KeriJ Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 My 8 year old dd LOVES to read. She spends hours reading and flies through chapter books. She had been very happy with book suggestions from SL, HOD, etc. until recently. Then she found the Mandie books, the Boxcar Children, and the Happy Hollisters. It's not that I have a problem with these books....I know they are not junk or anything. but she is obsessed with them. She checks out about 8 from the library each week and flies through them. I didn't have a problem with it at first, but now it has gotten to the point where she scorns anything else. I know I'm the mommy and I can "make" her read something else. But I'm just trying to figure out how I want to approach it at this point. Today I told her she had to finish the book I gave her before she read any of the ones she picked out. But I hate that she is developing an attitude about other really great books. I'm not sure what my question is, just kind of venting and seeing if others have had similar experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 My dd has gone through similar obsessions, (with some even lower-quality books :glare:), but each has passed. I've tended to just ride it out, and found that she will devour an entire shelf-full, but then get bored with them and move on. She reads plenty of good stuff in between obsessive jags, so I just ride out the streaks of pseudo-lit and don't even say a word. I'm not anxious to turn book selection into a power struggle. This too shall pass, I think :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2boys030507 Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 My oldest has done this. At that point, I set up literature for school. I have to approve the book and reserve the right to assign books. If my son gets into a series and it is taking over everything else then it gets moved out of our school literature time but he can still read it on his own. This has really helped us not have the battle over books that I want him to read and it has expanded what he is reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 There may be a lot of them, but I think they'll eventually run out. It may just be a phase. Admission : I read Nancy Drew as a kid, and my sister loved Sweet Valley High. We both finished college and stayed out of prison, and read a lot to this day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amethyst Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 I hear ya. I never banned books for my two older boys. I allowed them to read whatever they wanted and they would choose some great books, some good books, and some books that I would not have chosen for them. But it worked out fine because they read a variety. Not so with my girls, especially my 14 year old. She just prefers formulaic books. Ugh. I let it go for a really long time. I didn't want to force her to read the good stuff thinking that it would turn her off from reading. But now, unfortunately, I do have to assign books. Otherwise her booklist at the end of the year would be filled with nothing but Sarah Dessen books and the like. I would suggest to you that you wait a little while (a year or so) and see if she just gets bored with this type of books before you start forcing her to read certain books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeannpal Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 I like the CM philosophy for the most part, but I really don't understand the aversion to twaddle if children are exposed to and reading other kinds of books. We all need a little twaddle occasionally. I know I certainly don't read just classic books. Personally, I enjoy reading a magazine or mystery now and then. But, then, I wouldn't call the books your daughter is reading "twaddle" anyway. Seems like you have instilled a love of reading in your daughter, and a little light reading is not a bad thing:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
didadeewiththree Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 We are having this same issue right now...only my 7 almost 8 year old wants to read Junie B Jones books still, which she has been reading since Kindergarten. She's an excellent reader and is reading at about a fifth grade level(I know this from testing her throughout the school year) and although I will pick books out and highly suggest them to her, she doesnt pick them up off the shelf unless I make her. I do make her read aloud various books we are working on, such as Little House on the Prairie, but unless I assign it, she doesnt want to read anything else. She reads the same one over and over during free reading time. It's hard for me because I want her to love to read whatever interests her and create a lifetime habit of loving to read, but I cringe thinking about what she is reading. I actually told her today, after she polished off Junie B Jones is Graduation Girl, that I was going to start picking her books from my Sonlight list if she didnt mix things up a bit and try choosing other books from the shelf. She didnt like that idea.:glare: I know Im no help, but just wanted to let you know your not the only mom out there with the same prob:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momma aimee Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 can you make a list of book you'd like her to read and let her choose from that list; then alternate one of your's one of her's -- but letting her choose from your list. Not sure I'd call Box Car Children and so on twaddle though, i think of the movie-made-into-book Disney princesses when i think of twaddle, jmo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhudson Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Mine have to read one classic a week from a list I have but after that I would let them read "fun" reading, although I am picky about what "fun" reading is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 (edited) We allow unlimited self selected reading. Some of this is pretty high quality (he reads a lot of non-fiction) but other stuff is what I call brain popcorn- below his reading level or just formulaic serials. Like Boxcar Children, Wimpy Kid, A-Z Mysteries, Hardy Boys, Magic Schoolbus etc. Or it is re-reading a quality book over and over again. However, he has to choose our read alouds from a parent filtered selection and we assign literature books for school. Don't make it stressful. Just seperate the school lit from the for fun read whatever stuff. Try reading aloud from a quality book that is just above her reading level. Mixed in with the quality children's and classic literature, I read every single Babysitters Club, Nancy Drew and Sweet Valley book that was out when I was a kid and somehow managed high school and college lit with honors and I read a vast range of books as an adult. Denying me these "fun", admittedly low level and rather dumb books would have just made me rebel. ETA: I think I was done with the series stuff when I was about 12 or 13? Edited February 22, 2012 by kijipt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
