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restricting reading choices? - Page 2

post #21 of 47
2/27/04 at 12:40pm
Quote:
Originally posted by Dar
Rain turned 11 last month.
Happy Birthday Rain!
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post #22 of 47
3/12/04 at 8:47am

from my childhood...

Have you talked to your child about this? I remember reading very adult books when I was young, and it was wonderful and disturbing. Some amazing and awful literature, things like "Bluebeard" or *Jane Eyre*. All great stuff, but awful 'cause I had no one to talk to about the content (I was in 1st and 2nd grade), and I've always been a sensitive reader, overwhelmed by complex stuff in fairy tales and books (like misogyny). Later on, in middle school, I would often read lots of the series books. It was a nice relaxing experience, not to admire writing style or reflect too much on content. I went through periods of reading nothing but young adult romance for weeks at a time and reading "literatooor" at other times. And sometimes just reading nothing at all, blanking out infront of the TV 24/7. Why not talk to your child to better assess what your child might need? Another thing to consider is to encourage other activities that might assist your child in discovering their own "literary sense," such as storytelling and writing.

Just some thoughts,
post #23 of 47
3/12/04 at 9:37am
Wow! Then I must sitting just to the right of conservative.

My children are not even allowed to have library cards. We used to have cards for the children. But one day, the library called and said that my dd had a book overdue. I asked what book and the librarian told me that she was unable to tell me. Federal legislation mandated privacy in this matter. Children could walk into a public library and checkout whatever book they choose. They couldn't discourage children into seeking any venue that they wanted to read about. And it is not my "right" to know what my children were reading.

So, no more cards for my children. One card, mine. You want a book, my card. And, no twaddle. Kid mystery-type (Clue) books are about as far into the public library system that I allow. I have homeschooled since 1993 so we do not have a shortage of books in this house.
post #24 of 47
3/12/04 at 10:57am
I remember ebing about 8 or 9 years old and looking for something to read because I had erad all of the kids' books in our house so many times. I searched through my mom's shelves and read whatever looked interesting (a lot of it didn't appeal to me.) She got those hardcover collections of condensed books from Reader's Digest and I used to erad a lot of those. Becasue that is such a strong memory I make sure all of our bookshelves are well socked with all kinds of books. DH and I don't read Stephen king so I have no worries about my kids finding those kinds of books. Our shelves are filled with poetry, classsics, theology, hundreds of good novels, many of them Canadian, general knowledge, mythology, books I have enjoyed at all ages.
post #25 of 47
3/12/04 at 12:34pm
Quote:
Originally posted by Shantimama
I searched through my mom's shelves and read whatever looked interesting (a lot of it didn't appeal to me.) She got those hardcover collections of condensed books from Reader's Digest and I used to erad a lot of those. Becasue that is such a strong memory I make sure all of our bookshelves are well socked with all kinds of books. DH and I don't read Stephen king so I have no worries about my kids finding those kinds of books. Our shelves are filled with poetry, classsics, theology, hundreds of good novels, many of them Canadian, general knowledge, mythology, books I have enjoyed at all ages.
Me Too!
post #26 of 47
3/12/04 at 3:08pm
Rain has had her own library card since... well, since she wanted one, maybe 4 or 5. I wouldn't insist on knowing what she's reading, just like I don't insist on reading her emails or IM messages. Some things are personal, or private. I *trust* her. On the other hand, we do talk about almost everything, and she does generally tell me what she's reading, and if there are bits that upset her or she doesn't understand, she does generally ask me, or someone. One could say I trust her because she tells me things, I think it's more that she tells me things because I trust her
post #27 of 47
3/12/04 at 6:21pm
My parents never really restricted my reading, except the summer after 1st grade my mother forbade me from reading picture books for the reading contest because it wasn't fair to the other kids. I had to read chapter books. I still won, lol.

I was always pretty good at steering myself away from fluff and junk. It just didn't hold my interest. I started forays into the adult side of the library at about 10, usually because there would be books by an author I liked after reading something in the kids' side of the library that I'd have to go to the adult section to find. Isaac Asimov, for example.

