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Has your child read "James & the Giant Peach"?

975 views 20 replies 15 participants last post by  Momma Aimee 
#1 ·
If so, how old/what grade were they and did they enjoy it? I remember reading it in 2nd grade and did not think I was that advanced. But I'm in charge of my homeschool coop's intermediate class (1st-5th grade) and I'm getting several emails telling me that the book is too hard for the younger end of this age range. This comes after asking for suggestions and receiving none from them, and also asking that someone step up to help with the older kids so the group could be split (since it is a big age range). Then I would gladly choose something easier for the younger ones, but I don't want the older ones to be bored out of their minds as well. So, I'm just curious what age your child read this book at.
 
#2 ·
I read it to DD when she was. . .4 or 5? I think? DS1 read other books by the same author in the 5/6 age range and found them easy, but he was an advanced reader. I think DD could read it now (she's 6) but I'm sure a lot of 1st graders wouldn't be able to. I think it's pretty difficult to find something that kids in that age range would all be able to both read and enjoy. Are all the kids independant readers? Will parents be helping them at all? It's a GREAT read aloud for kids that aren't quite reading at that level.
 
#3 ·
This was a read aloud at our home for my 8 year old and my 4 year old. I remember my 2nd grade teacher reading this to our class and loving it. My 8 year old could have easily read it herself, but we really relish read alouds.
 
#4 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by scheelimama View Post
If so, how old/what grade were they and did they enjoy it? I remember reading it in 2nd grade and did not think I was that advanced. But I'm in charge of my homeschool coop's intermediate class (1st-5th grade) and I'm getting several emails telling me that the book is too hard for the younger end of this age range. This comes after asking for suggestions and receiving none from them, and also asking that someone step up to help with the older kids so the group could be split (since it is a big age range). Then I would gladly choose something easier for the younger ones, but I don't want the older ones to be bored out of their minds as well. So, I'm just curious what age your child read this book at.
Poking around online, JATJP is (depending on the source) written at 4th-6th grade level. I know a first grader and several second graders who could easily read it, and I know I could have in second grade, possibly first. My first grader certainly isn't anywhere near that level (though who knows where he'll be by the end of the year!).

So it sounds like it may be a bit advanced for your group if you're aiming for something in the middle of the grade range.

I agree with you that the age range is probably too broad. Most 5th graders aren't going to be interested in the books that most first graders would be able to read. Maybe the less proficient readers could do it as a read-aloud or read it cooperatively with their parents.

Is the expected reading level clear to the participants? Do you feel that parents are trying to include kids that aren't actually reading at the expected level? Clarifying this (for example, saying that all books will be written at a 2nd-4th grade level on some standardized scale, or whatever range you feel is appropriate for your goals) might help.
 
#6 ·
Yes, younger children who aren't reading or who aren't reading proficiently are certainly allowed to have their parents read to them. That's always been expected in our group. There's no way I could find books that 1st graders could easily read that 5th graders would enjoy. Perhaps part of the problem is that the parents don't want to have to read the books. *shrug* Not really sure. My 1st grader is not even really reading yet, I would certainly be reading it to her. But I guess I'm interested in if the content is too hard for a 1st or 2nd grader. I don't think it is. Apparently Amazon has it listed as a 9-12 year old book, but their classifications are rather broad and I can't even find where it says that anywhere on Amazon.
 
#7 ·
I read it to my son (the first grader who isn't capable of reading it on his own yet) sometime around 4 or 5, and he really enjoyed it.

I can see someone objecting to the content on a content basis (abusive aunts and so on). That's not a criticism, as obviously I read it to a young child myself! But I know some parents who would have a problem with that. I don't see it being too difficult for the typical first grader as a read-aloud, though.
 
#9 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by zebra15 View Post
My son read this somewhere around K-1, but he was an early reader and remains quite advanced. This may be a silly question but why homeschool if you dont want to spend time with your kids? LOL
I think having to read one more book on top of whatever they've already scheduled for their kids might be what's the real problem. But, it's their choice to be involved in the coop or not, and it's their choice to schedule other read alouds more lightly for that month or not (we only do this for 4 weeks in September, November, February, and April).