srs Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Mixed in with the quality children's and classic literature, I read every single Babysitters Club, Nancy Drew and Sweet Valley book that was out when I was a kid and somehow managed high school and college lit with honors and I read a vast range of books as an adult. Denying me these "fun", admittedly low level and rather dumb books would have just made me rebel. This was me too, and I'm really glad no one stopped me. I still need some low level formulaic books once in a while. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 This is fairly normal. I do talk to my kids about the kinds of things they should not read (for example, romance novels that involve elaborate descriptions of making out). I don't control twaddle much other than poking fun at it, discussing the features of formula fiction with dd and ds, and filling their school reading with the finest literature possible. The school stuff elevates their skills as well as their tastes and bleeds over into the things they choose to read from the library (or at least that's the theory ;)). As another poster suggested, now that your dd is reading fluently, this may be a good time to have an official school literature list that you control while still letting her read some fluffy stuff on her own time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stratford Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Even I like the Happy Hollisters....:blushing: I don't mind (within reason) what my kids want to read on their time. They read enough "high quality" stuff with school and read-alouds. I read quite a few series as a newer reader and thoroughly enjoyed them. It fueled my love of reading and eventually I moved on to higher level books. No harm in them that I can see. Sure as snot beats television. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess4879 Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Honestly, I do this even as an adult. I have always been an avid reader and I will get "stuck" on a certain author or series and want to devour every book I can get my hands on. Imagine my let down when the series comes to an end?? :eek: I would honestly just let her new little obsession run it's course. I am sure she'll find something else soon enough to 'sink her teeth into.' :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 I have a friend who had reluctant readers. She would pick out a book she thought would appeal to her child and read the first chapter or two to him. Then she would leave it laying around, and it wouldn't be long before he would read the rest on his own. Maybe this approach would help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warneral Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Huh I kinda thought boxcar children & happy hollisters were good classics.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeriJ Posted February 23, 2012 Author Share Posted February 23, 2012 I like the CM philosophy for the most part, but I really don't understand the aversion to twaddle if children are exposed to and reading other kinds of books. We all need a little twaddle occasionally. I know I certainly don't read just classic books. Personally, I enjoy reading a magazine or mystery now and then. But, then, I wouldn't call the books your daughter is reading "twaddle" anyway. Seems like you have instilled a love of reading in your daughter, and a little light reading is not a bad thing:) I know. I don't really either. :) I'm mostly just concerned about the fact that she acts like it is a huge chore to read anything else at all. It reminds me of Bread and Jam for Francis...where she only ate bread and jam for every meal. :) Thankfully Francis ended up ready for more variety eventually. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeriJ Posted February 23, 2012 Author Share Posted February 23, 2012 I just wanted to repeat that I know these are good books. I think I have just developed a temporary aversion to them because she rejects everything else. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Well, if you look on my Kindle app, you'll see a bunch of classics, educational books-and, currently, three Goldy Bear Culinary mysteries-the local library recently had the whole series donated to their e-book checkout, and I'm quite enjoying them. And I'd say they're probably more "Twaddle" than the Boxcar children :). I follow the same practice other parents do-for self-selected reading, I let my DD read almost anything providing that it's content-appropriate (I won't let her read "Twilight", for example-a 7 yr old doesn't need to read teen romance novels with or without vampires), but for school and for read-alouds, we stick to more meaty stuff-and I DO make sure that what we keep at home permanently is the more "meaty" stuff, and that the series/genre books that she can read three of in an afternoon come from the library. I will also say that using the kindle app on an iPod touch has helped get her to read better books, simply because when she needs an new book, and goes to the e-checkout in our local library, usually she doesn't find much that's interesting unless she puts it on reserve and waits a couple of weeks. But she can go to the "always available" classic books and read the blurbs and find something she likes the sound of. I think about half of the ones she's "checked out" that way are books that we had on the shelf at home that she'd previously ignored :tongue_smilie:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caribbean Queen Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Many people have grown out of Goosebumps and The Babysitter's Club. and gotten into tabloid magazines and other "lite" reading. Sure, some people read both twaddle and good books, but many only read twaddle. They will never get tired of twaddle. They aren't going to give up Bodice Rippers of Lust and pick up The Pilgrims Progess. Books that aren't twaddle are too hard for them to understand and bore them. Since the OP's daughter chooses only twadlle, and dislikes good literature, I like this suggestion. My If my son gets into a series and it is taking over everything else then it gets moved out of our school literature time but he can still read it on his own. My children don't know about twaddle chapter book series. I pick out their books for them. It's a blessing of having a very small public library. