This weekend I picked up two treasures that I'm anxious to share with my tots. I fondly remember lazy, after-recess, read-aloud time in school. The teacher always had the lights out, and sometimes I'd lay my head on my desk--ahhh, I can almost smell the pencil lead on my fingers--and picture the stories. Then, I'd sometimes rewrite them and pretend it was original work, LOL!!!!
Anyhoo, Sam's Club had these on the bargain table:
Little House in the Big Woods--while I don't remember the specifics, I do remember that it took her pa scads of time to load his gun, so he'd better be a good shot. And of course I was hooked on the TV series (why don't they make shows like that anymore???)
James and the Giant Peach. The creativity of this story has always astonished me. Hopefully my kids get the same enjoyment! I haven't seen the movie, but maybe we'll rent it after reading the book.
After reading Charlotte's Web a few months ago, I think the kids are old enough to sit through
chapter books and use their imaginations. Lately I've been studying up on Classical education, which is language intensive, rather than relying on images. Thus, tons of reading.
What were your favorite chapter books as a child?
10 comments:
Love LHOTP books (nearly wore out my set) as well as The Black Stallion books by Walter Farley.
Yay for introducing your tots to reading.
Oh I read the Saddle Club, Babysitters Club and Sweet Valley Twins like a starving person. As a younger child I liked The Betsy Books by Caroline Haywood (appropriately named for me! haha!) and anything in the public library. From The Mixed Up Files Of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is another classic.
Books like a Wrinkle in Time were too much for me. Have NEVER been a fan of sci fan! And sad to say, James and the Giant Peach kinda scared me. I am just not a fan of bugs or insects lol even in fiction.
My mom read all the Little House books to me when I was four or five and she was trying to keep me occupied during my sister's nap time.
In fact, those books are my first memories of books. I can still picture being pressed up against my mom, being transfixed by the stories of the Indians showing up at their prairie home when Pa was away and the winter that about killed everyone and the fire in Laura's first home.
I bought those books for my daughter over a year ago, and we're slowly working through them. They're fabulous, fabulous stories, although the language is becoming a bit archaic, even since I was wee lass. :)
Georgiana, I did find that the first three books in the series were a bit too detail-heavy for my daughter (and son who stuck around for some of the chapters). My mom told me that she skipped bits here and there in those first few books too because she found she was losing me.
But once you hit the Plum Grove book, the series changes to more stories than how life was. And my kids have been really hooked.
Ooo, glad I'm on the right track with Little House! I'd forgotten about Sweet Valley, I used to love those too. And thanks, Sally, for the suggestion on skipping through some of the details. I did a bit of that in Charlott's Web, too.
Reading with the kids is my idea of fun :)
Yeah, I'd have to say Little House on the Prairie. The Long Winter book I read in July, and I got so engrossed in the book, that I expected to see snowbanks past my window when I looked up. She could really write!
We made it through Little House in the Big Woods, but at times it was boring...sorry, Laura. Lots of details, and not much action. Yet, it was interesting and my kids loved the part about making a ball with a pig's stomach or some other internal organ.
Years ago read older ones James and Giant Peach and was surprised at the questionable language in the book. But I too LOVED it as a child. Maybe the bad stuff went over my head.
And I LOVE Little House series. Years ago I taped them on TV and have about a dozen 6 hour tapes. I'd often make my kids watch it before dinner when it came on TV and they'd groan "Not Lauren, Ingalls, again" then they'd sit glued to the screen. Even my boys! They just don't make em like that any more!
Oh, and a little known fact. It was probably Laura's daughter Rose that could really write in the family. I was on a Laura Ingalls kick one year, read Rose's diary, visited Laura's their home and graves in Missouri and Rose's life wasn't as grand as Laura's. From the diary, it seems Laura wasn't a very nurturing mom and Rose was the writer and helped edit/rewrite the Little House books.
The Chronicles of Narnia! It soooo great when your kids figure out that Aslan is like Jesus. :)
Also, I loved The Mandie series by Lois Gladys Leppard. Definitely wanted to be her. LOL
I'm SO into Children's lit, which is good because our school is based on the Classical method too. So I get to read it all over again. :D
G, if you need any reading lists or curriculum lists, I've got some great ones!
Carmen, I LOVE getting so involved in a book that I forget it's not real!
Gina, I'm so jealous of your Little House adventure!
Lori, you have a school that is classical based? Wow, if we had that I might not feel the need to hs;) Yes, I'd love a peek at your lit list for kids! Email when you have a chance.
My kids loved both of these stories, so did I when I was a kid. Who am I kidding? I still do!
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