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Literature Question
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I am planning our “next year” (using the great resource Planning your CM education, of course)and I am looking for good literature books for my 8.5yr. ds to read on his own..we have plenty of read alouds geared towards our History.
I want to plan some good literature books for him to read independently. I see on the 3rd grade curriculum guide that you suggest The Chronicles of Narnia series is that really good for 3rd/4th graders to read? I’m not asking about ability..ds is reading at a higher rate then 3rd or 4th but I am wondering if he will really get the metaphors and the meaning of it all.
Do your children read them independently or as read alouds? And does anyone have a problem with these books being read at younger ages. Obviously I have never read them but I saw the movie (husband dragged me to see it) I just don’t like fantasy, fairyland stuff even if it is Christian and written by C.S. Lewis.
I guess I am wondering if it is worth reading or should I just skip to the 4th grade suggestions. I am also just curious of your thoughts about these books in general.
A little help here please? 🙂
Thanks,
Shelly
No thoughts on the Narnia series–I was an adult before I read them and in sixth grade when my teacher read the first one to us. I will make some literature suggestions, though.
Homer Price by Robert McCloskey
Shiloh and its sequels by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (the premise: the main character rescues an abused dog from its owner)
Henry Huggins books or the Ralph S. Mouse series (Mouse and the Motorcycle, etc.) by Beverly Cleary
John Reynolds Gardiner. Stone Fox
Hope these help.
Karen
Shelly, my thoughts on this one is this. We listened to the series on audio. I don’t think my 3/4th grader would have been able to read it and understand it. But listening to it we were able to stop it at any point and figure it out or talk about what’s going on. You can take that for what its worth. My boys did LOVE this series though and I know they’d love to listen to it again.
Misty
Literature… my absolute favorite! I will cheer for the Narnia series every chance I get, it is a bit advanced but when I read it at 8 yrs old my mom had the good sense to keep a dictionary close at hand. I don’t think it matters too much if he doesn’t quite grasp all the metaphor and allegory being used, the Narnia stories are adventures that stand on their own feet. I appreciate the fact that my parents deliberately didn’t explain to me all the theology involved, because I fell in love with the adventures first, and then when I read them again in high school I was blown away by the deeper level of meaning I hadn’t understood at 8 years old. The Hobbit was another excellent book I read around the age of 8 or 9. I know fantasy might not be your particular cup of tea, and perhaps it might not interest your son, but at least he’ll have the chance to discover his likes and dislikes 🙂
The Indian in the Cupboard is another good book that is much loved by boys around that age, my son is itching to read it! Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder is another book I would recommend, it’s the one Little House book that is really geared towards boys, we are currently reading it as a read-aloud and it’s a big hit with our 7.5 yr old son 🙂
Those are the ones that come to my mind right away, I’ll put some more thought into it and post more ideas later!
Rachel
My husband read all of the Narnia books to our daughter when she was six. He edited a bit as he read, though not much. (I’m not sure what, but I could ask if you’d like…Our dd is a bit sensitive to some things, though she is becoming less so as she grows older…..He had read them all previously–though I have still not read them all.) She LOVED (!!) 🙂 them and asked to read them again as soon as he finished the last one. I imagine that she will read them again (independently) when she is older (maybe even more than once) and that she’ll pick up on new meanings each time. Sort of like what Rachel said about enjoying the adventure and then understanding other shades of meaning in time. She did already pick up on some things even at that age, though.
As for other suggestions, I really like many (and maybe all….still reading some) of the Heart of Dakota program suggested read alouds and independent reading books. (Depending on reading level, the read alouds would also make good readers, I think.) She even has them divided into “boy” “girl” and “classic” interests and by various genres. If you click on each program and then the program packages you can see them. I’ll try to link to a few. (Just scroll down to see the links to the boy/girl/classic lists):
http://heartofdakota.com/byd-little-hearts-packages.php
http://heartofdakota.com/bigger-hearts-packages.php
Then for her reading program she also lists optional book packages that give reading level:
http://heartofdakota.com/drawn-into-optional.php
http://heartofdakota.com/drawn-into-optional4-5.php
HTH,
Kim
Enjoying teaching and learning alongside dd age 7
(And thanks to those who have given/will give recommendations—-I’m constantly noting books that others recommend too!) 🙂
How about The Boxcar Children, Mr. Popper’s Penguins, The Cricket in Times Square or Charlotte’s Web? The Mouse and the Motorcycle, Ribsy or Socks all by Beverly Cleary? The Moffats by Eleanor Estes or The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright are both excellent. Okay, I’ll stop now, I promise!
