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Everyone I know that has read that book has said it is dreadfully boring. I actually have it but never opened it for that reason.
Wow! That surprises me. It's probably one of my top-20 all time favorites. I can't even see how someone would call it "boring," since the story moves a long pretty quickly, and important things are happening in every chapter (meaning no slow parts).
I guess if a person found these things to be "boring," then I wouldn't know what I could ever say to such a person :
--a little girl suddenly losing her brother and mother to sudden deaths
--living in Germany during WWII with bombs coming down on your house
--hiding a Jew in your basement from the authorities who will kill you and him if they found out
--a little girl experiencing all of that while also developing a love of books
I'm not sure Animal Farm is too advanced at her age. Sure, she wont understand all of it but thats kind of the point. It will get here thinking critically and wonder what its about which is what I am going for. I am also going to be quizzing her and talking about each book after she reads it (mainly to make sure she actually did read it and now look up a summary online) so she will be able to ask and put things together. But, I might read it again tonight to make sure. It's been three or four years since I read it last. I read The Stand by Stephen King when I was 10 years old and started reading Dean Koontz as well because I was bored with YA stuff already. I
I am only including Huck Finn because as she enters 5th grade, they do Missouri history and Mark Twain is a big part of that. This will help her get a head start on whats going to be a huge part of her education next year.
Alice in Wonderland is an easy read and I definitely dont view it as a chore. I read it last week. It is very easy to read and enjoyable, it is one of my all-time favorite books.
Oh, by the way, I'm her father!
I'm also considering the following:
Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks - one of my favorite books when I was a kid.
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Charlotte's Web
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Close to Famous by Joan Bauer
Legend by Marie Lu
I'm sorry. I did worry about mentioning mom since I wasn't sure, so I just put the feminine since I'm a mom.
I never read Alice in Wonderland, so I didn't know it was an easy read. I just figured since it's so old, she might get bored by the language. I also loved Mark Twain, but I misunderstood your reasoning for having her read these books.
When I was young, I got bored by the classics. I read them, but none of them would have turned me into an avid reader like the one on my mom's bookshelf. Immediately after I read that book, I discovered Stephen King. The Stand was my favorite book for a long time, and still among my top ten. I'm not too thrilled with his later work (except 11/22/63 - great book except the ending), but those early books were so good!
I will say that because of my love of books, I later started liking the classics. Of your list, I hate to admit I've only read Fahrenheit 451, Charlotte's Webb, and The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. I loved all of them. My 4th grade son just finished Bridge to Terabithia in school and loved it. I had never read it, but I did see the movie a few years ago and thought it was really good. He didn't even know there was a movie, so we'll probably be watching it soon. He may not like the movie as much after reading the book.
I loved Judy Blume when I was her age..my fave was Are You There God, it's Me, Margaret The Giver was a good read
Mildred Taylor's Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry and Let the Circle Be Unbroken were thought provoking especially in regards to race relations
I'm going to second that about Judy Blume. I don't know if it will seem too dated, but Are You There God, It's Me, Margaret is a really good book for an adolescent girl.
A bright ten year old can appreciate adult books. Obviously, there are certain books you wish to avoid because of topic or language but here are a few appropriate items. There are many amazon reviews for these. All of the following books are suitable for adults as well so don't hesitate to pick up three copies; book discussions are great family activities.
The first is a charming and rather eye-opening classic for someone who enjoys being amused and learning how to think at the same time. Published in 1880, it's still a favorite of intellectuals to present to their children.
Finished in 1962 but not published until 2011, former president Hoover's book is a telling indictment of US foreign policy with origins in this country's entry into World War I culminating in the rise of the Soviet empire after World War II. Hoover provides ample background material that allows the reader with no knowledge of the subject to easily digest the material.
Originally published as a children's book, Adams' masterpiece has undoubtedly had far more adult readers. It's both aedifying and charming as well as providing an introduction to the concept of a group using a foreign language, that language being Rabbit.
If your daughter enjoys the thought of other languages, if she's truly bright, and if you'd like to see her score an 800 on the SAT verbal within a year or two (no, I am not kidding), consider the two following; they're designed for bright students of any age to get the fundamentals of Latin and Attic Greek without the need of a classroom. About 45% of English words are derived from Latin either directly or through French, 5%, mostly learned words, from Greek. Both languages are inflected so the student can begin to see that languages are not all of one type. Sadly neglected today, these two languages are the languages of the founders of Western Civilization.
