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Posted

I am teaching a writing co-op this fall and am dumbfounded at what the kids (middle schoolers) have not read! I mention books such as Make Way for Ducklings, Time of Wonder, and Where the Wild Things Are, and get blank looks! Today I used one of Shel Silverstein's books and out of 10 students, only ONE knew whom I was talking about!

 

Would your dc know these books/authors?

 

My mom exposed us to so much great literature, I guess I took for granted that every child has read the same books.

Posted

Honestly, we have 100 books out from the library at any given time.

I cannot say I was the best parent at reading to them, but, to my knowledge, there wasn't a list of books I was supposed to read to them. I just randomly wandered the library and chose books I thought they would like to hear. We have a great children's section and I after 4 children, I cannot say that I have made a dent it the selection. Perhaps if I had had some guidance, I could have chosen better books.

Posted

I just checked with DD11 - she had never heard of any of the books you mentioned or Silverstein. I've heard of Shel Silverstein of course, but the only one I recognized was Where the Wild Things Are and it was a book I did not enjoy (which is probably why DD11 never read it!)

 

Maybe a different list of books would be more familiar for them? Little House in the Big Woods, Trumpet of the Swan, Curious George, Brighty of the Grand Canyon, King of the Wind...

Posted
I just asked my dd if she has heard of those books. I got a blank stare. Yep, we read them all.
Ah, I should have thought that might be the case with my co-op kids! I bet some of them did read them or have them read and they don't remember. Or perhaps the kids didn't request the books to be read a dozen times every day for days...weeks...months on end! I swear these are books my dc can recite, we read them so.many.times.

 

Maybe a different list of books would be more familiar for them? Little House in the Big Woods, Trumpet of the Swan, Curious George, Brighty of the Grand Canyon, King of the Wind...
I'll have to run this list by them next week. I keep threatening them with a literature co-op next, starting with young children's classics!
Posted

I think this just really varies depending on the family and the kids. I've only heard of two of those, so dds have as well. There are kids that haven't heard of many of the books that we've loved for years and vice versa. I don't think it means we haven't been exposed to great literature. It just means we've been exposed to different kinds of great literature.

Posted
I mention books such as Make Way for Ducklings, Time of Wonder, and Where the Wild Things Are, and get blank looks! Today I used one of Shel Silverstein's books and out of 10 students, only ONE knew whom I was talking about!

 

My kid had to read Make Way for Ducklings in Kindergarten for Language Arts. I had not read that book before.

 

They read Where the Wild Things Are because hubby liked the book and they like acting like The Wild Things. However when they reach middle school age, I am sure they would have forgotten they have read those.

Posted

We've read all of them (I think --- not so sure about Time of Wonder though we do own it) but I'm not sure my kids would remember them all if asked. Upon seeing the books they might remember though. Unless they were favorites that were read over and over I wouldn't necessarily except a middle schooler to remember specific picture books. I think we only read Where the Wild Things Are once and I've never seen them grab it to read off the bookshelf either.

 

Shel Silverstien - my daughter has many of his books and loves them - but not sure she'd know who he was just by hearing the name.

Posted

 

There are kids that haven't heard of many of the books that we've loved for years and vice versa. I don't think it means we haven't been exposed to great literature. It just means we've been exposed to different kinds of great literature.
If you are willing to post some titles I would love to find more books to share with my dc!
Posted
We've read all of them (I think --- not so sure about Time of Wonder though we do own it) but I'm not sure my kids would remember them all if asked. Upon seeing the books they might remember though. Unless they were favorites that were read over and over I wouldn't necessarily except a middle schooler to remember specific picture books. I think we only read Where the Wild Things Are once and I've never seen them grab it to read off the bookshelf either.

 

Shel Silverstien - my daughter has many of his books and loves them - but not sure she'd know who he was just by hearing the name.

 

:iagree: I think my kids would have to see the books to remember them. We've read them all, though.

Posted
If you are willing to post some titles I would love to find more books to share with my dc!

 

Some classics I read:

 

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupery

Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett

A Little Princess

Secret Garden

Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo

The Wind in the Willows

The Prince and the Pauper

the Adventures of Tom Sawyer

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

The Three Musketeers

The Man in the Iron Mask

Tale of Two Cities

Swiss Family Robinson

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

 

Poems by Robert Frost

Poems by William Blake

Posted (edited)

I had a 6th grade (previously hs'd ) child of mine say, "My teacher was talking about The Fertile Crescent today. Why didn't you ever tell me about that?"

