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amyable
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I think I may have asked this years ago, but I can't find it now.  I'm placing it in this forum because it's more a parenting issue with me than an educational one, but feel free to move it if you see fit, dear moderators. 
Do you let your kids get out whatever they want from the library, within reason?
My kids, every single one without fail that can walk and talk, gravitate towards the books I think are just, well, dumb. Dora, Blues Clues, Disney Princess for the younger set... things like Magic Treehouse and a certain fairy series for my olders who are wayyy past that reading-level wise...
I wouldn't mind so much, if they then enjoyed better, classic books. But it seems like that's all they want to read, especially the littles -i.e. if Dora's available, it is THE book of choice over and over again, and other books are walked away from.
I try to wonder if they are fulfilling a need or something, but really it just seems like junk food or a drug- my kids want it (junk food) all the time, and would eat it all day if they were allowed. Same with these books. It's easy and junky and they just want more when I give them a little.
Do any of you have this problem? Do you care? Do you regulate your library trips? TIA for your thoughts and stories.
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Carole N.
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I am with you, Amy. I always think that they should be reading at level or challenging themselves with great literature. But my youngest son was a relunctant reader and when he was in school, the teachers and the principal advocated him reading whatever he wanted ... as long as he read for a specified period of time everyday. I guess they figured that as long as he was reading, he was building good reading skills. At the end of his 5th grade year, he was reading on the 7th-8th grade level. Remember, there was more difficult reading going on in the classroom. The books he brought home were his pleasure reading.
So I have relaxed a bit on what they can read for fun. My dd is reading The Lord of the Rings, but my ds (who is 15) is rereading Hardy Boys mysteries (he did just finish a year of Greek Literature).
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folklaur
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really? Since we read "good" books, classics, for school and for family read alouds, etc...I will pretty much let them get whatever they want from the library. I do inwardly roll my eyes, and will suggest to my dear 6year old that there are many, many other choices than this Disney Princess book that she will invariably grab. But I still let her get it if that is what she wants.
And - well, Magic Treehouse are just fun. They can be the beginning of great rabbit trails.
My oldest dd would ALWAYS get stacks of Manga. Talk about twaddle! But - now she is pretty accomplished at drawing some very, very good pictures in that style, she taught herself Japanese, etc. You just never know where even the "twaddle" books can lead, imo.
I don't think I would equate it with "junk food" or a "drug" - as they are both harmful. I don't think twaddle books are harmful. Just twaddle-y. no more, no less.
just my .02 cents....
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folklaur
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I have to add:
imo, and again, it is just my opinion, for pleasure reading I do not think they need to be challenged all the time (or even most of the time.) They have YEARS to read all the good/great books out there - and many will be more appreciated with more experience under their belt. It isn't like we have to be sure to stuff it all in before they leave for college because then they will suddenly stop reading. As long as they love to read, they will keep reading. If they hate to read, or were always pushed to read challenging material, then I am sure they will be much more likely to avoid reading unless they have to once it is up to them.
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amyable
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cactus mouse wrote:
I don't think I would equate it with "junk food" or a "drug" - as they are both harmful. I don't think twaddle books are harmful. Just twaddle-y. no more, no less.
just my .02 cents.... |
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I definitely see what you're saying - I guess I equated it to those two things because it seems like they crave it to the exclusion of better things. They want it, they want it now, and it's all they want.
I guess maybe part of me is nervous because this is the first year (DDs in 3rd and 5th grade that I'm requiring readers from them - things I've selected -well, Sonlight's selected, LOL. Until then I don't push it. I'll sit down and read something (i.e. picture books to the little - and not so little - ones, and the books I think are great quality, the ones everyone raves about here, they don't want to sit for. 
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Maddie
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I allow them to choose whatever books they like from certain authors only. For example, I'll point out the Tasha Tudor section and allow them to choose any book they wish from her titles. I have my "Landscape With Dragons" booklist and authors pretty well memorized so I can direct them to the books I want them to read.
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Paula in MN
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I live in an area where Dora, Blue's Clues, and Sponge Bob are at the top of the reading lists for the 8 and under set. Consequently, none of those books are ever waiting on the shelves when we visit the library. 
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LisaD
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I generally tell my kids, "Okay, you can choose one Berenstain Bears, Elmo, Dora, Star Wars, Lemony Snicket, etc., then let's go look at xyz books." My boys prefer non-fiction for the most part, and have checked out just about every DK Eyewitness books our library has. I have to be more particular with my 9 y.o. dd, as she is an advanced reader who enjoys reading, but also has 2 years of public and 2 years of parochial school and all the pop culture that goes along with that under her belt. I try to be very conscious about what she is looking at.