Rachel 😀
Hi Shelly,
My 8yo ds is enjoying “The Bobbsey Twins” series by Laura Lee Hope(originally created in 1904 by Edward Stratemeyer). There are two sets of twins (boys & girls)that have many mystery solving adventures. I was wondering why this wonderful literature series is not in the bookfinder?
My ds also LOVES the “Boxcar Children” and the famous “Sugar Creek Gang” series.
I’m sure you’ll get many more suggestions.
Blessings,
Heather
Shelly, I was distracted earlier while responding and realized that I never answered your question directly.
As far as the Narnia series goes, my 8 yo enjoys listening to the audio drama by focus on the family. The audios belong to my 13 yo ds who fell in love with Aslan, Narnia and the Pevensi (?) children after I read the series aloud to him when he was 10. He went on from there reading the series himself when he was 11 and then buying the audio drama with his own $ thereafter. I don’t feel that he would have been ready for these books before age 10 however. I personally love CS Lewis’ writings and think that the literary qualities of this series is beautiful!
I myself fell in love with Aslan, as I saw Jesus in his character. I remember while reading these to my oldest ds, when it would come time to close the book, he would cry, wanting more. He was SO excited for our reading time together and when we finally finished the very last book, it was so moving that we both wept together. This was the only time I’ve seen him cry while reading a book – usually its just me. Anyway, I could go on but I think I’ve taken up enough space for now.
Blessings,
Heather
Thank you all for your thoughts on the Narnia series. Thank you for the other ideas also.
My problem is I want to challenge him to read something harder and longer. He loves Boxcar children but he reads them in a day or two. We do have one of the Bobbsey Twins and he liked that and read that pretty quick too. The difference is he picks those books up just for fun..I want to assign him some reading.
We read all the Little House books two years ago and LOVED them. So maybe I could assign Farmer Boy to him. And I think I will go up to the 4th grade suggestions..he is going into 4th grade anyway.
I will talk to DH and see about the Narnia series. I don’t want to keep him from reading them just because I don’t like that genre. Besides you guys have almost “convinced” me to read them for myself. 🙂 Maybe I’m weird but the half man half deer people give me the HEEBIE GEEBIES. But Heather your right, Aslan is a beautiful picture of Jesus. (I’m sure the books are so much better then the one movie that I saw)
Thank you guys,
Shelly
Shelly, my oldest ds wants to reassure you that (in his own words) “the movie is a very dull comparison to the books”. He was very disappointed with the movies after knowing the books so well.
I too hesitated reading them at first, because of the fantasy and like you said, “half man half deer people”, until a friend of mine convinced me. It was simply for the pleasure of seeing my son light up when we would read together that won me over.
I just want you to know that I understand why you are hesitant in having him read the books. I still wonder about all the mythical creatures in CS Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia because they clearly come from Greek Mythology, yet Lewis was a Christian. And what about the witch? These are the things that caused me to hesitate at first and still at times second guess. Hmmm……anyone have any thoughts? I think this may lead to an interesting conversation. Maybe it should be a seperate post.
Okay, my time is really up thismorning. See you all tomorrow….if I can stay away. 😕
Heather,
Those are my exact thoughts about not reading the series. Thank you for putting words to my thoughts. I do love CS Lewis’ other stuff for me to read Mere Christianity and Screw Tape Letters.
Thanks again,
Shelly
OK I HAVE GOT TO GET OFF HERE. 😆
OK, it’s our lunch break and I love this forum sooooo much!!! I love each and every one of you for asking such fabulous questions and giving such tremendous insights!
A few years ago I began struggling with the fantasy genre. I had grown up reading great fairy tales and fantasy books, but was not always guided well by my parents and was convicted later about some things I had read in my youth. Clay and Sally Clarkson recommended “A Landscape With Dragons: The Battle for your Child’s Mind” by Michael O’Brien and it was precisely what I needed. Has anyone else here read it? I found myself nodding my head in agreement while reading it as the author dug deeply into the strange world of fairy tales, both pagan and christian. His critique of christian fantasy writers such as JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis and George MacDonald was extremely insightful, praising them for some things, criticizing them for others. While I don’t agree with everything the author states (we come from different theological ends of the spectrum), his book really helped secure my convictions to not allow paganism, no matter the subtle packaging, to infiltrate our proper view of fantasy and fairy tales.