I didn't really understand everything I read--Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy went way over my head at 11, even though I could read it, but I did learn a lot by reading science fiction--about number theory, about physics, etc. I was never disturbed by adult content, just ignored it until I was old enough to find it interesting.

I remember reading, for example, Nancy Drew, and getting bored after 4 or 5 books and moving on to something else. It just wasn't my thing.

So I'd say don't worry about a certain amount of fluff. Don't spend money on it, but don't worry about it, either.
post #28 of 47
3/12/04 at 9:04pm
Slightly ot:

My youngest just can't wait until he can have his own library card. (Our library's rule is that you have to be 5.) Actually, *I* can't wait for him to have his own card, because it'll free up room on MY card!

We usually use the card catalogue from home because the computers in the children's room now have filters on them. A major pain.

Do your libraries have filters and age minimums for cards?
post #29 of 47
3/12/04 at 10:06pm
Quote:
Originally posted by Joan
Slightly ot:

My youngest just can't wait until he can have his own library card. (Our library's rule is that you have to be 5.) Actually, *I* can't wait for him to have his own card, because it'll free up room on MY card!

Do your libraries have filters and age minimums for cards?
Same here, only DD has her own card already. She got it when she was three. She was excited to have her very own library card. As for filters, no, not that I'm aware of.
post #30 of 47
3/13/04 at 3:17am
Quote:
One could say I trust her because she tells me things, I think it's more that she tells me things because I trust her
Well put! I agree that when children feel trusted and respected they are more likely to share their thoughts and lives with you. Adults are the same. I wouldn't share my private thoughts with someone I felt didn't trust me or respect my ability to make wise choices.
post #31 of 47
3/15/04 at 7:24pm
Back to the OP... No one mentioned the Little House on the Prairie books.. Loved those in the third grade, and the first few aren't too 'girly'... In fact, I think Farmer Boy is the third one, and it's all about Almanzo Wilder's boyhood in I think upstate NY. And I LOVED Roald Dalh too.. James and Giant Peach and Willy Wonka and Chocolate Factory in addition to the titles already mentioned.

My parents were fairly strict when I was a kid about what I read.. I had Laura Ingalls Wilder and all kinds of Louisa May Alcott, and some Christian book series. Those were all pretty girly, but Louisa May Alcott has some that might appeal to little boys.. I know when I ran out of options I raided my older brother's and dad's hunting/safari/boy and his dog type books and loved them, so maybe your boy might not dig the more 'gentle' titles?

My point about my parents being restrictive... I fell madly in love with Vampires when I was 13 and The Lost Boys came out.. maybe madly in love with Kiefer Sutherland would be more accurate.. anywho.. due to this love of horror-minded stuff/the restrictions my parents placed on me/my being a punk kid really, I started ripping off (aka stealing) trash novels. Some of them turned out to be very well written, some were crap, but by then I could recognize it, you know? And when I got busted with one of my favorite horror/sci-fi books.. my mom just sort of tossed her hands in the air. (mind you, she had no idea I'd stolen it!!) You do what you can, while you can. I lost interest after indulging for awhile. But I'll still curl up with a Danielle Steele when my brain longs for a good serving of cotton candy over spinach. Talk about your formulas!

I wasn't homeschooled, and it would appear that I didn't learn a whole lot about morality - no, I learned ALL *about* it from the classics I read as a child.. I just didn't learn to *practice* it from my family. I think the key theme throughout this thread is that YOU ALL CARE, and that, in the end, is going to make the difference. You're actively involved with your children's literary lives and they know your opinions about what they read. They'll hear those voices in their heads for the rest of their lives!

lizzie
post #32 of 47
3/15/04 at 10:33pm
I'm new here. Posted a couple of times in the vax thread.

