Harry Potter - Popular, but never to be a Classic

[hobnail]

Speaking of classics, I started going through the books on my ereader in reverse chronological added order and decided to read Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn. I'd been putting it off because I remember the vernacular being thick, but so far it turns out it's only Jim's that requires reading slowly, and so far I'm enjoying the book.

[maddz]

The only films I recall watching at school were The War Game (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_Game), Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet, and possibly Olivier's Hamlet or Henry V (although the Oliviers I may have seen on TV). There was also some anti-abortion documentary (not unsurprising, I had a Catholic education).

School was responsible for my aversion to Victorian writers; one of my set books was Jane Eyre, which I loathed (along with A Tale of Two Cities), but I often re-read Pride and Prejudice (I still have the text we used). On the other hand, I still enjoy Shakespeare - our set plays were Romeo and Juliet which I disliked (too soppy), The Merchant of Venice, Macbeth, and Twelfth Night.

Let's put it this way, school didn't need to instil a love of reading in me - that was apparent from a very early age.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

By the same token, reading the play Romeo and Juliet isn't really anything like reading Jurassic Park, is it?

I agree. Not even close. Romeo & Juliet has no dinosaurs. That's the problem.

[4691mls]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I do think it's an excuse. You also watch plenty of bad films in school (With titles like What is Zinc?), yet there isn't a drop in people watching films.

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Of course the reason they would only associate reading with books they were forced to read in school because that is likely the only time they ever read.

If school didn't have kids read anything, do you think those same people would have spontaneously become readers?

Originally Posted by MGlitch

Careful it sounds like you’re implying that parents should actually take a role in their child’s lives or something

I suspect most kids develop their like or dislike of reading long before they get to the point in school where they would be reading "classics". I came from a home where reading was encouraged and I had always liked it, so having to read a few things in school that were less than enjoyable was no big deal and didn't turn me off to reading altogether.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by 4691mls

I suspect most kids develop their like or dislike of reading long before they get to the point in school where they would be reading "classics". I came from a home where reading was encouraged and I had always liked it, so having to read a few things in school that were less than enjoyable was no big deal and didn't turn me off to reading altogether.

Same here. But if I was not already reading for pleasure, I can see school having an adverse effect.

[Paperbackstash]

Yeah, I picked up a love of reading and fascination with books before starting school - my mom saw how much I enjoyed it when she read to me when I was a kid and I owe a lot to her on that. She made books exciting. On the other hand, both my parents hate reading - my father has never read a book as an adult, and my mom doesn't like to read, but she encouraged me to read. My brother doesn't read either, so I'm the oddball in the family. Of course when I had my own child, I was determined and excited to get him into reading, but despite all my efforts -- and maybe just stubborness because he knows it's what I wanted -- he is not a reader either :/

[4691mls]

Originally Posted by Paperbackstash

Yeah, I picked up a love of reading and fascination with books before starting school - my mom saw how much I enjoyed it when she read to me when I was a kid and I owe a lot to her on that. She made books exciting. On the other hand, both my parents hate reading - my father has never read a book as an adult, and my mom doesn't like to read, but she encouraged me to read. My brother doesn't read either, so I'm the oddball in the family. Of course when I had my own child, I was determined and excited to get him into reading, but despite all my efforts -- and maybe just stubborness because he knows it's what I wanted -- he is not a reader either :/

That's great that your mom encouraged you even though she wasn't interested in reading herself.

I'm sure there are some people who just won't be interested in reading no matter what kind of experiences they had in childhood. We all have different tastes. At least you have made sure your child was exposed to reading.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Paperbackstash

Yeah, I picked up a love of reading and fascination with books before starting school - my mom saw how much I enjoyed it when she read to me when I was a kid and I owe a lot to her on that. She made books exciting...

Of course when I had my own child, I was determined and excited to get him into reading, but despite all my efforts -- and maybe just stubborness because he knows it's what I wanted -- he is not a reader either :/

Yeah, my niece is living with me now and we're doing our best to brainwash her into becoming a reader.

Timing is bad, because we can't take her to a bookstore or the library to browse the shelves herself. We're trying to find things on our own. Goosebumps flopped (she's a little too young. She mainly found them boring), Captain Underpants was great until she watched the series on Netflix and the books lost their lustre.

So far, the two that gained the most traction are the Roald Dahl boxed set and the Encyclopedia Brown books.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Yeah, my niece is living with me now and we're doing our best to brainwash her into becoming a reader.

Timing is bad, because we can't take her to a bookstore or the library to browse the shelves herself. We're trying to find things on our own. Goosebumps flopped (she's a little too young. She mainly found them boring), Captain Underpants was great until she watched the series on Netflix and the books lost their lustre.

So far, the two that gained the most traction are the Roald Dahl boxed set and the Encyclopedia Brown books.

How old is she? Maybe some of us could come up with possibilities. Does she read at age level? Above? Below? I envy you. I think reading kids’ book with a kid is one of the great pleasures.

