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Husband wants DD8 to stop reading "garbage"


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I loved Trixie as a kid. Didn't stop me becoming a published poet, lol. Put that in your pipe, Trixie haters, and smoke it!

 

(PS Don't hate me for it, but I secretly wanted to be Honey.)

 

I only wanted Honey's hair. I don't remember if they ever said she had great hair, but I know her hair is better than mine and she doesn't even have to use product.

 

 

My almost complete set of Trixie Beldens are on loan to one of the girls in our homeschooling group. :)

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Ellie, I truly do love you. 

 

I have a similar approach to things. I hear women say things like, "my husband won't let me use a midwife/have homebirth/etc" and I just want to shout, "he isn't the boss of you!"  

 

But anyway....I'm still miffed about anyone disparaging Trixie Belden. And kind of want to hang out with your daughter....I've never known anyone that loved Trixie like I did. I read the whole series straight through 3 times in a row in third grade :)

 

I'll come hang out with both of you! I'm a fellow Trixie Belden fan! I have my collection from when I was young saved and have read them again as an adult. :-) 

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"He also mentioned that she should read Call of the Wild, which still seems to be a bit above her level"

 

I read Call of the Wild as a pre-teen. I tried it as a read-aloud to my kids a few years ago and was quite shocked to find it really quite brutal...and detailed in that brutality. My kids aren't particularly sensitive, but I found it uncomfortable reading as an adult, so it might not be age-appropriate for an 8 year-old.

 

my husband has fond memories of Call of the Wild as well. But not for DS now (who is age 8) He had him read Phantom Tollbooth and is doing Hobbit as a Read Aloud.

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I agree with what most are saying here. Let her read. I have assigned reading books that they must read a minimum of 20 pages from a day. Other than that as long as the book doesn't have objectionable material I let them read it. My kids have read junk books (bad kitty series, wimpy kid etc) and then they've read alice in wonderland, Grimm Fairytales and Roald Dahl books. I don't interfere, I don't want them to see all books as schoolish or part of their learning I want them to just be able to get lost in a book. I know sometimes when I'm exhausted a good easy read is so relaxing. Then sometimes I pick up a good classic and really enjoy it. I was a kid that would stay up till 2 am with a flashlight reading books and it was always a mixture or classics and junk.

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The person who does the research gets the last word in our house. That's pretty much always me. One thing I appreciate about dh is that he is willing to see that I put in the time and effort to educate myself on things like our children's education, and he finds it sensible to give way to me on things he knows very little about himself. 

 

I'd tell a spouse who wanted me to make changes that weren't developmentally appropriate to get back to me with citations supporting his position.

 

It's about respecting the job. 

 

This is the reason I always defer to my husband on decisions related to phones and computers and internet bandwidth (am I even saying that right?). He has put in the time and effort to educate himself, while I can't be bothered to figure out what bandwidth is exactly. I care about being able to use my computer and phone, but I also recognize that I know very little about how they operate. I trust my husband's judgment in this area. 

 

As far as Call of the Wild. There was a point where our oldest was suddenly reading very, very well for her age (7 or 8 at the time). Dh got very excited about it and wanted her to read all the books he had loved growing up. So he pulled out Call of the Wild, Lord of the Rings, Where the Red Fern Grows and a couple other very heavy, depressing boy books. Ugh! I had a hard time convincing him that the one way to really ruin those books for her forever was to force her to read them in 2nd grade. And even if she read them in middle school or high school, she still might not like them; many girls don't. He just had such rosy memories of reading them as an adolescent boy and was excited to share the books he had loved.

 

I think he wound up reading her The Hobbit instead, and then he moved on to things like Narnia and Harry Potter. The more time he has spent reading with the children, the better his understanding of what children like and are capable of. When dd finally read Lord of the Rings, she hated it, but her little brother wound up loving it and dh is thrilled about that.

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Precisely because DH and I have such different tastes in books, we switch off bedtime reading.  He reads a book over the course of a few weeks, and then I read a book.  And we switch back and forth.  This has been great for exposing the kids to all sorts of genres as well as more advanced books.

 

If this is so important to your DH, then he needs to find a way to introduce your DD to it otherwise he needs to trust your judgment.  Acknowledge his apprehension of your DD not loving good literature, but also let him know your concern about to much to soon.

