cin Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 I posted on the Special Needs Board, but I figured you guys have experience with kiddie lit too :D I bought the Kolbe Curriculum and was planning on using it for lit this year. We read Black Beauty and that went great. Then we moved to A Wrinkle in Time. That had some spooky stuff in it, so we skipped that one. My Side of the Mountain couldn't be read because it talks about running away. For some reason, that freaks her out. So I'm going to start pre-reading, because I honestly don't remember anything scary about the books, but I wasn't reading them from her perspective. But because I don't have time to sit and read all day (much to your surprise, I'm sure!!) I'm going to ask you all for a small preview of these books: The Hobbit Island of the Blue Dophins Heidi Captains Courageous Kon Tiki Misty Chincoteague Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh Old Yeller Bronze Bow Old Yeller Great Brain Witch of Blackbird Pond White Fang Yearling Red Fern Grows We haven't yet had a problem with animal deaths. I'm also going to take a look at the Ambleside reading list. If any of you have recommendations from that, please let me know! I recommended Anne of Green Gables and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farms, but some of that TRUE 10 yr old came out. Since mom recommended it, NO. And while I was frustrated, I was also glad to see a bit of normalcy. TIA for any information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 For my anxious child, I would say Heidi should be ok, as well as Witch of Blackbird Pond. They both have some intense scenes, but nothing mine couldn't handle. Hobbit has some scary parts, though it's an amazing read. NIMH can be quite scary. Old Yeller is quite depressing, for me, but I can't handle animal death books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cin Posted February 19, 2012 Author Share Posted February 19, 2012 For my anxious child, I would say Heidi should be ok, as well as Witch of Blackbird Pond. They both have some intense scenes, but nothing mine couldn't handle. Hobbit has some scary parts, though it's an amazing read. NIMH can be quite scary. Old Yeller is quite depressing, for me, but I can't handle animal death books. Forgot to ask specifically, is Heidi about an orphan? We can't do orphan books right now, either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 Yes, she is. If that is an issue, definitely avoid The Witch... and Heidi. Both are about orphans. I could be totally wrong, but I think Island of the Blue Dolphins is, pretty much, too. What about the Laura Ingalls Wilder books? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 Heidi is an orphan, but she has an aunt (who basically drops her off at her grandfather's on the Alm). It's a wonderful book, one of my favorites, but I do understand the orphan part. Her grandfather takes great care of her, but she is made to leave him by her aunt and spends a good deal of the time trying to get back to him (not trying as in running away, but just hoping she can leave Frankfort). The best part, for our family, was that Heidi can see how God used her time in Frankfort to benefit not only Heidi (she learns to read) but her grandfather (he learns how much he loves her, and learns to forgive, too, and become a member of the community again) and Peter's family (they benefit because the Frankfort family is wealthy and helpful), not to mention Clara (who learns to walk again in the mountain air). I LOVE Witch of BP. It's one of my favorite books ever. I waited with my dd because it's a love story of sorts, also. ETA--oh yeah, she is an orphan but she has an aunt and uncle who take her in. I would not do Island of the Blue Dolphins with a sensitive child--Karana is abandoned by her people accidently and they never come and find her, tho she does get off the island with others eventually (YEARS later). Her brother dies at first, and there is much danger. I did like it, tho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saw Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 Don't read Island of the Blue Dolphins. I saw part of the movie when I was a child and am still traumatized (kidding, but not by much!). I seem to remember that Where the Red Fern Grows also upset me. I remember reading Captains Courageous and enjoying it, and I was pretty sensitive and anxious about books too, so that is probably okay. Are you looking for recommendations for books off the list? S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 Frindle is a good one that's not bad for anxiety. Nothing intense at all happens in that book. Encyclopedia Brown books have been good, IME, also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 DH insists Where the Red Fern Grows is one of the saddest books he read in elementary school. IIRC The Yearling is quite sad, but I have never read that one personally. My sensitive DS1 was fine with Mrs. Frisby, Misty, and The Great Brain books. I have not yet given him some of the others on your list although I've considered several of them. I know he'd be a wreck with Where the Red Fern Grows, Old Yeller, and probably The Yearling. He finds things like Lemony Snickett scary if read before bedtime as a point of reference. He recently read the first Harry Potter and just started the 2nd, and he handled both of those much better than I anticipated. He's starting to tolerate slightly scary and intense. eta: he's reading The Warriors and has read 6 of The Seekers books and handled those fine before bed even though I think there are deaths in them. He liked Frindle. DS1 just turned 8. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 Misty is good, and there are sequels that are good, too. Just know they have to let Phantom (Misty's mom) go back to the wild at the end. It's done very well, tho. Stormy, Misty's Foal, is the next in the series. There's a hurricane, so it can be a little scary, but it's really good. Don't do The Yearling. He has to kill his pet deer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 I refuse to read Where the Red Fern grows. It's too sad. Avoid Bridge to Terabithia as well, you probably already know about that one. The Great Brain books, in one a child gets lost in the caves. It has momentary sadness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 (edited) DH insists Where the Red Fern Grows is one of the saddest books he read in elementary school. IIRC The Yearling is quite sad, but I have never read that one personally. My sensitive DS1 was fine with Mrs. Frisby, Misty, and The Great Brain books. I have not yet given him some of the others on your list although I've considered several of them. I know he'd be a wreck with Where the Red Fern Grows, Old Yeller, and probably The Yearling. As a point of reference, he finds things like Lemony Snickett scary if read before bedtime. He recently read the first Harry Potter and just started the 2nd, and he handled both of those much better than I anticipated. He's starting to tolerate slightly scary and intense. DS1 just turned 8. Some other books I can think of that he enjoyed (may not be the correct reading level for your DC): Thornton Burgess books, Tum Tum and Nutmeg, The Twenty One Balloons, The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles (loved this), Homer Price, Abel's Island (I think there is a death but he was fine with it), The Secret Garden, Harriet the Spy, The Mad Scientists' Club, and Pippi. He enjoyed My Side of the Mountain too. I think different kids perceive different concepts in books as too scary or intense, so these may or may not be tolerated by your DD. I'm sometimes surprised at what DS1 does and does not find scary. Edited February 19, 2012 by Momof3littles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 Anne has a rough start in life. She is an orphan and lives in two awful homes and then an orphanage before moving to Green Gables. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 The Hobbit-a hobbit (stand-in for Everyman) goes on an adventure. He meets trolls, orcs, Smeagol and a dragon along the way. Island of the Blue Dophins-girl is stranded on an island. Heidi-Her parents are dead, she lives with her aunt who takes Heidi to live with her cantankerous grandfather. Captains Courageous-spoiled boy falls off a fancy ship and is picked up by a fishing boat. He has to work to earn his keep until they return to port. Kon Tiki-true story of Thor Heyerdahl's ocean voyage on a raft. Misty of Chincoteague-family raises a horse that was born wild. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh-a field mouse (whose husband is dead) is trying to save her home from the plow. It involves quite a few creepy bits. Old Yeller-family dog gets rabies and has to be put down. Bronze Bow-Boy seeks revenge against the Romans who crucify his father and uncle in front of him. Great Brain-These are issue-driven books. Poverty, racism, disease, etc feature prominently, IMO. Witch of Blackbird Pond-this one has a pretty complicated plot. Teen girl moves from Barbados to a Puritan town after her parents die. It is boring, She gets in trouble for things like teaching the wrong kids or putting on a Biblical play. Eventually, one of her friends is accused of being a witch and the town plans to burn her house, etc. White Fang-A wolf-dog learns to live with man. Yearling-family raises a deer, which the boy eventually has to kill. Red Fern Grows-boy raises coon dogs-this one is so, so sad. It is the saddest of the dead animal books, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 How about Beyond the Pawpaw Trees? Newly back in print. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMK Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 Hi, I just wanted to add some comments about The Great Brain (there is more than one book but this comment references the first one). We read it for book club a few months ago and here is the spoiler alert I sent to the parents who were not planning on reading it with their kids: ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ One of the characters (a child) attempts suicide with the assistance of the one of the main characters. They discuss why he wants to die, ways to accomplish etc. It all ends well (of course) but there are a few tense pages where the girls were very concerned about what was going to happen. Overall it was a good jumping point for a discussion. However, just thought I would give you a heads up in case you were not reading the book at all. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ In addition to the above storyline, there is one about a boy who is bullied (different than the above character), a man who starves to death (and the community considers it may be because he was Jewish and perhaps they didn't follow up on some concerning signs that they may have had he been someone different). The boys missing in the cave was not as bad (in my opinion) as the above two scenarios. As I was reading this, I was thinking to myself...ugh..I should have skimmed this one first. However, it ended up fine but the girls are ok with intense stuff, we just discuss it afterward. One of the topics that has come up frequently among the parents at our book club is the number of main characters (in children's books that we have read) that are orphaned or have absentee parents. So, maybe having a discussion when you are ready about why the author uses this tool to help the plot may decrease any potential anxiety. Many of the stories we have read would not be the same if the parents were very prominent or even slightly involved. For example: How would the Magic Treehouse Series even survive if the kids' parents followed them into the woods? How would Pippi Longstocking get away with being so outrageous if her parents were around? See what I mean? Sorry that I don't have anything to add about the other books. Hope this helps! LMK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 NO to Old Yeller, The Yearling and Where the Red Fern Grows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 Pippi and the Secret Garden also feature orphans. Harriet the Spy (I read on here recently) features some fairly disturbing thoughts in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In the Rain Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 My dd will be the dissenting voice on Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. She had apparently been unaware of animals being used in laboratories until reading this book. :confused: It was a traumatic revelation, leading to many discussions about the pros and cons of experimentation on animals. I remember loving that book as a child. For her, it was all overshadowed by the lab rats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 The Incredible Journey is a good book, too. What about the Ramona books or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or Wind in the Willows? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.