The library is a colossal loss. I was talking with the woman across the street the other day who’s a professor at the local university, and she was bemoaning her seven-year old’s reading level. I have yet to find a kid who is resistant to being let loose in the library (with a little informed influence from the adult at hand). FWIW, she may find books with girls set a flame. Good on you; you’re giving her an incalculable gift in reading.

[Paperbackstash]

Originally Posted by 4691mls

That's great that your mom encouraged you even though she wasn't interested in reading herself.

I'm sure there are some people who just won't be interested in reading no matter what kind of experiences they had in childhood. We all have different tastes. At least you have made sure your child was exposed to reading.

She was dyslexic and always considered reading a chore instead of "fun", but she says she wishes she did enjoy reading and finds it a good hobby to have, so I lucked out there.

My son is 19 now so hopefully he one day decides to start reading on his own. I was excited when he was almost there with a fantasy series, and with Diary of a Wimpy Kid, but sadly the brief enthusiasm kept dying out again

[Paperbackstash]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Yeah, my niece is living with me now and we're doing our best to brainwash her into becoming a reader.

Timing is bad, because we can't take her to a bookstore or the library to browse the shelves herself. We're trying to find things on our own. Goosebumps flopped (she's a little too young. She mainly found them boring), Captain Underpants was great until she watched the series on Netflix and the books lost their lustre.

So far, the two that gained the most traction are the Roald Dahl boxed set and the Encyclopedia Brown books.

I tried Goosebumps with my son - he liked the TV show, and I bought him several of the books for Xmas we talked about but he wasn't into reading them. I did get him to make bookmark crafts with me for awhile, you may try that with her and see if she enjoys that.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by issybird

How old is she? Maybe some of us could come up with possibilities. Does she read at age level? Above? Below? I envy you. I think reading kids’ book with a kid is one of the great pleasures.

She's nine. I believe her reading level is very high. She's never had issues reading the words on anything I've given here. But comprehension took some work. At home, she never read.

When she got here, we started with short picture/story books. Whatever the appropriate term is for Jumanji, Zathura and the better half's old Care Bears books (which my niece tore through in a few days). She loves Shel Silverstein's poetry books.

We progressed from there.

She loved the first Captain Underpants, so I bought her the next seven. In between she watched the TV series. So she took forever to read the rest of the books. Curse you Netflix!

Roald Dahl, she loved James and the Giant Peach, The BFG and The Fantastic Mr. Fox. She slogged through Matilda and decided The Witches looks too scary. We're planning on reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory together.

She borrowed Coraline from the library and loved it at first. But then decided it was too scary. Quite honestly, on that one I think she was too familiar with the movie and so soon the novelty of reading the book wore off.

She enjoyed Raina Telgemeier's books. I borrowed another graphic novel, Roller Girl which she said was okay, yet she laughed whenever she told us about it.

We read Beverly Cleary's Beezus and Ramona, which she enjoyed, but wasn't crazy about.

We typically read an Encyclopedia Brown story every night. These are short, five page kids detective stories. At the end, they ask you to figure out how Encyclopedia solved the case and you have to flip to the end for the solution. This gives us a chance to talk over the story and search for clues.

I loved those books as a kid myself, so her enjoyment of them is a treat. We're on book 9 now.

If in that mess you can come up with some recommendations, I'll take them.

The library is a colossal loss. I was talking with the woman across the street the other day who’s a professor at the local university, and she was bemoaning her seven-year old’s reading level. I have yet to find a kid who is resistant to being let loose in the library (with a little informed influence from the adult at hand). FWIW, she may find books with girls set a flame. Good on you; you’re giving her an incalculable gift in reading.

Yeah, before Coronavirus, we took her to both the library and Half Price books. I really miss that.

[issybird]

One more question: Do you think she’d be interested in somewhat dated books, whether a story set in the past or written decades ago? Or would contemporary books be best for her?

[issybird]

I'll have more, but off the top of my head:

• the Wayside School books
• the Sammy Keyes books (she's an amateur sleuth)
• Time Warp Trio

It sounds as if she doesn't like "serious" books, which lets out Narnia, Betsy-Tacy, Little House?

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by issybird

One more question: Do you think she’d be interested in somewhat dated books, whether a story set in the past or written decades ago? Or would contemporary books be best for her?

Well, Encyclopedia Brown started in the early sixties, same for Roald Dahl. We also read David and the Phoenix, from 1957. So she's okay with older books.

Originally Posted by issybird

I'll have more, but off the top of my head:

• the Wayside School books
• the Sammy Keyes books (she's an amateur sleuth)
• Time Warp Trio

I've not heard of any of those. I'll look into them. Today while I was out shopping, I picked up a Minecraft graphic novel. She's very excited about that. She's going to start it tomorrow.

It sounds as if she doesn't like "serious" books, which lets out Narnia, Betsy-Tacy, Little House?

I have a box set of the Little House books and Narnia (the ones with the cool art deco covers), Stroud's Bartimaeus trilogy as well as Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. But I think those are all a little too serious for her yet.

I started reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone to her, but she said she thinks she's not ready for it yet. She didn't understand why they went on and on about the Dursleys.

I do have Clive Barker's The Thief of Always. I might see what she thinks of it.