For the Love of Reading
Jun 01 '01
The Bottom Line Use your own childhood against 'em!
I have a nine year old son that is absolutely wonderful, but until recently I have despaired of ever interesting him in reading the way I have always been interested. He reads quite well, just not voluntarily...until I decided to introduce him to all the books I loved as a child. You see, I have always made the mistake of picking new books for my son, and going for obvious choices such as the Pokemon series, and other movie and t.v. inspired selections. I had forgotten my own childhood. Now, I remember reading E.T. and the Star Wars series, and I enjoyed them , but those were not the books that ended up faded and dog-eared from my reading them for the 415th time, usually under my blanket at night with a flashlight, standing in line with my mother, or in class when the teacher wasn't looking. (You know, all the places that get you in trouble and labeled a bookworm.) I decided to find all of those books for my son.
I started him with an early favorite that I remembered my third grade teacher, Mrs. Young, reading to the entire class. It had been The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner. The book about a group of homeless children who had moved into an abandoned boxcar in the woods had taken her days to read, and had kept everyone in the classroom enraptured until she was finished. Most of us became hooked on the series after that. Anthony, my son, read it, and then he was hooked, too. Score one for reading.
Next, I decided that the best place for him to be was Narnia, and I'll bet most of you know exactly where I am talking about. Narnia, the magical world created by C. S. Lewis, with holy lions, noble princes, centaurs, talking animals, dwarves, and magical wardrobes, was and is my favorite fantasy kingdom. This choice had been so obvious that I kicked myself all the way to the bookstore. After all, I don't know anyone who ever finished The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe without then saying to themselves, "more, more, more!" I walked away from the store with the boxed set, and sure enough, Narnia has a new fan. So far I'm batting 1000.
Seeing my son enjoy the books I love has excited me the way it did when I first read the books myself, and I love having him read them aloud to me. I can't wait to get him the rest of the classics on my list (some of which are below).
A Wrinkle in Time--by Madeleine L'Engle.
"...and the lightning with its rapid wrath." This book will make you think, and can interest the most un-scientific child in the sciences.
Charlotte's Web--by E. B. White.
This book put me in a terrible pickle, as it made me want to befriend the creepy crawlies I had always been terrified of. Nevertheless, it was an excellent read.
The Hobbit--by J. R. R. Tolkien.
Bilbo Baggins always was my favorite little person.
The Black Cauldron--by Lloyd Alexander.
Magic, ancient Wales, and a cocky assistant pig keeper. What's not to love?
Dragon’s Blood--by Jane Yolen.
An otherworldly child and dragons, a sure combination for fascination.
The Wizard of Oz--by Frank L. Baum.
The book is, of course, better than the movie, with an added benefit: Baum wrote an entire series of children’s stories about the Land of Oz, and each one is wonderful (for adults, too). Some of the titles include The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Marvelous Land of Oz, Ozma of Oz, Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, The Road to Oz, The Magic of Oz (are you beginning to see a pattern here?), along with other, non-oz related stories such as The Master Key, The Life and Adventures of Santa Clause, and A Kidnapped Santa Clause.
Alice in Wonderland--by Lewis Carrol.
This book is one of the most fanciful and colorful of all children’s tales. Creative and fun, I recommend following it up with the novel, Through the Looking Glass.
Treasure Island--by Robert Louis Stevenson.
Dastardly deeds and mayhem on the high seas, along with pirate gold, make this a book to turn any young swashbuckler’s head.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn--by Mark Twain.
Huckleberry Finn, along with Tom Sawyer from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is one of America’s best know scamps, and has delighted children of all ages for decades.
Little Women--by Louisa May Alcott
One of my all time favorites, Little Women is not just great reading for girls, as it is a wonderful tale of the strength of the bond between sisters.
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Epinions.com ID:
deannajjones
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Location: Hendersonville, NC, USA
Reviews written: 8
Trusted by: 6 members
About Me:
Freelance hack.
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