The two following books are geared towards graduate students and others who need to quickly learn how to read French and German. The student probably won't learn how to ask where the bathroom is or how to order a hot dog but will learn how to read literary and scientific works in the respective languages.
Now, you may ask why I have emphasized languages so much. The answer is that by understanding an author's language we far better understand the author. Try to find a literal translation of just the first two lines of The Odyssey. There is no way to literally translate it; the best anyone could do would be to write and essay on Greek morphology.
But language is clearly the only means we have to convey thought so everything rests on language. Your dog and cat use language, sometimes in a surprisingly complicated manner. Giving a child who possesses a good intellect the gifts of language and a way to challenge that intellect are the finest things you can do for your child.
Wow! That surprises me. It's probably one of my top-20 all time favorites. I can't even see how someone would call it "boring," since the story moves a long pretty quickly, and important things are happening in every chapter (meaning no slow parts).
I guess if a person found these things to be "boring," then I wouldn't know what I could ever say to such a person :
--a little girl suddenly losing her brother and mother to sudden deaths
--living in Germany during WWII with bombs coming down on your house
--hiding a Jew in your basement from the authorities who will kill you and him if they found out
--a little girl experiencing all of that while also developing a love of books
I might have to dig it out of my boxes and give it a read. I bought it used for like a $1 at the library a couple of years back but then my friends (one of whom is a HS English teacher) said it bored them. I will give the first few chapters a read and find out of myself.
I loved Judy Blume when I was her age..my fave was Are You There God, it's Me, Margaret The Giver was a good read
Mildred Taylor's Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry and Let the Circle Be Unbroken were thought provoking especially in regards to race relations
She has read Diary of Anne Frank for school. She has read all the Judy Blume books and basically all the chapter books like Diary of a Skinny Kid or whatever they are called along with some of the other big ones whose titles are alluding me at the moment. She has kind of moved past that stuff and into YA books which is one of the reasons for the list, she is moving past what they have available in the library there and bored with them. Her teacher in the gifted program had recommended in our spring conference to kind of push her towards YA books.
I'm sorry. I did worry about mentioning mom since I wasn't sure, so I just put the feminine since I'm a mom.
I never read Alice in Wonderland, so I didn't know it was an easy read. I just figured since it's so old, she might get bored by the language. I also loved Mark Twain, but I misunderstood your reasoning for having her read these books.
I strongly recommend reading Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. The language doesnt feel dated at all and they are very quick reads. I just read Alice in Wonderland in one night before bed last week.
Quote:
Originally Posted by katygirl68
When I was young, I got bored by the classics. I read them, but none of them would have turned me into an avid reader like the one on my mom's bookshelf. Immediately after I read that book, I discovered Stephen King. The Stand was my favorite book for a long time, and still among my top ten. I'm not too thrilled with his later work (except 11/22/63 - great book except the ending), but those early books were so good!
I will say that because of my love of books, I later started liking the classics. Of your list, I hate to admit I've only read Fahrenheit 451, Charlotte's Webb, and The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. I loved all of them. My 4th grade son just finished Bridge to Terabithia in school and loved it. I had never read it, but I did see the movie a few years ago and thought it was really good. He didn't even know there was a movie, so we'll probably be watching it soon. He may not like the movie as much after reading the book.
I got bored with classics as well but I wanted to add some to give her some challenges and help her when she encounters those books in school. She will definitely be learning a lot about Mark Twain next year and have that background will help her a lot. My grandma not only had me read Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn between 4th and 5th grade but she also took me to Hannibal, MO for a few days and I got to see Mark Twain's boyhood home and watch the plays that they do right on the Mississippi River. Unfortunately, I cant afford to that for her. But, Missouri history and Mark Twain is a big part of 5th grade in Missouri.
I might have to dig it out of my boxes and give it a read. I bought it used for like a $1 at the library a couple of years back but then my friends (one of whom is a HS English teacher) said it bored them. I will give the first few chapters a read and find out of myself.
Definitely dig it out and give it a shot. I would recommend it too. It is so good! I honestly cannot imagine how someone could be bored with it. (I mean, yes, I know we are all different and have different tastes and all that, but I just loved it so much I can't imagine how it could be boring.) I'd say it is in my top 5. I actually own multiple copies of it I loved it so much.