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warneral Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 I just wanted to repeat that I know these are good books. I think I have just developed a temporary aversion to them because she rejects everything else. :) I see your point. Boxcar children has 100 books in the series and that is all a kid read, they wouldn't be challenged. I guess I took it personally because I have been proud of ds9 who is on his thirteenth boxcar over the span of months. I find these much better than Geronimo Stilton or Star Wars and a myriad of other junk that kids in public school are reading. It all is about perspective! It is good to challenge and guide them out of their comfort zone. I have encouraged my daughter to read The Trumpet of the Swan and Stuart Little as she tends to want to just get loads of picture books instead of something she could tackle and enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeriJ Posted February 23, 2012 Author Share Posted February 23, 2012 I see your point. Boxcar children has 100 books in the series and that is all a kid read, they wouldn't be challenged. I guess I took it personally because I have been proud of ds9 who is on his thirteenth boxcar over the span of months. I find these much better than Geronimo Stilton or Star Wars and a myriad of other junk that kids in public school are reading. It all is about perspective! It is good to challenge and guide them out of their comfort zone. I have encouraged my daughter to read The Trumpet of the Swan and Stuart Little as she tends to want to just get loads of picture books instead of something she could tackle and enjoy. I agree. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momma aimee Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Huh I kinda thought boxcar children & happy hollisters were good classics.... :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Honestly, I'd be thrilled if my kid could read that level of chapter books at all at 8 y.o., but I probably would also have some kind of required reading time (around 30 min. a day) that correlated with our history or lit. study. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 I find these much better than Geronimo Stilton Well, I took a page from NMoira and got my son Geronimo Stilton books to read from the library. I get my kids both lite reading and heavier fare, but I think they are exposed via read alouds and books on CD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Hiding in bed or lying under a tree with The Happy Hollisters or The Boxcar Childre, are some of my fondest childhood memories. I eventually moved on. Let her go.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyrjoy Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Well, my kids have gone through stages. Now, my DD8 is definitely more of a reader and right now she is reading the Mandie books I had when I was a kid. I LOVED those and loved reading about anything! And yes, I kept my Mandie book collection all these years! HA! Good thing, too, because she is reading them right and left. Just keep a balance. I let her read the Mandie book outside of school, and we have literature for school that is for separate reading time. I don't really see anything wrong with reading other books- I think there are treasures of imagination to be found in a multitude of books! Other "twaddle-ish" books may just spark an interest in something else that leads to MORE reading, and so forth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatholicMom Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 If my kids were obsessed with reading the Boxcar Children I would be THRILLED. :tongue_smilie: They are just now (ages 7 & 8) reading the Magic Treehouse books without a lot of fuss and seem to remember what happened and enjoy it and then other times they shrug and act like they don't care if they ever read another one. It's weird. I would love for them to love reading and pick up books to READ (not just look at) on their own. Point being, as long as what she's reading isn't junk or inappropriate (which I don't think The Boxcar Children is! I love them! The kids are virtuous, etc, etc) I would just let her go. However, you could introduce a new "class" where she learns how to write mini book reports or something and for that "class," keep a list of books she can choose from to read in order to complete her "reports." It would be educational, and a good excuse to get her to at least sample other books once a week or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 I started our "mother-daughter book club" in part for this reason. DD9 was beginning to gravitate only toward twaddle-ish books and turn her nose up at anything even remotely more challenging (even though she's completely capable). So I refrained from comment on her personal reading and put together a list of literature I want her to read. We each get a copy, and we read concurrently. At some point during each book, I take her out to breakfast and we talk about the book (and other stuff :tongue_smilie:). So far so good--she's finally begun to accept that I was once a 9-year-old girl who devoured books and know whereof I speak! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeidiKC Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Yes, have had the same problem. I guess my main issue was that I was afraid he'd miss out on so many really great books if he stuck to just Hardy Boys, even Percy Jackson, etc. So I did require him to do some books that I chose. I'm trying to think how I did it...but I think it was one summer and I had a list of books I'd chosen, and I required he read so many pages or 2 hours or whatever before he read his books. That might be easier - so she still gets her Boxcar fix every day, but she has to read some of the book you've chosen first. I think a good approach is to tell her that you're so happy she has found series that she loves, but you don't want her to miss out on the tons of GREAT and famous books for 8yos (you said she was 8, right?!). So you've "got a fun, new idea up your sleeve that should please both of you"... (enter your reading plan!