 

I had to locate the black line maps done by dc before dc believed me.

 

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't keep him from peeing it out.

Edited by LibraryLover
Posted
I am teaching a writing co-op this fall and am dumbfounded at what the kids (middle schoolers) have not read! I mention books such as Make Way for Ducklings, Time of Wonder, and Where the Wild Things Are, and get blank looks! Today I used one of Shel Silverstein's books and out of 10 students, only ONE knew whom I was talking about!

 

Would your dc know these books/authors?

 

My mom exposed us to so much great literature, I guess I took for granted that every child has read the same books.

 

They would only know WTWTA and thats it. Only because I havent read any of those others to them. Yet. :tongue_smilie:

Posted

I think there is a path worn in the carpet at our local library from the sofa in the kids section to the shelf that holds Shel Silverstein's books. Silly boy - we own all of them!

Posted

Have you asked them what they have read? Maybe you could take 5 minutes out of the lesson to have them discuss good books they've read & would recommend to others.

 

 

We haven't read any of the books you mention, but we're British, so have a different list.

Posted
I had a 6th grade (previously hs'd ) child of mine say, "My teacher was talking about The Fertile Crescent today. Why didn't you ever tell me about that?"

 

I had to locate the black line maps done by dc before dc believed me.

 

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't keep him from peeing it out.

 

:lol:

 

OP, they're probably also a lot more likely to remember them if their family has them at home rather than having just heard them a time or two (like if they checked them out of the library).

Posted

Do they have younger siblings? I think kids from large families or from families in which the kids are spread out are more likely to remember picture books.

 

If they were the youngest kids or if they haven't had a small child in their family for years, it might have been 7 or so years since they have encountered the books.

Posted

We've read all of those, more than once and own all but Time of Wonder. I'm not sure ds would remember them though just by name. We've read a ton of picture books though and none of those were favorites. I'd suspect that once we started to read it they would remember though, as often happens.

Posted

I don't think we've read any of those. Even if we had, I doubt DS would remember. He's read so many "big kid" books in the past few years I doubt there's room in his brain to remember the preschool/early elementary books. Plus there are SO many wonderful books out there I wouldn't be making any judgments about kids not having read three of them.

Posted
I had a 6th grade (previously hs'd ) child of mine say, "My teacher was talking about The Fertile Crescent today. Why didn't you ever tell me about that?"

 

I had to locate the black line maps done by dc before dc believed me.

 

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't keep him from peeing it out.

 

That is so funny! :lol:

 

And so true.

 

We read so many great kids' books, but my kids don't remember them all. From time to time something will come up and a kid will say "how come we never read (or did) that?" And it's something we read or did; they just forgot.

 

Never understood the appeal of Shel Silverstein or Maurice Sendak, myself, so I didn't read those to my kids. But then I've never come across anyone who read The Seven Silly Eaters or Fireman Small, two favorites of ours.

Posted
I am teaching a writing co-op this fall and am dumbfounded at what the kids (middle schoolers) have not read! I mention books such as Make Way for Ducklings, Time of Wonder, and Where the Wild Things Are, and get blank looks! Today I used one of Shel Silverstein's books and out of 10 students, only ONE knew whom I was talking about!

 

Would your dc know these books/authors?

 

My mom exposed us to so much great literature, I guess I took for granted that every child has read the same books.

 

I hope they would, but they very well may not.( All of them but Time of Wonder. Never heard of it. Had to Google it. Read other books by same author.) There is so much we did when they were little that they don't have any memory of. Kinda wonder why I bothered sometimes! Oh yeah, it was fun!

Posted

:seeya:

My children would only recognize Make Way for Ducklings...we own the copy that was my dad's when he was a boy.

I never did read them Where the Wild Things Are or any Shel Silverstein (because I didn't like them growing up).

I just came across a great blog on Pinterest that you might like: Teach With Picture Books!

Posted

By the end of middle school we will have ( and have in the past with the older kids ) read through the Newbery Award books that are in print ( and some that are on the net now in kindle form ), and all the Classic Starts books too. Among others. We alternate books of their choice, and books of my choice.

 

My oldest son would have read nothing but Goose Bumps if i didn't alternate with him. ;-)

Posted
That is so funny! :lol:

 

And so true.

 

We read so many great kids' books, but my kids don't remember them all. From time to time something will come up and a kid will say "how come we never read (or did) that?" And it's something we read or did; they just forgot.