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As far as Call of the Wild. There was a point where our oldest was suddenly reading very, very well for her age (7 or 8 at the time). Dh got very excited about it and wanted her to read all the books he had loved growing up. So he pulled out Call of the Wild, Lord of the Rings, Where the Red Fern Grows and a couple other very heavy, depressing boy books. Ugh! I had a hard time convincing him that the one way to really ruin those books for her forever was to force her to read them in 2nd grade. And even if she read them in middle school or high school, she still might not like them; many girls don't. He just had such rosy memories of reading them as an adolescent boy and was excited to share the books he had loved.

 

Don't dismiss Where the Red Fern grows as a boy book! I loved that one growing up too. (though when I reread as an adult it is not as good as I remember.)

 

And Swiss Family Robinson

 

 

Edited by vonfirmath
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I didn't have time to read all three pages of posts. I'm sorry if this was said but I had an idea that I wanted to share in case this helped but I must get back to work and only had time for one page of posts. 

 

I would consider this like a parent/teacher conference. Yes, you are the parent too but he is also and it is good that he is so involved. Explain that you do understand not wanting her to only read fluff ant that you do give her books that will build vocabulary and knowledge so she will be able to get a better understanding of Shakespeare.  Maybe pick one of your readers to show him some of the vocab or exposure to classics that sometimes ends up in good Children's fiction (the Penderwicks had my daughter wanting to learn Latin :) ).  Then pick out some classics he might be thinking of and read the more mature material involved in them, sex, murder, or other things you might find age inappropriate. Most 8 year old children are not going to understand adult books because of the adult themes more than the decoding issue. Those themes of justice or fairness, empathy, expanding knowledge, interest in the world around you, courage, and such can also be found in children's literature without adding a bunch of stuff that the children won't understand.  I think the important thing is to continue to build the trust your husband has in you as a teacher.  

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"He also mentioned that she should read Call of the Wild, which still seems to be a bit above her level"

 

I read Call of the Wild as a pre-teen. I tried it as a read-aloud to my kids a few years ago and was quite shocked to find it really quite brutal...and detailed in that brutality. My kids aren't particularly sensitive, but I found it uncomfortable reading as an adult, so it might not be age-appropriate for an 8 year-old.

 

 

I agree!!!  Over Christmas holiday I was discussing this with an older friend (very well-educated).  He mentioned how much he appreciated the book but cited its "brutality". 

 

This is not meant to be a snarky question ... but how many of the recommended works has your husband read?  Did he read them at age eight?  

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Obviously the Shakespeare idea is age-inappropriate. If you're not already, I would do read alouds. It's sharing books together that has made my kids super book-friendly.

 

But they're people. Given the choice between Harry Potter and Tom Sawyer -- of course they'll pick HP. I think your dh needs to have a better understanding of human behavior.

 

SWB talks about it in one of her audios: given the choice, it's human behavior to choose a fun video game over a book etc.

 

Alley

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Don't dismiss Where the Red Fern grows as a boy book! I loved that one growing up too. (though when I reread as an adult it is not as good as I remember.)
 
And Swiss Family Robinson

 

 

All these years later I still refuse to read Where the Red Fern Grows and Old Yeller. Too sad. I've never even seen Dumbo or Bambi.

 

Alley

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This Trixie fan studied engineering a top 5 college, and med school at a top 5 school, so bring it on, Trixie Haters!   

 

I loved Trixie as a kid. Didn't stop me becoming a published poet, lol. Put that in your pipe, Trixie haters, and smoke it!

 

 

Of course, who knows what we could have accomplished had we not been reading all that Trixie "garbage."  Maybe Trixie has been holding us back from being president of the US all these years?  

 

Or maybe we'd be in prison now if it weren't for Trixie?  

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This is the reason I always defer to my husband on decisions related to phones and computers and internet bandwidth (am I even saying that right?). He has put in the time and effort to educate himself, while I can't be bothered to figure out what bandwidth is exactly. I care about being able to use my computer and phone, but I also recognize that I know very little about how they operate. I trust my husband's judgment in this area. 