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aspasia Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 I started our "mother-daughter book club" in part for this reason. DD9 was beginning to gravitate only toward twaddle-ish books and turn her nose up at anything even remotely more challenging (even though she's completely capable). So I refrained from comment on her personal reading and put together a list of literature I want her to read. We each get a copy, and we read concurrently. At some point during each book, I take her out to breakfast and we talk about the book (and other stuff :tongue_smilie:). So far so good--she's finally begun to accept that I was once a 9-year-old girl who devoured books and know whereof I speak! I love this idea! Thanks for sharing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeriJ Posted February 24, 2012 Author Share Posted February 24, 2012 I love this idea! Thanks for sharing. :) Me too! Great idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 I love this idea! Thanks for sharing. :) Me too! Great idea! Thanks :D It has worked out really well for both of us. I love sharing my favorites with her, and we have a few new-to-me books on our list as well, so I get to discover some new things too. And she loves the one-on-one attention. It's been fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warneral Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Well, I took a page from NMoira and got my son Geronimo Stilton books to read from the library. I get my kids both lite reading and heavier fare, but I think they are exposed via read alouds and books on CD. Sorry - They are creative books, but I'm not a fan of the comic-book style :) My boy gets them occasionally, but I'm trying to steer him to the joy of reading stories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 DS1 reads plenty of higher level books, but he also enjoys a good series book. Right now he's into The Warriors and is reading the most recent Seekers book that just came out (both by Erin Hunter). He read lots and lots of Boxcar Children a year or two ago, and Geronimo Stilton. However, he has always managed to mix in much more challenging selections. If he didn't, I'd just offer some up, or do more read alouds, etc. with him. I don't limit what he wants to read because he manages to find a good mix IMO. I like some fluff here and there too. When he's stuck in a rut with a series or I want him to try some other things, a trip to the local used book store seems to get him interested in non-twaddle again. He also is pretty happy to read some classics on his Nook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In the Rain Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 I started our "mother-daughter book club" in part for this reason. DD9 was beginning to gravitate only toward twaddle-ish books and turn her nose up at anything even remotely more challenging (even though she's completely capable). So I refrained from comment on her personal reading and put together a list of literature I want her to read. We each get a copy, and we read concurrently. At some point during each book, I take her out to breakfast and we talk about the book (and other stuff :tongue_smilie:). So far so good--she's finally begun to accept that I was once a 9-year-old girl who devoured books and know whereof I speak! Fun idea! I should do something like this with my youngest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasda Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 My kiddo went through this. The books eventually were all read. I still assigned other books that were twaddle-free during this time. It all worked out in the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinE Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 My son consumes the series books, but for school, I assign a weekly literature book chosen from Sonlight, SOTW, or other top books lists. He has a week to finish it, but is usually done by Monday or Tuesday. To make sure he finishes it, I require 30 minutes reading daily until he's done. He also isn't done with school on Friday until it's finished. This has really expanded his book selection and on the next library trip, he usually picks out books by the same author. The more I do this, the more he trusts my book selections for lighter reads. I don't usually read books from his preferred genres, but I spend some time looking for good books that will interest him. Good readers tend to consume an author's booklist, then flounder around, searching for new books. Ask your librarian, ask the Hive, expand her horizons, but let her read the series books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotAVampireLvr Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 (edited) With DS(7) who has finally begun devouring books, I allow him to read to whatever he wants in his free time, but like OP said, pick what he reads during assigned reading time. He also sits with us during read alouds, which are 75% books I've chosen. Magic Treehouse (PUKE) and Geronimo Stilton are what got him motivated to read in the first place, so I'm not about to take them away when he's just discovering his love for books. Eventually he'll figure out that these books are all the same plot just switched up a bit... of course admittedly I myself read all the Nancy Drew books I could get my hands on at the library. It drove my mom crazy! She was so happy when I decided to put them down and make the leap from Nancy Drew to Anne Shirley. DH and I understand the need for great literature and want our kids to experience reading the same level of books we had growing up. That said, we are both twaddle-readers ourselves during our free time. I usually am reading one non-twaddle book, and in the time it takes to complete that I may have read 3-4 historical romances. DH is the same way - he usually has an economics or current events book he's reading ... along with a TON of fantasy books in between. Edited March 5, 2012 by NotAVampireLvr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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