Narration/writing models for boys?

[PeterPan]

I'm throwing this out here to get ideas beyond what I've already got. My ds has pretty definite boy interests (war, weapons, animals, humor), and he's ready to start doing retellings of narratives, like maybe something 1-2 pages. He has autism, so we already worked through sequencing, telling a narrative with picture supports. I'm looking for a collection of short narratives, sorta like what is in Writing Tales 1, but maybe something more consistently boyish. Bonus points if it's something where I could by a Toob or a bag of military figures or use lego or playmobil figures and we could act it out, take pictures, pull the pictures into Kidspiration, organize, and write.

 

I seem to recall these James Baldwin tellings about Roman history in WT1. Am I remembering right? Is there a collection of something like that? I do have a modern (Arnold Lobel) fables book I got that we can use. It's fine, but he'll be ready to move on to more challenging models. He's beginning to be able to identify key words in the narrative, etc. 

 

Any suggestions on things your boys really like? It could even be kinda out there, like alien short stories, whatever. Just appealing to boys, lol.

[KathyBC]

Something here might be helpful.

[PeterPan]

Something here might be helpful.

 

Ooo, that's good! I attended Pudewa's talk on that years and years ago (before I had a boy? hahaha), and I didn't realize there was a book list. Good find! I can definitely think of some ways to use that. :D

 

Still open to more ideas, since most of those are books, not so much shorter works. But yeah, really good find, thanks.

[HomeAgain]

They're not the greatest pieces of literature, but Usborne has some illustrated collections that might work - we have their volumes of Aesop's Fables, Adventure Stories and one other, but there are several. https://usborne.com/browse-books/catalogue/series/1/507/illustrated-story-collections/

 

We also have some older collections that include the James Baldwin stories, so looking for something like older readers (Elson, maybe?) might be an option, too.

[OrganicJen]

My son liked passages from 20k leagues under the sea, the time machine, those type of books.

[TheAttachedMama]

I think you hit the nail on the head with James Baldwin's books.   My son loved reading and narrating from "50 Famous Stories Retold".   He also really loved reading and narrating from Story of the World and a Child's History of the World.   

 

For fiction, you can't beat Aesop's fables for beginners.  (My favorite for this age is the copy illustrated by Pinkley).    After that, I would suggest an action book of short stories.   My son really liked the Usborne "Illustrated Collection Books".   (I don't know your son's interests.  But specific recommendations might be Stories of King Arthur, Robin Hood, Dragon stories, etc.)  

 

My son also loves science and nature books.   

[Ausmumof3]

Alternatively have you looked at the IEW theme based writing units? My DS has done quite well with the Australian history ones with Ned Kelly and explorer type ones. Also I think there's one called myths fables and fairy tales although we haven't used it.

 

Another option could be one of those old adventure tales for boys type collections although they aren't high quality lit.

 

Or for something along the lines of Aesop but more challenging could you do a collection of Greek myths? They have plenty of drama and boy appeal.

[Kfamily]

Baldwin also wrote Thirty More Famous Stories Retold and Fifty Famous People. You might be able to find one of these more helpful. Or you could just pull from all three. :)

 

 

 

Hope you are having a lovely holiday! :)

 

PS -Not sure if these are too much still, but Logos still has the Imitation in Writing series...so Aesop's Fables, Greek Myths, Greek Heroes, Medieval Legends, etc.

 

PSS -We did and liked Writing Tales 2 :)

Edited December 24, 2017 by Kfamily

[Tsuga]

Not classical but... When I was that age we were allowed to write an alternate ending for a Choose Your Own Adventure book. He might really enjoy those actually. I don't have a boy but I remember having that in common with boys as a child. It's not high literature but it's really engaging for kids who want to make choices. I absolutely loved being able to re-read with different choices and different consequences.

[Kanin]

How about some chapters from High Noon books, like Tom & Ricky? The chapters are just a few pages long.

[Targhee]

I'm throwing this out here to get ideas beyond what I've already got. My ds has pretty definite boy interests (war, weapons, animals, humor), and he's ready to start doing retellings of narratives, like maybe something 1-2 pages. He has autism, so we already worked through sequencing, telling a narrative with picture supports. I'm looking for a collection of short narratives, sorta like what is in Writing Tales 1, but maybe something more consistently boyish. Bonus points if it's something where I could by a Toob or a bag of military figures or use lego or playmobil figures and we could act it out, take pictures, pull the pictures into Kidspiration, organize, and write.

 

I seem to recall these James Baldwin tellings about Roman history in WT1. Am I remembering right? Is there a collection of something like that? I do have a modern (Arnold Lobel) fables book I got that we can use. It's fine, but he'll be ready to move on to more challenging models. He's beginning to be able to identify key words in the narrative, etc.

 

Any suggestions on things your boys really like? It could even be kinda out there, like alien short stories, whatever. Just appealing to boys, lol.

I don't have a suggestion, I just wanted to say you are doing s great job meeting your child where he is and working with the way his mind works. Keep it up, mama!!!

[PeterPan]

I don't have a suggestion, I just wanted to say you are doing s great job meeting your child where he is and working with the way his mind works. Keep it up, mama!!!

 

Thank you for that note of confidence! We've had such a destabilizing month, I really needed it! :)