Reading to Boys

Junie B -- that's all.

2008-07-30T20:40:00.000-07:00

I didn't want to like her, but I sort of love Junie B. Jones.

My son's kindergarten teacher read the class one of her books, although she told me that she changed it some as she read it. Like many of us, she had qualms about some of Junie's harsher language. She says "stupid" and "smelly" a lot. Also, she doesn't always use perfect grammer.

But my son LOVED it. He reported that he loved it. And his teacher confirmed that while all the kids loved it, my son ESPECIALLY loved it.

So we started reading some at home and we haven't stopped because: we just love that girl, that's why.

(She talks that way. A lot.)

As a parent, you get used to reading books that are more or less not interesting to you. Sometimes they were a little bit interesting the first time you read them. Sometimes you can appreciate the artistry. Sometimes you like the pictures or the lesson. But it's kind of rare to be reading a book with a kid and honestly say: "we HAVE to read another chapter. Because I want to know what happens next."

But when Junie B was trying to find a pet to take to pet day at school, I actually, really, totally couldn't put it down.

Classic Starts -- what a great start

2008-07-03T08:51:00.000-07:00

I like the idea of my children reading classics -- great books that are too easy to ignore in the modern world.

But my enthusiasm for the exercise is often dampened by the uncomfortable truth that old-fashioned books often have old-fashioned sensibilities. The brother in "Charlotte's Web" heads off to school with a knife in his pocket. I turned at random to a page of "Around the World in 80 Days" and was treated to an account of an opium den. Yes, these could be launching pads for great conversations -- for older kids. But my children are very young and I just want a good story.

So what a treat it was to find the Classic Starts version of Robinson Crusoe. My 5-year-old and I lolled about one recent hot summer day, reading the abridged form of the novel out loud, clinging to each other in the scary parts, marveling together at the amazing moments. What a fun book! And my son didn't even question a few references that I am virtually certain were altered from the original account. Did Robinson really survive a scary moment at sea only to drown his sorrows in a glass of punch? Was the original version as vague about the barrels of "liquid" that the ship contained?

I don't want to protect my children too much from the real world. But on the other hand, I've worked hard to make sure my kids have long attention spans and bright minds -- and a modicum of innocence. It's nice to find a book that can accommodate all three traits. The Classic Starts series abridges many different classic books. We'll start on "Around the World" soon, I wonder how it will handle that opium den!

No accounting for taste...

2008-07-03T08:41:00.000-07:00

Here's one thing that hits you hard as a parent: Your kids are not like you.

Of course, you knew that going in. But you knew it in a vague, theoretical way. When you actually bump up against it, it still surprises you. At least, it always does me.

For example, my kids love books that I hate. And no matter how often it happens, it still surprises me. "The Color Kittens. "I Stink." "The Little House."

I object to those books based on what I see as uneven rhyme schemes, lack of plot, and anti-urban sentiment. But my sons love them, can't get enough of them, sometimes sleep with them tucked under their arms.

So I smile and read and try to stay focused in the moment, though it's tempting to go over the grocery list in my head at these moments. And I remind myself that there will be a day, very soon, when I'd give anything to have them crawl in my lap and beg me to read a bad book.

The Key to the Universe

2008-01-29T05:26:00.000-08:00

It is such a great feeling to see your son excited about a new book -- especially one that does not involve any "licensed characters" and has not even been made into a movie.

Yesterday, my kindergarten student came home with the book "George's Secret Key to the Universe," copies of which were being sold at his school.

I had been a little reluctant to send him to school with 15 bucks, because 1) I feared he would lose the money, 2)the book is really for older kids, 3) I am trying to encourage him to use the library and 4)the book is written by Stephen Hawking,(along with his daughter.)I can not understand Stephen Hawking's most famous work, A Brief History of Time, and while I'm no genius, I do have more than a half a year of kindergarten under my belt.

Nevertheless, in a moment of weakness, I sent in the cash. It turns out to be have been money well spent!

I can not yet vouch for the book as a work of literature or even science. It's gotten some nice reviews. I'm fairly confident that it will work on some level. But last night, we read only the first chapter. George has not yet even met the man who is going to teach him about space, including -- the cover says -- all the latest information on black holes. The key to the universe is, I'm guessing, many pages from where we are now.