 

Never understood the appeal of Shel Silverstein or Maurice Sendak, myself, so I didn't read those to my kids. But then I've never come across anyone who read The Seven Silly Eaters or Fireman Small, two favorites of ours.

 

 

Not familiar with The Seven Silly Eaters, but my youngest loves Fireman Small! We were turned on to it by the librarian who read it every year for Fire Prevention Week storytime.

 

OP, my kids have read all of those/had those read to them. By middle school, I would expect only Make Way for Ducklings to be remembered as we used FIAR. Oldest loves Shel Silverstein, but she may not know him by name only.

Posted

I don't think many kids have read Time of Wonder. I own a copy, by the way.

 

I loved Blueberries for Sal as a kid, and my mom has read our copy of Make Way for Ducklings to my kids during almost every visit!

 

I read Seven Silly Eaters to my kids, and Fireman Small's author also wrote the Mouse and Mole books, which we love.

 

I am a big children's lit fan, and I took two classes on it, but there are still tons of books I haven't read! And my kids have forgotten most of the books that weren't read and reread multiple times.

Posted

 

Past age 2 or 3, DH and I don't enjoy reading picture books aloud at all. Instead, we just read them real literature from the beginning based on things we want to reread ourselves.

 

This makes me sad. Picture books are so valuable in early childhood for so many reasons.

Posted

Past age 2 or 3, DH and I don't enjoy reading picture books aloud at all. Instead, we just read them real literature from the beginning based on things we want to reread ourselves.

 

I think one can find nice picture books with distinctive artwork as well as literary qualities. My mother mostly read to me literature she was reading for herself, from birth, but I think she's come to appreciate a good picture book with my kids.

 

I read chapter books as well. But I love children's lit and art too much to skip it.

Posted
I am teaching a writing co-op this fall and am dumbfounded at what the kids (middle schoolers) have not read! I mention books such as Make Way for Ducklings, Time of Wonder, and Where the Wild Things Are, and get blank looks! Today I used one of Shel Silverstein's books and out of 10 students, only ONE knew whom I was talking about!

 

Would your dc know these books/authors?

 

My dc would know about Make Way for Ducklings and Where the Wild Things Are--both were gifts from their grandmother. They would not be familiar with the other two. At middle school age I wasn't familiar with any of those titles/author either.

Posted

:iagree:

Picture books are so valuable in early childhood for so many reasons.

 

Picture books rock. I never did read them growing up but there is such a wealth of great literature in picture books. Ones that make me cry, laugh, so happy I just smile and smile, beautiful language, beautiful pictures- there is so much beauty out there. Unfortunately what is easiest to find often is quite wretched but with a little looking there is an endless supply of good books that are picture books.

Posted
I am teaching a writing co-op this fall and am dumbfounded at what the kids (middle schoolers) have not read! I mention books such as Make Way for Ducklings, Time of Wonder, and Where the Wild Things Are, and get blank looks! Today I used one of Shel Silverstein's books and out of 10 students, only ONE knew whom I was talking about!

 

Would your dc know these books/authors?

 

My mom exposed us to so much great literature, I guess I took for granted that every child has read the same books.

*I've* never heard of Make Way for Ducklings or Time of Wonder. :blink: I chose not to read to them Where the Wild Things Are. I don't remember why. :)

 

I read aloud to my children many books, but I didn't always tell them the authors' names, and they might not remember the titles. I didn't read Shel Silverstein to them, but I know at least one read Where the Sidewalk Ends on her own.

Posted
This makes me sad. Picture books are so valuable in early childhood for so many reasons.

 

:iagree:

 

There are so many wonderful children's book, with such wonderful language and amazing art. It's very sad to me that parents wouldn't read picture books to their children.

Posted (edited)

It's also possible that the kids kind of catapulted through a stage. I was an early reader, and by about age 5-6, I'd moved into kids' novels. By age 8-9, I was reading mostly books written for adult audiences. It wasn't until I was in college that I sat down in the children's literature section and basically didn't get up for the next 6 years (I found reading kiddy-lit a GREAT stress relief, and both my college and grad school libraries had wonderful children's book sections, that were deserted and quiet so no one looked at you strangely when you were an adult reading "Make Way for Ducklings" with no kids in sight!)

 

 

I've tried to read a lot of those books I discovered in college to DD and keep them around for her, and she LOVES Shel Silverstein and Jack Pretlutsky, but at turning 8 in a month, I'm afraid her picture book days are mostly behind us.