We've been homeschooling for four years now. We do restrict what the kids read because of religious beliefs. However , there are thousands of books that fall into the 'safe' category. My children do not have a library card. They used to , but the library called and was harrassing my daughter. My then six year old daughter. It's a really long story there. Condensed version: mistaken identity...I thought the Brenda on the phone was her Sunday School teacher , I had no clue it was really the librarian bugging her about a book we didn't even have. All that time I was tickled the Sunday School teacher was calling to check on her during the week.

So to end
Yes we restrict what the kids read and what the check out from the library. Not mean restrict , just a simple explanation that some books blantantly go against our belief system and we won't be reading them.
post #33 of 47
3/15/04 at 11:12pm
I was an early and constant reader. My mother always restricted my books, saying "I don't think this is appropriate for you, why don't you read this instead." When I was 7 years old, I picked up a book at GoodWill called "Will the Real Gertrude Hollings Please Stand Up" and mom bought it, on the provision that she could read it first. This wasn't a problem for me because I was in the middle of a Ramona book (I adored those!) and she was a fast reader.

When she finished it she said she didn't think that it was quite appropriate for me. I read the back cover again and decided that I wanted to read it anyway. I did, and I understood what mom was saying but I still enjoyed the book. It was about a little girl who felt extremely guilty because when she was a toddler she had set the house on fire playing with matches; She hid and her mother died trying to find her, but because of where she was hidden her mother couldn't find her and she survived. A bit of a heavy plot for a 7 year old, but it certainly didn't go over my head and I really enjoyed having something complex to think about. After I discussed it with my mother, we agreed that she wouldn't have to restrict my reading anymore.

The next time the idea even came into her head was when the extended version of "Stranger in a Strange Land" came out; I was 11 and definately wanted to read it (I was a big Hienlien fan by then), but my mother felt that it was a bit too much sex. She didn't stop me, she just told me what she thought about it before I read the book.

I certainly plan to restrict my own childrens' reading. As an earlier poster said: I restrict what they watch on television, why wouldn't I pay attention to what they read? I can see how it would be a big problem for parents who didn't read as much, because they might not have an idea of what to give a child when they take a book away, but I have loads of alternatives in my head (as my mother did; she was also an early and prolific reader).

Someone asked for book suggestions; if you pm me with the age and approximate reading level, I can certainly come up with a fun, appropriate list for just about any child. I read *constantly* as a child, and while there was a fair bit of stuff that I wouldn't particularly recommend (several Star Trek titles come to mind, and I wasn't a big fan of Charles Dickens short stories) there was lots of good stuff. "Harriet the Spy", for example, is an excellent book; don't discount it just because you've seen the movie, it was a book long before then. :LOL

I was a very strange child; I read "Dune" when I was 10 and absolutely loved it. I also read "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" at 11 on my younger brother's reccomendation and loved that, as well as "Ender's Game" and "The Secret Books of Paradys" (when he was 10, my brother joined a science fiction book club and got all kinds of interesting things in the mail, which he then passed on to me). I would not reccomend the Paradys books to most kids under the age of about 16; they are *very* dark, heavy, and the sex is downright violent most of the time. (I can only think of one instance of consentual intercourse in the entire series of four books). Then again, I can't be the only 12 year old who found (would find) them interesting/appealing.
post #34 of 47
3/15/04 at 11:33pm
I suggest getting good book catalogues and then letting your child choose titles to select books at the library, that way he is picking from your selections.

the sonlight curriculum catalog has an extensive 'good' book list, the books in the rainbow resource , timberdoodle, chinaberry, also check out the Jim trealease book lists and the one in honey for a child's heart


i do not restrict my childrens reading, but I will *redirect* them into a dif series if I see a few choices in a row I think are not appropriate in content or in level Mary
post #35 of 47
3/16/04 at 1:34am
We partially use Five in a Row for homeschool related stuff. They have an incredible list of wonderful books for ages 3-14. Wonderful fun family oriented books.

www.fiveinarow.com

Our new favorite is Homer Price. Really funny stories about the days of yesteryear.
post #36 of 47
4/9/04 at 6:33pm
T

