011 Author Share Posted January 23, 2011 Oh, as for ideas: You could also ask her to write new endings to the fairy tales, or to write modern day versions of the stories, if she likes writing. You could ask her to design a poster (or "book jacket" or "movie poster" or some such, or just draw her own illustrations, for the fairy tales, if she likes drawing. Or some other craft if she likes crafts but not drawing, maybe some sort of sculpture or something else that reminds her of the fairy tale. You could ask her to do a dramatic reading of the fairy tale and video tape it or to design a costume and do a skit/play from the fairy tale (with your 5th grader?), if she likes drama/theater. You could challenge her to memorize passages/portions of the fairy tale and recite it to you without looking. You could learn more about the origins or authors. You could read this article, called "The Science of Fairy Tales" http://www.livescience.com/strangenews/080211-fairytales-science.html You could check out these "Fairy Tales For Teens" http://www.epl.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=587:fairy-tales-retold-for-teens&catid=75:young-adult&Itemid=304 If she likes to knit there's a book called "Fairy Tale Knits" http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Fairy-Tale-Knits/A-Stewart-Guinee/e/9780470262689 (it's like kids clothes but maybe she could even sell them or something!) Is she into computers/Photoshop? This site tells how to "create your own fairytale scene" in photoshop: http://10steps.sg/tutorials/photoshop/creating-you-own-fairytale-scene/ I like your ideas, thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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