 

I would also add-my DD is most likely to recognize QUOTES from books-but not necessarily to recognize the books they come from. So, we can say "I think I'll move to Australia", and she'll respond "Is it a "Horrible, no good, very bad day?"-but I don't know that she'd recognize the title "Alexander and the Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day".

Edited by dmmetler
Posted
I had a 6th grade (previously hs'd ) child of mine say, "My teacher was talking about The Fertile Crescent today. Why didn't you ever tell me about that?"

 

Oh boy. I recently had a similar discussion with my 9th grader (also previously hs'ed) about the Fertile Crescent. I was reading SOTW to dd and ds2 pops in saying they learned about that in school. "And at home," I replied. "What? No we didn't," he responds. :svengo:

 

I should have done like you and got out his old work. *sigh*

Posted
I am teaching a writing co-op this fall and am dumbfounded at what the kids (middle schoolers) have not read! I mention books such as Make Way for Ducklings, Time of Wonder, and Where the Wild Things Are, and get blank looks! Today I used one of Shel Silverstein's books and out of 10 students, only ONE knew whom I was talking about!

 

Would your dc know these books/authors?

 

My mom exposed us to so much great literature, I guess I took for granted that every child has read the same books.

 

We've never heard of "Make Way for Ducklings" or "Time of Wonder".

 

I dislike Shel Silverstein, so never bothered to read it to my kids.

 

My older son was given a copy of "Where the Wild Things Are" and decided it was stupid.

 

There are a lot of books in the world. A LOT. There are plenty of good books to read without ever reading the same good books that other people are reading. My guess is that for my family these books (at least the two we are familiar with) had too much of a modern flavor for our aesthetic. My son loved The Hobbit at 5 and LoTR at 7. He loved Rudyard Kipling stories, and Robert Louis Stevenson, and Jack London.

 

Different strokes for different folks.

 

Also, he's never heard any of those Wee Sing songs because they give me a headache. I don't know how anyone can stand them.

Posted
I had a 6th grade (previously hs'd ) child of mine say, "My teacher was talking about The Fertile Crescent today. Why didn't you ever tell me about that?"

 

I had to locate the black line maps done by dc before dc believed me.

 

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't keep him from peeing it out.

 

I know my boys wouldn't remember most of the books we read, especially just by name. But we read, read, read...

 

That is so funny! :lol:

 

And so true.

 

We read so many great kids' books, but my kids don't remember them all. From time to time something will come up and a kid will say "how come we never read (or did) that?" And it's something we read or did; they just forgot.

 

Never understood the appeal of Shel Silverstein or Maurice Sendak, myself, so I didn't read those to my kids. But then I've never come across anyone who read The Seven Silly Eaters or Fireman Small, two favorites of ours.

 

I never liked "were the wild things are". I think it was because my aunt loved it and as a present for her kids as a teen I did some art work / craft based on the book. I was so done with it afterwards.

 

I never read "Time of Wonder". The library didn't have it. But I did read out loud all his other picture books at least 20 times.

 

My kids wouldn't recognize the name "Shel Silverstein" but they have even read some of his stuff.

 

Of, the "Seven Silly Eaters" was a personal favorite and we did for a time have the goal of memorizing it. It's such a beautiful book.

 

We never read "Fireman Small", but when I saw the title I thought I did. But I was thinking, "The Little Fire Engine".

 

--

 

If you can always ask your students to bring in a favorite picture book to class and everyone share past favorites. And if you want to talk about certain books if possible have them on hand. For example my kids would say they didn't know, "Make way for the Ducklings" but if you showed them the book it would be, "Ohhhh, that book - why didn't you say so. We know That book."

Posted
I just asked my dd if she has heard of those books. I got a blank stare. Yep, we read them all.:D

 

This is 3 of my oldest 4.

 

And not only did I read them with them, they are still on the shelf being read to younger siblings!

 

Classic or not, some books just don't make a place in their heart like others do. It's very individual. None of us particularly like Silverstein.

 

But Rattlebang Picnic is memorized and loved by us all. So is Seven Silly Eaters. Madeline. Anything by Virginia Lee Burton. Mouse Soup. Richard Scary. Amelia bedelia.

Posted
I am teaching a writing co-op this fall and am dumbfounded at what the kids (middle schoolers) have not read! I mention books such as Make Way for Ducklings, Time of Wonder, and Where the Wild Things Are, and get blank looks! Today I used one of Shel Silverstein's books and out of 10 students, only ONE knew whom I was talking about!

