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NPR is starting a 'back-seat book club' (ages 9-14); first author is Neil Gaiman


Stacia
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A friend of mine (from another board & GoodReads) made me aware of the following: NPR is starting a 'backseat book club' for kids ages 9-14. The first book they are covering is The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. You can listen to Neil Gaiman read the book in its entirety here. The dc & I listened to chapter 1 today & it's awesome to hear Gaiman reading it. The dc loved it (as I knew they would). We're looking forward to listening to the rest of the book, then tuning in for NPR's program w/ Neil Gaiman on Oct. 28.

Edited by Stacia
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DH & I read it this summer. We currently have it out from the library in audiobook format at the request of dd#2 (audiobook fiend). They are enjoying it, but it has some disturbing elements. (Coraline, IMO, has some disturbing elements, too. Each family has different limits, but I wouldn't say it is appropriate for most five year olds.)

 

I thought the article linked said NG would be on Friday the 28th??

 

"And be sure to listen to All Things Considered on Friday, Oct. 28. Just in time for Halloween, Gaiman will be on the program to chat about his book and answer some of your questions."
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So I take it this book wouldn't be appropriate for a 5 year old? Is it dark?

 

Personally, no, I think it's too much for a 5yo. Ymmv, though.

 

I thought the article linked said NG would be on Friday the 28th??

 

Oh, wow, I'm SO glad you pointed that out! (I corrected my original post.) D'oh! :tongue_smilie: And, thanks!

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LOVE IT!!!

 

Thanks for this info!

 

my ds8 loves The Graveyard Book and Coraline and Stardust. (I can't wait to get him into The Sandman)

 

I wouldn't read them to my 4 year old. I'd definitely wait on the Gaiman for little kids.

 

EDIT: Just remembered (how could i forget?)--- Gaiman for a 5 year old or smaller--- try I Traded My Dad For Two Goldfish and Prayer For A Blueberry Girl.

Edited by Walking-Iris
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Fun! Thank you! Does anyone know what time the show comes on?

 

eta: i just replied to another thread too. I thought maybe I was losing my mind..lol...but I see there are 2 threads on the same topic, duh.

Edited by kwg
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Fun! Thank you! Does anyone know what time the show comes on?

 

eta: i just replied to another thread too. I thought maybe I was losing my mind..lol...but I see there are 2 threads on the same topic, duh.

 

You will need to check your local progam listings. If you miss it, I think you will be able to hear the program later through the webpage: http://www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered/

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Could someone please compare it's dark/scary style to Narnia, Chronicles of Prydain, or the Hobbit. My ds (almost 8) has read those, but they were in the juvenile section of the library and The Graveyard Book is in the young adult section, which makes me a bit nervous.

 

Ruth in NZ

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I didn't think Narnia books were scary. I read The Hobbit when I was an adult, but I'm thinking it wasn't disturbing. Never heard of the other book you mentioned.

 

At the beginning, the main character's entire family is murdered. I especially pointed out this section to my oldest, who tends to spell things out in her story very clearly. She would have written something like, "Jack killed the mom, the dad, and the older sister. When he went to stab the baby, it wasn't in the crib." Gaiman spends pages on describing this without saying anything about killing or stabbing. Good writing.

 

But that isn't very disturbing, IMO, compared to the part(s) later about the creature buried in the mound under the graveyard. The "indigo man" sections are scary. If you read Coraline & felt it was okay for a five year old, you might not mind this one. But it is like taking the section of Coraline where she is going in between the two houses (where she senses this area is REALLY OLD, etc.) and expanding it into several chapters - with details.

 

FWIW, my five year old did just fine with Coraline & will hear some of this audiotape. But my eight year old wouldn't have done well with it even last year.

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Aarg! We listened to the whole of All Things Considered on our local station and the Back-seat book club segment was cut off for the "California Report". The link to the radio station worked well, though, and was actually easier to hear than the radio.

 

The next book is "The Phantom Tollbooth".

 

:)

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