Thank you for all the opinions. I didn't think this book was too advanced for the younger ones, I'm glad to hear that so many have read this to their younger children who have enjoyed it.
 
#10 ·
I read it to my son last winter (age 7&1/2 at the time) and he was really into it. In school I remember an abridged inside a textbook version being assigned in 6th grade but I am not sure if I actually read it because the story seemed completely new to me when I read it last winter.
I would just keep that as your choice and suggest that parents read the book aloud. It's not that long and if it's a big problem for them they can wait and do the bookclub in a couple of years.
 
#11 ·
i read JATGP in 3rd grade traditional school. i read it to DS when he was in 2nd grade traditional school. he read it on his own in in 5th grade just b/c we'd rented the movie and he wanted to compare.
 
#12 ·
Since you asked what kids in this range are reading... DS 9 is currently hunkered down with a well worn copy of "the name of this book is secret" the book is part of a series...
http://www.amazon.com/Pseudonymous-B..._athr_dp_pel_1

I have the next 2 lined up for xmas but I dont think he can hold out that long LOL.

Last week he read the Wizard of Oz and then promptly took my Stephen White novel - The Siege, that I hadnt started yet (at least he didnt spoil the book for me)
 
#13 ·
The book issue has been discussed, but I just wanted to say that i think 1-5th grade is a completely unreasonable and imappropriate groupoing of kids for reading.
I would expect kids at the 1st grade level to be reading anything from well.NOT reading, to easy readers at levels 1, 2 OR 3, to easy chapter books and a 5th grader i would expect to read at somewhere between a 3rd and 8th grade level. I would probably plan to use different books for the lower and uppoer ends, just as a general rule. a 6 year old is a lot different animal than a 10 year old.
 
#14 ·
Have you looked into "High-Low" books? They are high interest with lower reading level. My dd, 3rd grade reads at about a 3rd-4th grade level but is bored by books written at that level (I couldn't belive how many picture books are on the 2nd and 3rd grade reading lists!)

We discovered these books and she's loved them. They are her reading level with more meaty content.

Sorry, I know this didn't answer your ? about JATGP, but it may help for future books for your group.
 
#17 ·
Slightly OT, but I wanted to mention that the movie of JATGP had a really, really negative effect on my son. He's got sensory issues to start with, so that didn't help, but right at the time he was given that DVD he started to do arm-flapping. He arm-flapped for months. Imagine us all freaking out. Then my wise mother came to visit and said "wait, he's acting out the scene from that horrible dark movie where they attach the birds to the peach!" And so he was.

I never did get to the bottom of of it, but what I THINK happened is that the animation disturbed him and he was processing it by acting out scenes (and we just never noticed the scenes he acted out that did not involve a classic autism indicator, since he was whispering the dialog to himself). When we took away the DVD, the flapping stopped.

I like the book. It was read to me when I was a child. But now I must relentlessly throw in my two cents about the movie being inappropriate for young children.
 
#18 ·
I know i read it alone in 1st ( I know Mrs randles and i talked about it) - but i also know i was advanced at reading.

I just wanted to offer you a hug

it seems like you have a number of families that want to complain, but don't want to step up and do any work and that makes me
anytime i encounter it.

there is no way -- IMO anyway -- to find a book for 1st though 5th unless you assume the 1 and maybe 2nd graders are going to have to have it read to them ... anything a typical 1st or 2nd grader can read alone is going to be too easy for a typical 5th grader


Sorry you are in that place.

Aimee
 
#19 ·
I got it in the mail finally a few days ago and started reading it to my children (almost 5 and 6.5 years) and they're both totally enthralled with the book and won't hardly let me stop reading. And I'm enjoying it just as much, so I think I made a good choice, even if the people in my group don't agree. They can run the next session for all I care (I'll have a newborn anyway, so I won't be leading any more classes this year after the November one is done.)
 
#21 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by scheelimama View Post
I got it in the mail finally a few days ago and started reading it to my children (almost 5 and 6.5 years) and they're both totally enthralled with the book and won't hardly let me stop reading. And I'm enjoying it just as much, so I think I made a good choice, even if the people in my group don't agree. They can run the next session for all I care (I'll have a newborn anyway, so I won't be leading any more classes this year after the November one is done.)
 
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