 

As far as Call of the Wild. There was a point where our oldest was suddenly reading very, very well for her age (7 or 8 at the time). Dh got very excited about it and wanted her to read all the books he had loved growing up. So he pulled out Call of the Wild, Lord of the Rings, Where the Red Fern Grows and a couple other very heavy, depressing boy books. Ugh! I had a hard time convincing him that the one way to really ruin those books for her forever was to force her to read them in 2nd grade. And even if she read them in middle school or high school, she still might not like them; many girls don't. He just had such rosy memories of reading them as an adolescent boy and was excited to share the books he had loved.

 

I think he wound up reading her The Hobbit instead, and then he moved on to things like Narnia and Harry Potter. The more time he has spent reading with the children, the better his understanding of what children like and are capable of. When dd finally read Lord of the Rings, she hated it, but her little brother wound up loving it and dh is thrilled about that.

 

This is it exactly.  I think DH is just very excited about DD reading so well for her age, and wants her to start right in on what he remembers enjoying.  Call of the Wild was one of those works that he loved; as was, apparently, the work of Shakespeare.  He wasn't thinking about *when* exactly it was that he loved those books.

 

I also believe that there is plenty of literature at her reading and maturity level.  We won't run out, and we will get to the heavier classics later.  I do like to stretch her interests a bit in our school reading, and encourage her to try books that she does not immediately love. 

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I didn't have time to read all three pages of posts. I'm sorry if this was said but I had an idea that I wanted to share in case this helped but I must get back to work and only had time for one page of posts. 

 

I would consider this like a parent/teacher conference. Yes, you are the parent too but he is also and it is good that he is so involved. Explain that you do understand not wanting her to only read fluff ant that you do give her books that will build vocabulary and knowledge so she will be able to get a better understanding of Shakespeare.  Maybe pick one of your readers to show him some of the vocab or exposure to classics that sometimes ends up in good Children's fiction (the Penderwicks had my daughter wanting to learn Latin :) ).  Then pick out some classics he might be thinking of and read the more mature material involved in them, sex, murder, or other things you might find age inappropriate. Most 8 year old children are not going to understand adult books because of the adult themes more than the decoding issue. Those themes of justice or fairness, empathy, expanding knowledge, interest in the world around you, courage, and such can also be found in children's literature without adding a bunch of stuff that the children won't understand.  I think the important thing is to continue to build the trust your husband has in you as a teacher.  

 

That is a good way of putting it.  He is a parent who has every right to be involved and express concerns --- and he may have some unrealistic ideas as he is not the one doing the research or educating the children on a daily basis.  My role is not just to snap back, "That's ridiculous," but to educate him and explain my approach.  

 

I agree that some of the more mature themes in the classics would not be suitable for my highly sensitive DD.  It is difficult to tell what she will find difficult, but I think really bad things happening to animals would upset her quite a bit.

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Ellie, I truly do love you.

 

I have a similar approach to things. I hear women say things like, "my husband won't let me use a midwife/have homebirth/etc" and I just want to shout, "he isn't the boss of you!"

 

But anyway....I'm still miffed about anyone disparaging Trixie Belden. And kind of want to hang out with your daughter....I've never known anyone that loved Trixie like I did. I read the whole series straight through 3 times in a row in third grade :)

My BEST ever Christmas present was the whole Trixie Belden series in one giant box. Seriously, it's one of the very few presents I actually remember receiving (I got a lot, just not memorable ones).

 

I'm still rather upset that my TB books were "loaned out" to a family friend when I was in high school, because they were never returned.

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My BEST ever Christmas present was the whole Trixie Belden series in one giant box. Seriously, it's one of the very few presents I actually remember receiving (I got a lot, just not memorable ones).

 

I'm still rather upset that my TB books were "loaned out" to a family friend when I was in high school, because they were never returned.

 

What an amazing gift!

 

I never owned them....I just read them out of the school library. In fact, I got a special library pass to let me in before school started. I would check one out in the morning, read it during class (oops) and lunch, then return it after lunch (special library pass again) and get a new one to read that night, which I'd return the next morning before school. I devoured those books. 

 

I also read all the Happy Hollisters, Bobbsey Twins, and most of the Nancy Drew books, but they didn't compare to Trixie. 

 

Oh, I did have ONE Trixie Belden book, it had been my aunts and she found it in a box of old stuff and gave it to me. It was the one where they go sailing. 