I actually find modern fairy tales to be even more sinister, though perhaps less gruesome than older ones. This whole idea of “embracing the dragon in order to win it over” is ultimately more destructive (in my opinion) than a good, old fashioned tale of good defeating evil. One of my favorite quotes by GK Chesterton is as follows, “Fairy Tales are more than true; not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.”
Chapter 4 in Gladys Hunt’s “Honey for a Child’s Heart” is titled “Fantasy and Realism”. I appreciated reading her insights as well, although she is a bit more accepting of some books than I am, but that is a personal conviction for me. In my opinion, there is a place for this genre, but it must be carefully navigated and every family will differ somewhat in their unique approach. There are some books that are fairly clear and easily discerned(author’s intent for example), but others seem to fall into the sphere of personal decision. Some folks who have been saved out of a lifestyle of witchcraft may choose to stay as far away from christian fantasy as possible, while other believers are just fine with it. It’s kinda like the issue of food offered to idols in Romans 14.
Rachel 😀
PS: Shelly, it sounds like your son is certainly ready for the 4th grade reading recommendations if he’s finishing The Boxcar Children in one day!
I am one of those that love lit, too. I also struggle with that line of demarcation. I’ve decided, however, that there is a MAJOR difference between modern (last 50 years or so)fantasy books, written for adults and children, and the older stuff, say pre-1950.
In my observation, the modern stories present occultism and paganism, sometimes pretty accurately, and also the line of good v/s evil is very blurred. Sometimes there are very clear paganistic messages (such as in the Potter series, as the author actually studied Wicca for her books) Paganism is on the rise; now there is a School of Witchcraft in Austria, no kidding. The modern paganism is a combination of Indian shamanism, New age stuff, such as Earth worship and feminism. There is a differnce between the teachings of paganism and the depictions of ‘magic’ in the older books.
Any way,another difference is the “culture” presented in the modern v/s older books. In the older books, such as Tolkien and further back, say in Hans Christian Anderson tales, the overarching culture and environment is obviously Christian. There is definite good and evil, and an overarching Sovereignty, moral and otherwise, that is above the characters. That DOES NOT exist in the modern stories. In modern stories, people make up there own minds what is good, it’s relativism, and in the occult stuff, sexuality is very apparant (such as Twilight). Movies are included in this area, too.
My son 8 1/2, has read The Hobbit and we have talked about it alot. He’s asked me about Gandalf, the wizard. I observed that Gandalf very rarely used his ‘powers’. He didn’t interfere in the actions of the characters, unless their lives were at stake for the ’cause’. Did you notice in the movies (and books), that he literally fought, physically, with the mortals? He could’ve wiped them all out by raising his staff! We discussed all aspects of The HObbit while he was reading it; of course I’ve read it too so I can do that.
My son is very black and white, but has the kind of mind that is drawn to fantasy and science fiction, I can tell. But, this is also the boy who’se decided that he is going to read the entire Bible from beginning to end by himslef, He loves the Scripture. So I’m having to teach him about how to use discernment on this. I kind of take each one individually and it’s a constant vigilance. I’m looking forward to having him read the Chuck Black series, though. I think I’m going to read the Narnia Series aloud so we can talk about it aloud.
However, there are some old stuff that I still will not read, it’s a gut thing. For example The Tempest by Shakespeare. There was too much ‘stuff’ in it, so I stopped reading it, my antenae were shootin up! I actually will be posting on this topic later. The same goes for some Greek myths, I’ll have to determine as I go and we talk about the ones we already have come across. Such as in Aesop Fables, the one where it says “Heaven Helps those who help themselves”, we talked about how that’s not what the Scripture says and we’ll do the same with other things; up to a point. We can still filter books through Scripture without even reading them because I do believe in censoring what the mind/heart takes in, too. Personal censorship creates a better ability to discern as the ‘desensitization’ hasn’t taken place.
Just my .02
Rachel
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