The Child Reading Dilemma Thread

[Howard Treesong]

We have encouraged the little Ts to read ever since they were born. Both of us, but mostly Mrs. T, read to them every single night until they started to read, and both little Ts (5, 7) read perfectly fluently. Although either of them can decode most anything, their comprehension of various themes, particularly adult themes, remains somewhat limited.

We're starting to seriously face the issue of what (if any) books we should preclude them from reading. As I noted in the other thread, I'm a pretty laissez-faire dad, but I would, for example, clearly and obviously prevent them from reading graphic hardcore porn, or textual descriptions of bestiality or molestation. The Brandi Hawbaker threads would be over the line. But apart from that, my general inclination would be to let them self-select in this regard. What, EDF, are the proper parental limits for reading on children who mechanically can read well past their maturity level?

By way of example, I was able to decode pretty much anything by a relatively early age. My parents let me roam free in bookstores, and I picked up an artsy-fartsy cocktail-table book about childbirth. I opened it, only to be faced with a close up shot of a child being born -- legs spread, snapper wide open, head visible. I was maybe eight . . . and man, that traumatized me sufficiently that I remember the picture even now. I kinda wish now that my parents would have tactfully directed my attention away from that particular volume.

Secondarily, what are EDF's suggestions for great preteen reading? Examples might be the Island of the Blue Dolphins, A Wrinke In Time, The Phantom Tollboth, or the like.

[7ontheline]

Phantom Tollbooth is [censored] awesome. Incredibly good book, even for adults. Some good fantasy appropriate for kids might be Ursula K LeGuin's Earthsea trilogy. I remember liking that in grade school.

[goofball]

heh, my 10 year old cousin was just in town. Where the red fern grows, The Education of little tree, truth is a bright star, redwall (and any of that series by brian jacques), how to eat fried worms and owls in the family are all of the top of my head.

[derek luv]

Give them some Tolkein/Robert Jordan.

[bobman0330]

Bridge to Terabithia, The Westing Game, The Dark is Rising, Dealing with Dragons, From the Mixed-up Files of Ms. Basil E. Frankweiler. There is a series of fantasy novels by Lloyd Alexander that is also awesome. Go to the summer reading section in a bookstore and you should find a ton of great stuff.

I'm no parent, but by far the best thing to do is to monitor what they read and make sure you talk to them about anything objectionable or troubling or whatever.

[Howard Treesong]

[ QUOTE ]
Bridge to Terabithia, The Westing Game, The Dark is Rising, Dealing with Dragons, From the Mixed-up Files of Ms. Basil E. Frankweiler. There is a series of fantasy novels by Lloyd Alexander that is also awesome. Go to the summer reading section in a bookstore and you should find a ton of great stuff.

[/ QUOTE ]

You're thinking of The Book Of Three etc. etc. -- the Alexander books are great choices, thanks.

[lippy]

When I was 5-8 I absolutely loved the Boxcar Children books. I don't remember much about them, but I would read them with my parents and be entranced.

I remember recently reading that those books were written in a way in which they'd be easily comprehended by children just starting to delve into 'chapter books'.

[RR]

When I was little I always read the newspaper. Started in kindergarten.

[Banks2334]

Howard,
Just wondering how the "self-selection" works. You go to the local Borders and as long as your kids don't pick up Brandi-The Sklansky Years, it's ok? I'm all for empowering children, but shouldn't more guidance be given? Just because they can read it doesn't mean they should. Serious question.

[TheProbst]

This book Goblins in the Castle is the only book I remember from childhood. I hated to read, and read this book like four times in third grade.