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Help!  Where are all of those studies saying that elementary-aged children who read voraciously will soon become excellent readers and choose to move on to the better stuff  --- even if they are starting with kids' series books?

 

My DD8 is currently reading "Island of the Blue Dolphins," at my request (a few chapters a day for school), and Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden on her own.  She has also chosen titles like My Side of the Mountain and Sarah Whitcher's Story for her free reading.  I love to see her curled up in front of the wood stove with an enjoyable book, even if it is not high-quality literature, and perhaps too easy for her reading level.  I feel that reading so voraciously is helping her fluency, and that she will select the better stuff on her own later on.  I was at the same place at her age, but soon lost interest in the series titles, and started reading the classics instead.  I don't think my parents did anything special to make that happen -- except making a high-quality home library available to us, and reading classics to us from an early age.  They never complained about my book choice or forced me to read something more "serious."

 

My DH is concerned about the quality of books she is reading.  He points to a female relative of his, who still plows through romance and mystery novels and does not read anything of substance.  I think there are relevant differences (said female relative is highly intelligent, but did not have involved parents, a lot of books, or a high level of education in her home).  I am confident that our daughter will move on when she is ready.

 

DH would like to sit down and review our daughter's reading list, and would like me to assign some more advanced titles, such as the complete works of Shakespeare.  I think I can talk him down from that, but would love to be able to show him some articles or studies, or something to corroborate my personal experience and encourage him to leave DD8 alone.

 

 

Does he have a problem with the titles listed above?  I'd still consider that good quality fiction.  I thought I was a literature snob, but maybe not?  I do not allow my children to pick their books.  I don't allow them to go to the library and choose books.  And when well-meaning family hands down BabySitter Club books, etc., I actually throw them out.  

 

Why?  Because there's so much good stuff out there to read, why waste our time with twaddle?  So I agree with your husband.  The part where I diverge in agreement is on what is twaddle?  Island of the Blue Dolphins is on my shelf (multiple copies) and we gifted a set of Nancy Drew books to DD last year for Christmas.  I have My Side of the Mountain in print and on audio.  ;)

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I can't believe I haven't heard of Trixie Belden. Read the wiki article, and they sound great. Now I want to read some.

 

Op, your dad might enjoy Enid Blyton, an English author. Many series. I particularly enjoyed the series that had The Island of Adventure and The Castle of Adventure.

 

ETA

Before someone also adds this, lol, some of her books were banned in British libraries for being junky, according to wiki, but the two above are great, I swear!

Edited by Alessandra
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Does he have a problem with the titles listed above?  I'd still consider that good quality fiction.  I thought I was a literature snob, but maybe not?  I do not allow my children to pick their books.  I don't allow them to go to the library and choose books.  And when well-meaning family hands down BabySitter Club books, etc., I actually throw them out.  

 

Why?  Because there's so much good stuff out there to read, why waste our time with twaddle?  So I agree with your husband.  The part where I diverge in agreement is on what is twaddle?  Island of the Blue Dolphins is on my shelf (multiple copies) and we gifted a set of Nancy Drew books to DD last year for Christmas.  I have My Side of the Mountain in print and on audio.   ;)

 

Sorry I was not clear.  DH did not have a problem with Island of the Blue Dolphins or My Side of the Mountain, but objected to Trixie and Nancy Drew, while I found Trixie and Nancy Drew to be just fine for DD8's free reading, and was pleased that she enjoyed them so much.

 

Yes, I agree that there are some books I do not allow DD8 to take out of the library -- series books that I find offensive (potty language, rampant disrespectful kids, overly mature themes, etc.), and books that I quickly recycle if well-meaning relatives bring them for us.  I won't name my "banned books," as I'm sure there are others who love them, and who may have problems with books that I allow.  I think we all have our books that go against our family culture.

 

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Since we're sharing Trixie Belden stories :)

 

In the mid-late 70s (probably 1977-1979) TB paperbacks were 95 cents. Tax where we lived at that time was 5%. My younger sister and I would walk a mile from our house in the suburbs to the local Busy Bee (or Busy B or Buzy Bee or whatever) and spend our $1 allowance on new books every week we could.

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Am I the only one who read all this and then had to look up Trixie Belden? .... and then put the first book on hold at the library?  :rofl:

 

Also, I think you're doing a great job! I agree that the best way to proceed is to show your dh the reading level of the books she is reading for school (ex. Island of the Blue Dolphins).

