Quote:
Originally Posted by TallMomof2
I let my kids read whatever they want. I just [want] them to read!
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Well, I almost let my kids (when they were young -- the youngest now is 27) whatever they wanted. There was only 1 exception -- James Joyce's
Ulysses.
I remember my son coming home from school when he was 12 and in 6th grade and telling me he had to go to the bookstore to buy a book for a homework assignment. I took him and he immediately grabbed
Ulysses. I asked him if the teacher had assigned the book and he told me no, the assignment was to do a book report on a book written by a major 20th century author. He had "heard" some discussion about what a great book this was and thought he would do his report on it.
After much fencing, "heard" became schoolyard discussion among the boys and that it was a really "sexy" book. I told him that he could not buy
Ulysses because it was too difficult to read at this point in his education but that I would give him an IOU for the book that he could redeem when he was in 9th grade. I explained that the book's use of English structure, particularly the exceedingly long punctuation-less sentences, made it too difficult at that moment.
He argued so I said, OK, here's what we'll do. I'll photocopy a few pages of Ulysses and if he can explain them to me, then he is ready for the book; otherwise, it's the IOU. I also suggested that he time how long it takes him to read and understand those pages, because if I buy the book for him, he will need to read it cover to cover within a month. He accepted the challenge.
A week later he told me to forget it. The book was boring, made no sense, and would require him to give up all fun activities for a month in order to get through it. Just wasn't worth it. He didn't even want the IOU.
But that is the only book I said no to and I only said no because I knew my son would not be able to understand it -- he was still too young and too immature. I don't think he has ever read the book.