But I would pay 15 bucks any day to see the look on my son's face when he showed it to me. He said that when he first heard about this book at a school assembly, he thought "it was just going to be an ordinary book." He said he thought it would be short and like the other books kindergarten kids have their parents read to them. "But as soon as I held it in my hands," he said, "I saw that it was totally awesome."

When it came to be rest time, he laid on his mat and turned through ever page and just in telling me about it, he was quivering with excitement over the line drawings of adventure and the full color photos of space.

My husband noted wryly, "So I guess you CAN judge a book by its cover." (Well, that and its pictures!)

Boy reads, makes mom a little sad

2008-01-22T10:45:00.001-08:00

I never imagined this, but the first time my son read a page of a book to me -- really read a book he had not heard before -- I almost cried.

I want my kids to be readers. I am devoted myself as a parent to that more than any single thing other than, perhaps, simple safety. If I want anything for my kids, I want them to enjoy reading and to be good at it.

So why did my heart clutch a little when he tentatively -- but with appropriate intonation of questions and exclamations -- read me a simple page of one of the Frog and Toad books?

It's no surprise really. The first step a baby takes is, after all, their first step toward walking away from you. And it's the same with the first word they read. Our favorite part of the day is reading books at bedtime and there will come time, not too long from now, when my son will tell me to go away so he can read all by himself. For one tender moment, I regretted that. And I regretted every time that I did not treasure bedtime reading enough -- the nights when I thought I could not get through another Thomas the Tank Engine book, the evenings when I wished The Color Kittens would paint themselves into a corner and never come out.

I also thought about how my ability to shield my son from the world's sadness and ugliness was diminished. It was just a few months ago, when the bridge fell in Minnesota, that my family was watching the TV coverage in horrified silence. My son wondered into the room and asked about it and my father-in-law told him that a bridge fell down and then added the easy lie that parents are so inclined toward. "The people in those cars," my father-in-law said, "sure had to swim quick to shore."

My husband and I don't know if that is the right thing to do exactly, but it is what we do -- more often than not. But we won't be doing that for long. He can see the death count crawl across the screen as well as anyone.

So that's why my heart clutched, but then I looked at his face -- joyous and free. And I said "hurrah!" And I really meant it.

David goes to school --- when?

2007-10-04T17:49:00.000-07:00

Two nights ago, I was reading "David Goes to School" by David Shannon to my own little kindergarten student.

We love David Shannon. "No David" is a pure example of a perfectly executed children's book. Even when my son was a baby he laughed out loud at the pictures and he appreciates it more every year.

But "David Goes to School?"

It doesn't work as well. It is -- dare I say it? -- dated.

Certainly some schools are more strict than others, but my son can't really relate to the school in the book, a place of drudgery and rules. There's not a single moment that seems joyful. My son LOVES school. At the end, when the teacher tells David he has to stay afterschool, my son shouted: "He gets to go to afterschool!" He thinks afterschool is cool and resents the fact that my job is flexible and I pick him up when school is out. He didn't even realize David was being punished.

Oh well. Maybe it works better for other kids!

A house of readers

2007-08-01T10:29:00.000-07:00

I worry about my baby.

Well, that goes without saying.

But I specifically worry that he won't be a reader. I think he'll learn to read, but I fear he won't love it. Not like his mother and his father and his older brother. The reason? Becuase he's not being read to as much.

When his older brother was born, I would read to him from adult books while nursing. I would read the closed captioning from the history channel to him, trying to sooth him to sleep. I would tell him stories while driving him to his well baby checkups?

But now? With this second one? I'm too tired for all that. I multitask enough, thank you very much. I am not about to read aloud while nursing.

The baby was in his play pen the other day while I cleaned the kitchen in the next room. Things got quiet and I thought I'd better check. There he was 10 months old, sitting up straight and proud, a board book in his hands -- right side up -- and he was carefully turning the pages. He was fascinated.

He has not been read to as much, but he has seen a household of readers. And just as he wants to take steps like us and feed himself like we do -- he wants to do this as well.

He's going to be reader!

Not enough marketing products?

2007-06-26T19:37:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I'm about to complain about this, but Little Einsteins needs to get in gear and start producing some cross-promotional junk.

We need cake toppers! We need birthday kazoos! We need lots of plastic toys that stick in the vacuum. And most of all we need BOOKS.