I don't usually post in this forum (so Hi we're unschoolers!), but


Quote:
K$0iginally posted by Dar [/i]
I really have issues with edited classics, but that might be a different thread. If you want to read fluff, read fluff, but reading dumbed-down classics seems pointless - you don't get to read the actual classic book, but edited classics generally don't work well as fluff-reading, either. I mean, the author out that many words in there because he thought they needed to be there, how dare some editor second guess him and take them out? Just MHO...
this phenomenon makes me go ballistic. I wrote about an essay about it and it got published last week--

http://www.salon.com/books/feature/2...ows/index.html

Just thought I'd share that incase anyone wants to read a rant about "adapted" classics.
post #37 of 47
4/9/04 at 8:02pm
NoraJadesMama: Hey, read it last week... loved the article. I've seen those books at B&N and never realized they were bowdlerized. Glad I didn't waste $5 or $6 bucks to find out the hard way. Ignoring the removal of "objectionable" content (grrr), I never fail to be amazed by the philosophy that children should somehow only be exposed to books containing words they already know. How the heck are kids supposed to learn new words? Granted, it can be frustrating reading books with too advanced a vocabulary, but those are often great candidates for read aloud.

I agree about reading (or hearing) classics intact with one general exception, I do think that adapted works have a place when knowledge of stories from the original work are as important as, or even transcends, the literary quality of the work itself... i.e. the "classic" classics. DD is only 2, but in preparation for homeschooling we're collecting different versions of works like the Iliad and Odyssey, Beowulf and Gilgamesh. Everything from picture books to easy readers through middle readers.
post #38 of 47
4/9/04 at 8:30pm
Quote:
I never fail to be amazed by the philosophy that children should somehow only be exposed to books containing words they already know. How the heck are kids supposed to learn new words? Granted, it can be frustrating reading books with too advanced a vocabulary, but those are often great candidates for read aloud.
exactly. Or sophisticated syntax. You learn new words by having them used, by needing them, hearing them. These writers were going for the write WORD, not writing for a marketing group--and kids can flex those language muscles more than some folks seem to give them credit for.

Quote:

I agree about reading (or hearing) classics intact with one general exception, I do think that adapted works have a place when knowledge of stories from the original work are as important as, or even transcends, the literary quality of the work itself... i.e. the "classic" classics. DD is only 2, but in preparation for homeschooling we're collecting different versions of works like the Iliad and Odyssey, Beowulf and Gilgamesh. Everything from picture books to easy readers through middle readers.
Yeah, I'm with you here, too.

Nice to meet a kindred spirit!!
post #39 of 47
4/10/04 at 2:40am
Looks like a cool article, although I only got to read the first bit because I don't subscribe...

And yeah, I make exceptions for things like The Odyssey - I mean, the original is in Greek, for one thing. I read a bunch of translations to Rain, some longer, some shorter... and some were definitely "condensed".

OTOH, what good is a summary of a Shakespearean play? I guess you can sound smart in conversation, except when someone actually starts quoting the words from the play and you go clueless because you never heard the actual words...

Dar
post #40 of 47
4/10/04 at 9:43am
Quote:
Originally posted by Dar
Looks like a cool article, although I only got to read the first bit because I don't subscribe...


Oops--I meant to say you can read it for free, you just have to click through a brief ad. I don't subscribe either but I read there all the time...
Quote:
And yeah, I make exceptions for things like The Odyssey - I mean, the original is in Greek, for one thing. I read a bunch of translations to Rain, some longer, some shorter... and some were definitely "condensed".

OTOH, what good is a summary of a Shakespearean play? I guess you can sound smart in conversation, except when someone actually starts quoting the words from the play and you go clueless because you never heard the actual words...

Dar
Re-tellings of Shakespeare (the original Bowlderizings) amuse me especially. So many of his plays were based on stories that were already circulating--what he added was his genius with language, his way of weaving characters and themes. Take that out and we've recycled right back to compost!:LOL

My first "ah-ha" moment with Shakespeare was watching a royal shakespeare company production in high school--that was when I realized what he was up to. It's worth waiting for.
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