I will commiserate with you, Amy, because my kids often turn up their noses and turn off their ears to many of the classic books on Sonlight, MA, MODG, etc. reading lists. I did buy a lot of them for this year, too. Oh, well.
For read alouds, we have read ALL of the Magic Treehouse books, and while I really do not enjoy them and find them rather annoying, we alway have great rabbit trails to follow. My kids have loved Beverly Cleary for read alouds, too, and I do love those and enjoy doing voices, etc. We are reading our way through Laura Ingalls Wilder before bed, and everyone likes those (except the chapter about the plague of grasshopper in On the Banks of Plum Creek. I read that last night and dd had a terrible nightmare about grasshoppers!). I doubt my 7 and 9 year old would read them on their own, though.
I hope that if I read aloud one good book to every 4 or 5 twaddley books they read, eventually they will begin to read really good literature on their own. What is important to me is that they love to read, and forcing things they do not want to read or be read, isn't the way to do that, imo.
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graciefaith
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I let them choose whatever they want. Suprisingly, they have chosen very good books in the past. They always look out for caldecott medal/honor books as well. I figure i can just read it once to them and return it. I do limit the twaddle though.
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LucyP
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I let my son (4) pick out what he wants from the shelves and then I say what will come home with us. Sometimes I let him have stuff I don't really go heart-eyed over and eitehr don't read it or read it and show how rubbish the story or pictures are compared to X on his shelves. But my main issue is that our library has such a poor selection anyway. He once chose a book that had lovely pictures of badgers so I bought it home, we sat down to read it and the actual words? ABout a child witnessing domestic violence!
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melanie
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My oldest is a relectant reader and she only recently started to read *anything* voluntarily. She recently got into a "twaddly" series, and I couldn't be more thrilled, really, just to see her read at all! We use MODG, so she has a certain amount of reading required of her, and when we are not officially "doing school" I will have a book picked out for her that she has to read from. I will pick books from the Honey For a Child's Heart list and leave them out for her to see if she will bite, but otherwise I let her pick. My new issue is keeping her the heck away from these "young adult" books as she gets older. 
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mama251ders
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the only place in our library that is off-limits is the "easy-reader" section. My dd's will inevitably pick out Barbie books and, to me, that is just not ok. My boys always head for the non-fiction section and if I can keep the girls in the picture book section, than we do okay. I did put my foot down when my oldest dd wanted to bring home "Walter the F*rting Dog." Absolutely NOT!!!! She can't read yet, so I lucked out that she didn't know what it said. We don't use that word here and my boys would have died from the hilarity!
Blessings,
Bets
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Marybeth
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Amy,
Thank you for posting this thread. My ds (8) was allowed to choose anything he wanted to buy at Borders. Sponge Bob!! I thought for sure he would want a $20 dinosaur book. I was very teary-eyed on the way home thinking I read read read read very good books to him. Why choose these? sigh....
It was his gift card so really what could I say? I suppose no, but then I didn't want to choose the gift from his cousin. Frustrating!!!
At the library one thing I found helpful was showing ds were all our favorite authors were located. This way I could say did you check so and so.
What about getting out different Cinderella or princess stories from around the world?
Good thread!
Mb
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MrsM
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I don't allow my kids to choose their own library books. As a girl, I was free to read books that were completely inappropriate, which has probably left me a little bit sensitive in this area. Since we are blessed to have a great library system, I just order books online. I use several different literature lists, as well as recommendations from places like 4real. We own tons of books that the kids can read anytime, so in addition to the 100-200 we have checked out, there's plenty to choose from, including some twaddle (Nancy Drew, anyone?  ).
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mariB
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Are there book lists that are recommended on this forum ( links)? I have all of the lists on classical and historical fiction.
I am really hesitant for modern fictional authors. I let my son choose one from the library and he came and told me it was against God and the church. I researched and found out that he was right. I actually was so proud that he recognized this (he's 12). But I don't want the children exposed to this.
Any links to catholic reviews of fictional books from nowadays?
Thanks!
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MaryM
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mariB wrote:
Any links to catholic reviews of fictional books from nowadays?
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There isn't necessarily a listing only of more current fiction book reviews, though you can find them invidivually in a lot of places - one I'm thinking of is Love 2 Learn - Favorite Resources for Catholic Homeschoolers
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MrsM
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I like to use this one:
A Mother's List of Books
I can't get to it right now, but I'll list some other good ones later.
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Lynn in California
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MrsM
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Other favorite books/book lists:
Children's Literature List
Books Children Love
Honey for a Child's Heart
Best Books for Kindergarten through High School
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Lynn in California
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4Real Forums : Mothering and Family Life
Topic: Freedom with library books?