 

Would your dc know these books/authors?

 

My mom exposed us to so much great literature, I guess I took for granted that every child has read the same books.

 

I have never heard of Time of Wonder. My kids would not know Shel Silverstein (As a child I did not discover him until Junior High). He's heard Make Way for Ducklings read once and probably heard mention of Where the Wild Things are but neither book is currently in our library. And we have an extensive library.

Posted

I loathe Where the Wild Things Are, so haven't read it to my kids.

 

We have read Make Way for Ducklings.

 

Never heard of Make Way for Wonder.

 

Only Shel Silverstein we've done is poetry.

Posted

My children love Silverstein. I read them those books when they were toddlers and preschoolers. I'm sure they would recognize it on sight, but they moved on to novels by kindergarten. My three are also stair steps, so they don't have much younger siblings listening to them.

Posted

I have never heard of Time of Wonder. I have seen and heard of Make Way for Ducklings, but I don't own it and don't think I've ever read it to my kids. We do have Where the Wild Things Are and both I and my kids all love Shel Silverstein.

 

One can never know, though. There's lots of great literature out there and not everyone is going to read the same things.

Posted (edited)

I know the Wild Things by heart, and all of the Mrs Mallard's ducklings (but we live near Boston, so I read that book to my children zillions of times, espcially before our trips into the city. I have pix of my kids sitting on the duckling statues, and riding the Swan Boats). I attended college in Boston (and had a professor who lived in Beacon Hill and soemtimes held class in her fabulous bedroom/office), so that book does have sentimental value. I walked those streets many times.

 

I was never a Time of Wonder fan, although we own it, but I love Blueberries for Sal. We have A Light in the Attic, and Where the Sidewalk Ends. (They are in my youngest dd's room on her bookshelf, where she only keeps her favorites.)

 

Still, I am sure there are books they have not heard about or read. There are so many great books. Two of my fav picture books, with little text, are so dear to me: Jamberry, and Goodnight, Gorilla. I read those to my nephew as much as he allows. lol He loves Where the Wild Things are, and likes to draw Wild Things.

 

I am a huge huge HUGE fan of Shirley Hughes.

Edited by LibraryLover
Posted

Also, I just asked ds12, "What books do you remember me reading to you?" Honestly, his list is pathetic. We have read to all our children every night since they were tiny babies, but ds12 mostly remembers the older stuff, like Harry Potter and Chronicles of Narnia. His memory of earlier books is mostly "Where's Waldo," which isn't really literature at all, and he has a vague memory of "those Peter Rabbit stories." :tongue_smilie:

Posted (edited)
Also, I just asked ds12, "What books do you remember me reading to you?" Honestly, his list is pathetic. We have read to all our children every night since they were tiny babies, but ds12 mostly remembers the older stuff, like Harry Potter and Chronicles of Narnia. His memory of earlier books is mostly "Where's Waldo," which isn't really literature at all, and he has a vague memory of "those Peter Rabbit stories." :tongue_smilie:

 

My youngest says she doesn't remember the Milly- Molly- Mandy books. That very nearly made me cry.

 

She does remember The Children of Noisy Village books, which we read about the same time, but only because she remembers laughing hysterically at one of the boys who says a friend's newborn baby sister is so ugly it would be better for her to die. Astrid Lindgren is brilliant.

Edited by LibraryLover
Posted

I never understand these posts. We homeschool so that our kids don't have the exact same education as everyone else. It just seems self-centered to say that someone hasn't read "great literature" if they haven't read a few of the same books that I have or that my kids have. My kids *never* got into the Little House on the Prairie books. I know, we're probably homeschool failures for that one, and honestly, I was a little disappointed that they weren't interested! But did we read a bunch of other great stuff--books that WE think are great? Heck yeah. I don't count them all or keep a running list so that I can whip it out to compare with others. We made our own memories and our own education and it has been wonderful!

Posted

I just asked DS12 if he'd heard of any of those books or Silverstein. He's heard of "Where the Wild Things Are" but none of the others though we OWN a Shel Silverstein book! :lol:

Posted (edited)

Where The Wild Things Are is stupid? Oh my!

 

"The wild things roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws but Max stepped into his private boat and waved good-bye and sailed back over a year and in and out of weeks and through the day and into the night of his very own room where he found his supper waiting for him

 

and it was still hot."

 

As read by Christopher Walken. :) (And not really for kids due to Walken's commentary lol)

 

Edited by LibraryLover

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