 

My dd8's 'fun' reading includes the Ramona Quimby books (over and over) and the Boxcar Children.

 

BTW, we LOVED In Grandma's Attic.  :lol:

Nope. :)  DD is waiting for the next Warrior Cats book to come through our regional ILL, so we need to find something to read in the meantime.  I think Trixie will do nicely.  Gotta broaden her horizons a bit :)

 

(ETA: the following is a general rant, not at all directed to the OP.  This discussion has just hit a nerve.)

 

I have always been a voracious reader, read at "12+" grade level by about 3rd grade and was hooked on Beverly Cleary all the way into middle school, as well as every Hardy Boys book in the library (not sure why I liked them better than Nancy Drew).  I'm so glad my parents didn't give me a hard time about it.  Like a PP mentioned, I needed the messages in those books.  They weren't junk, or garbage, or worthless.  

 

It makes me sad to see children's books disparaged as "twaddle."   They're just books.  A so-called classic book whose message flies over DD's head, bores her, or turns her off to reading is far more dangerous than bingeing on Nancy Drew.

 

BTW, allowing DD2 to read whatever age-appropriate books she wants (eg Warrior Cats or, before WC,  the Whatever After series, or the Magic Pets series, etc.) has turned her from complaining  "reading is boring" to admitting that she's a bookworm.  Mission accomplished!

Edited by shinyhappypeople
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I haven't read the whole thread. I would encourage dh to read those books he wants her to read.

 

My dh read Anne of Green Gables, Animal Farm, Watership Down, Romeo & Juliet, etc. when dds were young and they are some of their favorites still today. He took the time to read and explain. They all laughed a lot and it's something they will remember (not just the stories but the time). They've also reread many of those books over the years as they've gotten older so they get things now they didn't the first few times around.

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There are some great posts here. I just wanted to throw in a suggestion - if your household wants to give your kids a good grounding in Shakespeare, why not try audiobooks of the childrens' versions? My son was listening to these (and Greek and Norse myths) from age 4 onwards, and by about 8 he had a good grasp of quite a lot of Shakespeare's stories even if he had not read the originals (he then went on to read these and these). He is not really a fan of Shakespeare (he prefers Greek myths!) but he has enough of an outline that if/when we go on to study the works at a later date he won't be coming to them completely cold.

 

And audiobooks and radio adaptations can be great for all kinds of 'classics'! My son LOVES the BBC radio play versions of Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit. He also listened to the Harry Potter series alot, and that was after he had read all the books more than once. He is an advanced reader (for example read all of Harry Potter when he was six) but still really enjoys audiobooks (he is currently working his way through the Discworld series). It is a great way to give kids exposure to literature. Perhaps this could be a compromise - the 'serious' books your husband wants your kids to have exposure to you could start with audiobooks, maybe even radio play or children's versions first.

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Citation? I've never heard this, exactly.

 

 

 

Nor this :)

 

I have heard that readers of fiction tend to have higher vocabularies than people who don't read fiction. Got that off of Testyourvocab.com.

 

 

Reading Literary Fiction Increases Empathy study

 

I would be interested in what the content of the non fiction was, though.  A strong biography, memoir or history might also build empathy.

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I do not remember learning how to read, but I was always able to read above grade level during elementary school. I would do NOTHING to discourage your DD from reading. I would do EVERYTHING to encourage her to read.  My DD was in school with a girl older than your DD is now, who was barely able to read. The ability to read is a blessing.

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The OP's dh reminds me of my father. He wanted me to read books about computers. He bought me a whole Time-Life series about them and begged me to read them. And he wanted me to read the front page news in the paper instead of comics and Ann Landers and Mike Royko. 

 

Ann Landers and Mike Royko!  Those were the days!  

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  • 2 months later...

I would like to give a shout-out to the Sweet Valley High books which filled many a happy hour in 4th . . . and 5th . . . and 6th . . . and 7th grades.