Disney's new TV show, Little Einsteins, is a hit at our house and it's one bit of tv that I actually feel good about. Each episode features a composer and an artist of the day. And it teaches musical terms during the course of the show. You feel pretty good when you're telling your four-year-old son to run in before it rains and he says: "I guess we better go allegro!"

But when I went to Barnes and Noble today, the kids lit manager had never HEARD of the show. (It's not some obscure public television thing. It's Disney.) And she tried to steer me toward Baby Einstein board books for kids who measure their age in months.

Has Disney lost their touch?

Make Way for Ducklings

2007-06-04T20:21:00.001-07:00

I was in a hurry. (As usual.) And I was driving down Hurstbourne Parkway, one of Louisville's largest, widest, busiest roads.

It was all tied up. I was creeping, crawling, wondering if I should try to veer off, turn around, and go another way. But I wasn't close to a good place to turn.

I feared an interstate wreck, but I could see the traffic on the interstate above, speeding along as usual. The problem was on Hurstbourne itself. That did not bode well. I usually try to remain calm in the car. Road rage gives you wrinkles. But I confess I was gripping the wheel somewhat tightly.

But then, up ahead, I saw some women in the road scurrying around. I couldn't imagine what they were doing in the middle of six lanes of traffic. There was no obvious wreckage to clear. Their movements were too erratic to be picking up dropped cargo. What was going on?

And then, I saw something below them. There were ducklings. It looked like, maybe, 20 of them, all gathered around a harried-looking mother duck. She was hustling, but taking her time about it. (Ducks can do that.) Finally, she spotted the end of the pavement and make a run for it, the babies staying right with her. Quick as that, they were off Hurstbourne and in a very homey looking draining ditch.

"Look!" I cried to my son. "Look! It's like Make Way for Ducklings!"

My son loves to read and he usually enjoys even old books. But Make Way for Ducklings does not translate well for him, despite being a classic. I don't know why, exactly. It never really did for me either. I think it's because the only human character has a job that is so hard to relate to now. He directs traffic? Full time?

But there, on one of the busiest streets of Louisville yesterday, the moment was recreated. Two women were helping a mama duck. And Hurstbourne stood still -- or at least really slowed down -- because of it.

It made me smile all day.

Captain Underpants and Professor Pippy PeePee Poopypants

2007-05-30T14:40:00.000-07:00

I can not believe I am reading these books.

But Ike is obsessed with them and laughs so hard that I'm afraid he's going to forget to breath.

The Captain Underpants series is science fiction for kids who still like pictures with their books, but have attention spans that take them beyond typical picture books which rarely top 20 pages.

Captain Underpants books are, by comparison, more like 200 and the drawings are simple black and white pencil creations. The drawings are, in other words, just enough to help a four-year-old get over the hurdle of needing a place to put his eyes while Mom reads and reads and reads.

The book follows the adventures of George and Harold, who hypnotized their mean old school principal once and now don't know how to undo it. Anytime someone snaps their fingers, the principal turns into Captain Underpants. Tra-la-la!

It's juvenile. A lot of the humor comes from enemies with names like Professor Pippy PeePee Poopypants. I occasionally fit it a bit overly precious. (I roll my eyes when the kid heroes make comments on whether or not various plot points will work for a children's audience, for example.)

But they're action-packed, definitely fun and must easier to sell to a four-year-old boy as a first chapter books than Little House in the Big Woods is. I mean, come on. How long can a four-year-old really be expected to sit still while listening to a description of canning.

So it's Captain Underpants for us. Tra-la-la!

The Plant Sitter By Gene Zion

2007-05-29T07:48:00.000-07:00

This weekend my son caught me in the middle of a something he doesn't often see me do. I was planting something! I was actually getting my hands dirty, trying to transplant a decorative cactus into a pot on our patio.

My four-year-old thought this was great and he immediately started plotting. "We should have plants in the whole house," Ike said. "So many that you can't even walk around. It will be like that book."

That book?

"That book with the boy and the plants."

Ah, The Plant Sitter, a 1959 book by Gene Zion and Margaret Bloy Graham. You may know their more popular book, a 1956 delight entitled Harry the Dirty Dog.

Harry the Dirty Dog, as of today, is still a top-20,000 book on Amazon. Not bad for a book that's 51 years old. But The Plant Sitter is out of print. You have to find one from, basically, an antique dealer. We have a copy only because of a friend who scours Goodwill shops for children's books and then passes on good ones to family's with kids.