Maybe someone would consider it boring if they went into it with a specific mentality. I do that with movies and really have a hard time enjoying some when I think like "oh this is going to be so hysterical because of all the great reviews it got" and then I'll be like "seriously??????? This is great?????"
If your daughter reads "Alice in Wonderland" and/or "Through the Looking Glass", see if you can find "The Annotated Alice" for her - it includes explanations of all the word-play, funny references, etc. which tend to escape modern readers, and can make the book much more enjoyable. "Alice" and its sequel are books which can be read and enjoyed on many levels.
Has she read "Little Women"? It's the first of a trilogy. Not to be missed, and far more appropriate than "Lord of the Flies" for a bright ten-year-old - again, ability to read above grade level does not equate with full comprehension or interest in more mature books. You want to find interesting, well-written, challenging books which are age-appropriate.
Providing a child with a book which she can read easily but won't enjoy or fully understand because it is too mature for her is like expecting a child to wear shoes several sizes too large because she is bright. Intelligence and maturity are two different critters.
How about "Anne of Green Gables" series? - another oldie but (very) goodie. I assume she's read all the Laura Ingalls Wilder "Little House" series, to which there are related books which she might enjoy: a songbook, a cookbook, biograpnies, books by Laura's daughter Rose Wilder Lane, and more.
"Hatchet" was mentioned - it's very good, as is the somewhat similar "My Side of the Mountain", by Jean George. "Julie of the Wolves", also by George, is excellent as well and also a member of this genre, as is the previously mentioned "Island of the Blue Dolphins", by Scott O'Dell.
Has she read Mary Norton's wonderful "Borrowers" series? If not, they need to be read in order (five titles). Rumer Godden's children's books (especially her doll stories, which your daughter would probably love, since she likes the American Girl dolls) are also very well-written, as are Elizabeth Enright's juvenile novels. All of these authors' descriptive abilities and freshly perceptive use of language are outstanding. Norton and Godden were British (Godden grew up in India during the last days of the Raj), and their writing reflects that.
if your daughter likes historical fiction, try her on "Hitty, Her First Hundred Years" (a Newbery Award-winning book by Rachel Field - the very adventure-filled autobiography of a little wooden doll. Be sure she gets the original, not the picture book adaptation) and "Caddie Woodlawn", (yet another Newbery book) by Carol Ryrie Brink, about a young girl growing up in a large family in rural Wisconsin in the mid 19th century.
Kate Seredy's "The Good Master" and "The Singing Tree" are about family life involving two young cousins on a (mostly horse) farm on the author's native Hungarian plains prior to and during WWI. Lots of excitement, humor, drama, and poignancy in the latter book, which needs to be read after the first title but which understandably deals with more serious issues and is quite thought provoking. Both books are beautifully illustrated by the author-illustrator, who also won the Newbery Award for "The White Stag", high drama about the legend of Attila the Hun.
Also, check with your local public library - public children's librarians are usually considerably more on top of good, classic and current children's books than are public school teachers, and can match your daughter's interests and abilities with books she'll enjoy and remember fondly (school librarians are also usually more up on such things). Teachers sometimes list the same titles, year after year after year...whereas librarians can provide booklists and personalized suggestions.
Good luck - you are blessed to have a daughter who reads!
Last edited by CraigCreek; 05-16-2013 at 03:03 PM..
Here are some very good modern novels, recent best-sellers, that stand out in my mind, which I think would all be appropriate and not over her head, The first four involve protagonists that she can identify with at her age.
Sue Monk Kidd. "The Secret Life of Bees" *
Audrey Niffenegger "Time Traveler's Wife"
Jodi Picoult "My Sister's Keeper"
Muriel Barbery "The Elegance of the Hedgehog"
Richard Powers ,"Echo Makers"
Kent Haruf, "Plainsong"
Michele Young-Stone. "The Handbook for Lightning Strike Survivors"
Also, "Lord of the Rings", which might take her a year, but is worth every minute. Of course, there is also "To Kill a Mockingbird". And a couple Ray Bradbury classics, "Dandelion Wine" and "Something Wicked This Way Comes".
Last edited by jtur88; 05-16-2013 at 03:05 PM..
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so don't hesitate to pick up three copies; book discussions are great family activities.