 

They introduced to me the poetry of Emily Dickinson. In 7th grade I read a SVH book that quoted the poem "I'm nobody, who are you . . . ", and I liked the poem so much that I went down to the library to check out a book of Dickinson's poetry . . . which led me to check out a biography on Dickinson . . . which led to biographies of other famous American authors . . . which led me to check out The Grapes of Wrath (school librarian made me bring in a signed permission note from my mom). By the beginning of 8th grade I had plowed through Of Mice and Men, Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and most of Jane Austen. At that point I pulled out our family copy of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare and began reading through Romeo and Juliet . . . for fun.

 

If you have a child that loves to read and has access to good books, it will all work out.

 

If your husband is concerned, then I would assign him Bedtime Story Duty. Sounds like he needs more time with dd, so that he can develop more age-appropriate expectations.

This sounds a lot like me! I read all the SVH books and by 6th grade had read all the books in the school library. My great grandmother had a collection of classics, and I started reading those and by 8th grade had read most of them. I have a minor in English Lit, but honestly, who cares anyway? I have a son who is dyslexic--I would love for him to be able to read a level 2 reader. Perspective would be good here, I think! Lol

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"He also mentioned that she should read Call of the Wild, which still seems to be a bit above her level"

 

I read Call of the Wild as a pre-teen. I tried it as a read-aloud to my kids a few years ago and was quite shocked to find it really quite brutal...and detailed in that brutality. My kids aren't particularly sensitive, but I found it uncomfortable reading as an adult, so it might not be age-appropriate for an 8 year-old.

There are very many books, and Call of the Wild is one of them, which were re-written at a level that is appealing to younger students. My dd10 just got 10 Shakespeare plays re-written at probably an 8 year old level, and she is reading those now. She loves them so much she is asking to read the real thing! We read Call of the Wild, rewritten, to our son, and it was the perfect length with the correct amount of detail for him.

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I went to a highly advanced school, and we often read books several grades before recommended... In all honesty it ruined the books for me... I deeply wish I hadn't read several books untill I was truly, truly ready for them... There is nothing that can replace the first reading of a book... You will never again be held in awe, breathe caught, deeply PRESENT in the story... And if you read them before you are ready you can't get the same depth, and rereading them later will never be the same either...

 

I am all for hard core reading, partly because I fall back on easier to read books myself... But one of the reasons why I think I avoided the real classics for most of my college life was BECAUSE I had been required to read classics earlier than my maturity level was ready for them... So I wasn't able to be engrossed in them.. so I thought that either a) they were boring, or b) I was stupid...

neither of which were true...

Edited by PagesandFields
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I was a voracious reader & believe strongly that it is due in large part to the fact that my reading choices were NEVER criticized.

 

At your daughter's age I read the entire Goosebumps series. I read The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Island of the Blue Dolphins, The Wave. Funnily enough, I *did* read the Complete Works of Shakespeare that same year - not because I was forced to, since it was somehow more valuable for being older... just for fun. I loved reading & the "fancy" language drew me in & I fell in love with iambic pentameter.

 

I guarantee you that NEVER would have happened if it had been forced upon me.

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I just want to say that it sounds like you are doing a fantastic job! If I was you I would just continue with your plan! I have an 8 year old son he is just now reading things like Kingdom of Wrenly, some Nate the Great, and Notebook of Doom! So your 8 year old is doing fantastic! Also I think its great that your husband is concerned, but continue with your plan and keep her love of reading alive! 

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  • 2 months later...

I would like to give a shout-out to the Sweet Valley High books which filled many a happy hour in 4th . . . and 5th . . . and 6th . . . and 7th grades.

 

They introduced to me the poetry of Emily Dickinson. In 7th grade I read a SVH book that quoted the poem "I'm nobody, who are you . . . ", and I liked the poem so much that I went down to the library to check out a book of Dickinson's poetry . . . which led me to check out a biography on Dickinson . . . which led to biographies of other famous American authors . . . which led me to check out The Grapes of Wrath (school librarian made me bring in a signed permission note from my mom). By the beginning of 8th grade I had plowed through Of Mice and Men, Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and most of Jane Austen. At that point I pulled out our family copy of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare and began reading through Romeo and Juliet . . . for fun.

 

This makes me feel better about our situation as well. I've read so many people who knock Captain Awesome or Junie B Jones and I feel a little bad that I'm letting my kids read them... It's the kind of feel bad that makes me feel guilty each time I see them with one, but not guilty enough to say no. Because really, for us, I'm just happy that oldest is reading and that next oldest wants to be reading. Life (and school!) got so much easier once oldest decided that reading was actually enjoyable and something he wanted to do of his own volition...

