lots-o-rice Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 My dd9 says it's a terrible book. "No one should read this sad stuff!!" She says she will never make her children read it. :) I have raised 3 boys who read anything, and everything. Nothing affects them. But dd is on my bed weeping in a puddle of tears over Charlotte's Web. This is new for me. I guess we will not even think about Old Yeller or Where the Red Fern Grows. Girls are so different. Off to find nice happy animal book to make up for this one. -K Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EndOfOrdinary Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 Old Yeller and Where the Red Fern Grows were pulled from Ds' reading list a bit ago. He's far too sensitive. His big line is, "I do not want to read things that hurt my soul." Well okay then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenaj Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 At our house, it's Mom who can't read them aloud. The first time I read Charlotte's Web as a read aloud when my now-college-age children were young, I was a gulping puddle of tears by the end but blamed it on pregnancy hormones. So, what do I do? Try again six or seven years later . . . and the same result! (no hormones to blame this time). Unfortunately I have a lot of calloused young men in my house who love to make fun of their mother who can't read sad stories without crying. I'm actually looking forward to reading it with my youngest dd - maybe she'll be more sympathetic. The same thing has happened both times we read the Chronicles of Narnia. The last few chapters of the last book just kill me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 Well, I made the mistake of reading that when ds was 5. He was so upset. I wasn't permitted to read chapter books again for a long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 Old Yeller and Where the Red Fern Grows were pulled from Ds' reading list a bit ago. He's far too sensitive. His big line is, "I do not want to read things that hurt my soul." Well okay then. Smart kid! I totally agree, at least for young kids! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 It didn't bother me when I was a kid, but boy it gets me now! One of my favorite books though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 My son cried at the end of Charlotte's Web. And he cried when he found out Mary was blind and that the dog died (all on the same few pages) in the Little House books. And he cried when that wizard died in Harry Potter. He even cried when Rome fell in SOTW. He's very sensitive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 I never read Old Yeller or Where the Red Fern Grows to ds, but did read Charlotte's Web. We went to see the play one year with his playgroup. He was so upset when Charlotte died even though he said he knew it wasn't rea. When the actors came out to the lobby afterward (still in costume of course), he kept saying to Charlotte, "I'm glad you didn't really die." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 I'm with your daughter. I read it with both of my kids. I can't read the really sad part towards the end. I just get choked up. I am like that with a lot of books. I read Where the Red Fern Grows in 6th grade. It was one of the few books I remember from that early on. I hated it. It was just depressing to me. I didn't assign it to my kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 I never saw "Charlotte's Web" as a sad story. It was always a story of fighting for the weak, looking out for others and new life to me. I would personally focus on the positive actions and control Fern and Charlotte took in saving and looking after Wilbur, and that there is something wonderful about the new birth of Charolette's babies. Death is a fact of life, but we don't have to let the idea of it crush us. There are plenty of other stories that have despair and bad things happen all the time, which I have real difficulty reading. Charlotte's Web is full of hope and helping others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Strawberry Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 My kids have been unmoved by Charlotte's Web. I, too, found it a sad story. My 3rd grade teacher read it aloud to us, and I know I wasn't the only one who cried. I'm giving my 12 yo Where the Red Fern Grows and Old Yeller. We'll see how tough he really is. :lol: My mom warned us about those two. I think she would have preferred we skip them. But we didn't. My brother was pretty tough, but he agreed it was sad. My boys have a dog, though, and we didn't. I expect it will be a little more real for them. And now, as a mom, I'm a big teary mess. I cry all the time, through everything. My kids forgive me, but I can't get through ANYTHING without tearing up. Sheesh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 EB White cried while trying to record the audiobook. I don't think anyone should feel embarrassed about being moved to tears by a book. Why blame it on hormones? Despite what Ma Ingalls told Laura, it is not shameful to cry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 It took my DD three tries to get past the first chapter of CW. She could manage the end OK, mostly because she knows that spiders generally don't live after laying eggs, but the idea of killing Wilbur was more than she could manage. We still avoid books that focus on abuse or killing of animals. In many respects, I think Shiloh would be worse for her than Where the Red Fern Grows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim in Appalachia Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 My son cried at the end of Charlotte's Web. And he cried when he found out Mary was blind and that the dog died (all on the same few pages) in the Little House books. And he cried when that wizard died in Harry Potter. He even cried when Rome fell in SOTW. He's very sensitive. My son, now 12, also cried about the fall of Rome. He was so into Rome, he even had (still has) the Rome set from Playmobil. When he found out Rome fell he cried and cried. I had to keep myself from laughing. I knew we were going to be reading it, so I thought we would "act it out" with his set. We also owned the Pirate set as well as the Viking ship. I had the two groups "attack" and then I read about the fall of Rome. I was not ready for his reaction. It still makes me laugh when I think about it. Fond homeschool memories. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 1. It's not a boy/girl thing. Some kids are just more sensitive than others. 2. You and all your kids should read No More Dead Dogs right now as a remedy. Go and cleanse your palate :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Peregrine Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 You know, I cried while reading about the Holocaust in SOTW to my kids. When she graduated last year she wrote me a letter thanking me for teaching her. She actually remembered that and cited it as a time where she really learned to care about others. It is one of my best homeschool memories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahbobeara Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 DD8 was ok with Charlotte's Web, Charlotte's death didn't faze her (although she already knew the story line from when DS10 read it for school). DS10 LOVED Where the Red Fern Grows up until the last 2 chapters...he was happily doing his assigned amount of reading and even remarked to me, "I don't know why they call it Where the Red Fern Grows, there's no red fern anywhere in this book!" I was really worried the ending would just crush him...instead, he threw the book across the room and said it was stupid and why did I "make him read that whole book if the dogs just die at the end?!?" I think DS needs to get in touch with his feelings. Shiloh was hard for him to read, also. I was thinking about adding Old Yeller and Bambi to his reading list...instead we went with Adam of the Road...which seems to feature a boy searching for his lost dog. No wonder DS10 enjoys Pokemon graphic novels when he reads for fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelli Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 My animal loving 11 year old did fine with Charlotte's Web, but Bambi almost did her in. I really think that one should come with a warning label for animal sensitive kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solascriptura Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 When my six year old asked what I had served her, I told her it was pork. She then said, "I'm eating Wilbur." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momacacia Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Umm, there are no "nice, happy animal books." The animal aaaaallllllwaaaayyys dies at the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Umm, there are no "nice, happy animal books." The animal aaaaallllllwaaaayyys dies at the end. 1. Not in Catwings. 2. Seriously, not in Catwings! 3. Or any of the Catwings sequels. 4. But seriously, you need to read No More Dead Dogs. And the entire Swindle series. And anything else by Gordon Korman. 5. And Catwings. Everybody needs to read Catwings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyforlatin Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 DD cried hard after she finished Where the Red Fern Grows, but then she immediately proceeded to re-read it again about 8 more times. Maybe it was her way of dealing with sadness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyforlatin Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Double post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweetIrony Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 The same thing has happened both times we read the Chronicles of Narnia. The last few chapters of the last book just kill me. Me too. I remember crying my eyes out the first time I read it. I think I was 11. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trulycrabby Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Yeah, DS10 still hasn't forgiven me for reading Charlotte's Web, Sounder, and Island of the Blue Dolphins. :o I held up Old Yeller once and he grumped "...does the dog die in that one too?" :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerileanne99 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 It took my DD three tries to get past the first chapter of CW. She could manage the end OK, mostly because she knows that spiders generally don't live after laying eggs, but the idea of killing Wilbur was more than she could manage. We still avoid books that focus on abuse or killing of animals. In many respects, I think Shiloh would be worse for her than Where the Red Fern Grows. Huh. Dd is very much the same--anything natural to her, especially regarding the circle of life or things with a clear, scientific reasoning she can understand and isn't fazed by. Charlotte's Web was only problematic for the potential for Wilbur to be shot. (And we are vegetarians, so apparently dd found this doubly offensive!). However, books with issues involving abuse, cruelty, human-on-animal violence are hugely problematic! We still haven't managed even Little Red Ridinghood as she simply cannot handle it. When Pa killed the swan accidentally in On Swan Lake she was devastated...and Shiloh was one of the most difficult, deep-discussion-provoking, anger and tear-inducing books we have read. I have completely rearranged out read-aloud lists after that. She was nearly in hysterics, but would NOT let me stop reading it because she had to KNOW what happened:( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dory Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 We are just about to read Charlotte's Web. We watched the movies for Old Yeller and Where the Red Fern Grows. All three of my kids cried like crazy. I like that. I like to see them moved emotionally. I would've never dreamed of letting them watch it without me there for them cuddle up against and talk to afterwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaughingCat Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 Read Charlotte's Web in 1st grade - Augh! The trauma! and have never read it again. The best I've managed is to own a copy (and really that is only because so many people on these forums love Charlotte's Web). Same for Old Yeller - except I don't own a copy of that one! DD the older is similar. She gets very upset by animals getting hurt, more so than humans even. DD the younger OTH is pragmatic thus far - that's the way the world turns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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