We are raising readers here in Beaumont. All of the grade schoolers participated in the read-a-thon earlier this spring and all but the kindergartener are involved in the AR reading program at school. Our fifth grader read over a million words since the beginning of school this year. Our kindergartener is reading everything, labels, road signs, grocery bags, computer games, but doesn't want to sit and read a book when the brothers are home. Our third grader reads at school during the free time his teacher gives the class for reading but he is not one to "curl-up with a good book" like the fifth grader. Our second grader doesn't want to stop moving much at all when he is at home reading is a chore for him. Our middle schooler will read if she is assigned to read but hasn't found the genre that captures her attention. She may be more of a reader for information than entertainment--that's good too.
Before we have to tie them to their seats and read to them I am trying to set the example. I have a large library of reading material which is mostly packed away but I brought a respectable few with me and have determined to read through as many as I can this year. Last year I read the complete Narnia Chronicles by C. S. Lewis. I found the boys wanting me to tell the story so well they feel like they read the book. I like to tell the story but I am perfecting my technique of selective reporting hoping that when they do read for themselves the story will be familiar and surprising.
Following is my reading list so far this year. I have opined on each of them and included a link for other reviews for most of the books.
DIAMOND BACK CAVE
K.L. Fogg
Covenant Communications, Inc.
I bought this book a year or two ago and kept it in my library for summer reading to my grandkids. They haven't been interested in reading it themselves as yet. They find Harry Potter and the Wimpy Kid more interesting. So, I decided to read it myself. I'm not sure what I expected from it -- maybe along the lines of the Hardy Boys. Maybe I was hoping for deeply developed main characters with a strong supporting cast. I was disappointed. The teens were asked to deal with a multitude of crises from the adults in their lives. Kidnapping, murder, schizophrenia, amnesia, blackmail, being trapped in a snake infested cave, more murder and extortion punctuated nearly every page. The cast of adult characters were so numerous it was hard to keep track of them. I'm 60+ years old and my brain is not as quick as my grandchildren's but about the time I started caring about the main characters the story was winding down. In the end the kids escaped to return to their families and their high school life to cope with the highly publicized fallout of their kidnap experience. The good adults returned to their daily lives and everybody lived happily ever after. The bad adults were jailed or killed off. Maybe I'm just too old to fully appreciate this piece of work. Here's a link to a youtube video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhX0ONzsetk It is an inviting film.
THE RED PYRAMID
Rick Riordan
Scholastic, Inc.
I liked this book. I liked the story tellers skill of weaving Egypt's historic magic throughout the world. For the most part the good people were really good people trying to do the right thing or trying to make a wrong they had done right. Evil was really evil. The youngsters in their teens discovered their own strengths and came to appreciate and depend on one another as they fought to rescue their parents and the world from the dark magic. THE RED PYRAMID is another book I bought with the grandkids in mind. I think it will stay on my book shelf. I didn't do any fact checking to know how accurate the ancient Egyptian myths are. But the author made them seem real as he skillfully told the story. THE RED PYRAMID is the first of the Kane Chronicles. I'm looking for book two. Here's a link to the author's website http://www.rickriordan.com/my-books/kane-chronicles/books/red-pyramid.aspx.
A WRINKLE IN TIME
Madeleine L'Engle
Square Fish
Here is another book where the children are called upon to face evil and rescue their father. These children have been empowered with advanced IQs and face obstacle after obstacle using their intelligence. A trio of sweet muses guide them with additional gifts or riddles all designed for each child to discover their individual uniqueness and overcome the evil that has entrapped their dad. Ultimately they come to appreciate what it means to be a family; learning that the power of love conquers evil. I hope my children read this book. It is a fantasy in time travel and interstellar travel where we meet good creatures fighting against the Black Thing trying to impose his will on all creatures in an effort to save them from the pain of making their own choices. The first in what has been called Time Quintet introduces us to the Murry family and Calvin O'Keef. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series. As I was reading this book the kids were more interested in what I was reading asking, "What's a wrankle?" "You mean a wrinkle?" "Yeah, what's a wrinkle in time? How can you wrinkle time?" That question alone opened up a brief discussion on physics, which I know nothing about, except the very, very, abbreviated definition of the word. I could see their imaginations working though.
You can learn more about the series here: http://us.macmillan.com/awrinkleintime/MadeleineLEngle
I also read something for me. I am a big fan of good westerns -- books or movies. But I want my heros really good heros and my bad guys really bad guys. I know life is not that clearly defined and that we all have a dark side within us. I like the old fashion books/stories that dwell in the moment the hero has already decided to do the right thing and then does it well and courageously even if he has to do it alone. That's the kind of heros I found in Louis L'amour's collection of short stories titled VALLEY OF THE SUN (Bantum Books). With only nine short stories this was a fast read for me -- about a week.
My reading time is limited to the half-hour when I wait in the parking lot at school or waiting while they play at the park. The boys are so accustomed to seeing me with a book that they now make sure I have it with me whenever we leave the house. They sure take good care of me.
THE HEALER'S ART
Lloyd D. Newell and Don H Staheli
Deseret Book
The authors discuss Carl Bloch's painting Christ Healing at the Well of Bethesda. Insights inspired by the painting draw the reader into the painting and offers the mind and spirit pathways to follow the Savior, Jesus Christ. I found my soul drinking deeply from the spiritual refreshment Mr. Newell and Mr. Staheli offered. From its pages, which related many familiar scenes from the life of the Savior, I polished my understanding of the divine sonship of Jesus Christ. It is worthy of its subject matter. THE HEALER'S ART is a small book with only 98 pages and two small appendices.
Next up on my reading list is THE INFINITE ATONEMENT written by Tad R Callister, published by Deseret Books. This is for my edification.
And as an example to the kiddos is CAPTAIN NOBODY by Dean Pitchford, published by Scholastic, Inc. They have seen it on my bookshelf for the past year and threatened to read it but then got distracted by Harry and Hermoine, or the Wimpy Kid, or The Magic Tree House. I'm hoping they will continue to enjoy good books.
We are planning a stay at the ranch in Paso this summer. I may have to insist on indoor reading time during the hottest part of the day.
What great reads have your youngsters discovered?
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