Thanks to our friend, my son has a lot of books. So it speaks well of this one that it is remembered and referred to, even when it hasn't been read in months. My husband was grilling our holiday meal. A sandbox and a new bike beckoned. But my son was running inside to search his overstuffed bookshelf for a book that was even older than his parents. "We need to read that book again," Ike said. "It might have a little recipe at the end to show us how to do the same thing."

He found it and we sat on the patio and re-read the story of a boy who decides to spend his summer earning money by caring for vacationing neighbor's plants. He does such a good job that the plants thrive in his home and soon every room in the house is filled with plants. When his father wants to turn the channel on the television, he has to fight his way through. It is almost like a jungle. ("I guess he didn't have a remote," Ike said.)

Here's why this book is great:

1) It shows a boy in a nurturing role. He's not fighting, getting into trouble or exploring. He's gently caring for living things. It's a nice change from most books.

2) It shows a boy turning to books for answers. When his plants threaten to take over the house, he finds a book at the library called: "Are your plants too big?" It helps him solve his problem.

There was no "recipe" at the end, but it did force me to vow to go to the library to find a book about gardening for kids.

What more could you want from one old picture book?

I love Harry the Dirty Dog. Who doesn't? But I think I like The Plant Sitter even more.

Mo Willems new books are a hit!

2007-05-13T18:28:00.000-07:00

"Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus," by Mo Willems has been heralded as a new classic for kids ever since it was released in 2004. It's spawned several sequels and it is truly a delight.

But Mo Willems new series, launched last month and featuring the friendship of a pig and a elephant, is even more fun.

"Today I Will Fly" and "My Friend is Sad" are books that work on a lot of a different levels. I initially spotted them as potential baby books. They had the hallmarks of that -- just a few words and very simple drawings.

On closer inspection, I noticed that they repeat just a few words over and over again -- the classic sign of books for beginning readers. (Although better done than most.)

So was it a book for a reader or for a baby?

The answer came when I read "Today I will Fly" to my pre-reading four-year-old and discovered that this new series works for everyone -- including mom. This is a simple story made fantastic by the use of excellent facial expressions, body language and real emotion. (The elephant and pig get frustrated with each other in ways that any family will be quite familiar with.)

I don't know the last time we enjoyed a book so much! And we enjoy books every night!

My son was laughing in absolute delight and when he said: "Read it again!" I was happy to do so. In fact, I would have insisted.

Morning books

2007-03-23T07:21:00.000-07:00

My oldest was not yet three on the night that I checked on him in his sleep and found 16 books stacked by his pillow. "What is this?" I asked my husband, who had put him to bed that night.

"He said it was his 'morning books,'" Jim said. "I thought it was something you had started with him."

No, it was something he came up with all on his own. The sad thing about the nighttime reading ritual is that it eventually has to end. For a boy who loves books the best way to deal with the disappointment is to think about all that you will read the next day. Sixteen of them tomorrow morning!

My son is almost five now, but morning books are still part of our family lexicon. There are moments, like this one, when he comes running into our dark room beating the sunrise by a good hour, his arms full of favorite stories. "It's time for morning books!" he says.

There's a baby in our house and so there are nights that I am up multiple times for feedings or fevers. On those mornings, I'm so sleepy I must struggle not to fall asleep mid-sentence. Sylvester McMonkey McZZZZZ.

This is insane, I think. It's not even light out.

But I struggle onward because I want my child to be the sort of kid who wakes up early to read and if that means I have to get up a little early to read to him, well so be it.

After all, that's what they invited coffee for!

Teaching a child to love books

2007-03-22T14:03:00.000-07:00

We do a lot of things wrong at our house, but this is one thing that's going well so far. Our sons are learning that books are valuable tools, and great fun besides.

The secret?

We've made a point of showing them how we use books everyday. It mostly amounts to thinking out loud. "I think I'm going to look in this cookbook to see how long I should cook the chicken tonight," I might say. Or" I think I need to check the baby book to find the best way to take the baby's temperature."

Of course, this means you have to use a book for those things, rather than Google. But even turnign to the computer counts, if you point out to the child that you're reading the answers. I don't mean giving them a lecture about "this is the importance of reading." I mean simply saying: "I don't know why Mars is red. Let's go read about it on the computer!"