 

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I went to a highly advanced school, and we often read books several grades before recommended... In all honesty it ruined the books for me... I deeply wish I hadn't read several books untill I was truly, truly ready for them... There is nothing that can replace the first reading of a book... You will never again be held in awe, breathe caught, deeply PRESENT in the story... And if you read them before you are ready you can't get the same depth, and rereading them later will never be the same either...

 

I am all for hard core reading, partly because I fall back on easier to read books myself... But one of the reasons why I think I avoided the real classics for most of my college life was BECAUSE I had been required to read classics earlier than my maturity level was ready for them... So I wasn't able to be engrossed in them.. so I thought that either a) they were boring, or b) I was stupid...

neither of which were true...

 

My opinion is that it is because you were Required to read them more than the age at which you read them.   I have liked 99.99% of the books I've read.   But, about 75% of the ones I didn't like, I had been Required to read them.   

 

Now that I am old I am going back and reading or listening to some of them.  Right now, that is Lord of the Flies.  

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My DH is concerned about the quality of books she is reading.  He points to a female relative of his, who still plows through romance and mystery novels and does not read anything of substance.  I think there are relevant differences (said female relative is highly intelligent, but did not have involved parents, a lot of books, or a high level of education in her home).  I am confident that our daughter will move on when she is ready.

 

As a reader & writer of both romance & mystery, I find this incredibly insulting. She doesn't NEED to move on. 

 

Eloisa James has degrees from Oxford, Cambridge & Yale, is a tenured English professor who lectures on Shakespeare; and yet she reads and writes romance.  

 

It is insulting to suggest that romance & mystery are somehow inadequate. They're fundamentally stories of love & good triumphing over evil. I can rant at length about this but I won't....

Let the kid read what she wants to read. If you want to assign books for her lessons, do that but her free reading is free reading. 

 

 

 

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As a reader & writer of both romance & mystery, I find this incredibly insulting. She doesn't NEED to move on. 

 

Eloisa James has degrees from Oxford, Cambridge & Yale, is a tenured English professor who lectures on Shakespeare; and yet she reads and writes romance.  

 

It is insulting to suggest that romance & mystery are somehow inadequate. They're fundamentally stories of love & good triumphing over evil. I can rant at length about this but I won't....

Let the kid read what she wants to read. If you want to assign books for her lessons, do that but her free reading is free reading. 

 

 

 

thank you, horn blower!!! 

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And for anyone thinking romance is fluff, or not a real genre, or just for dumb people, this is a great quick (1 minute) trailer for a documentary about romance writers. One of the authors quoted is a freaking surgeon, who wrote books while working as a surgeon. These are not stupid women writing silly stories. They are writing about good versus evil, women's rights, abuse, so many things. And some of them (not me) make a lot of money doing it! http://www.lovebetweenthecovers.com/trailer/

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You can also keep an eye out for the next nearby Shakespeare in the Park and have her read a kids version beforehand.  Then go to the play.  

 

I'd have to second this. I took the kids to Romeo and Juliet in the park last summer (around my oldest son's 8th birthday) and they lasted iirc 45 min or so. Now, it was free, and I didn't expect them to last the entire play, but if we'd read a kid's version first maybe they would've lasted longer. Then and again, I'm sort of thinking maybe they wouldn't have.

 

That said, I'm not a big Shakespeare fan. There are many classics, and you can like some classics and not care for others. I loved Nancy Drew (in Dutch translation) when I was 8-11yo (made my mom cringe, she called it Nancy Dreft after some dish soap brand), but have voluntarily read and liked books like The Sun Also Rises, The Grapes of Wrath, 1984, Lord of the Flies, etc in my teens/twenties. I also voluntarily read Catcher in the Rye but didn't really like it (I voluntarily read one of his other books as a teen and liked it better, but I can't think of the name - it centered around some grocery store), and started e.g. A Tale of Two Cities and didn't finish it (I read about 3/4 of it). I'm sure I could finish it if I wanted to, or read the complete works of Shakespeare, but if it doesn't connect with me, what's the point? Maybe I'd like it better when I'm in a different stage of my life.

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