Little Britches… a little too much?

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  • October 19, 2015 at 12:50 pm
    Veveme
    Participant

    Today my 11 year old daughter was narrating to me from her reading of Little Britches (the end of chapter 1).  As she was speaking she seemed to be glossing over some details about the horses and their accident on the train trestle by saying, “The horses got hurt somehow…”  When I pressed her to tell me what happened she insisted that she didn’t understand what had happened.  I thought perhaps that she didn’t know what a trestle was, but it turned out that the real problem was that the passage was just too graphic for her.  She spent a while crying and afterward told me that she just couldn’t understand why she would have to read this and in what way could it ever be helpful….?

    I guess I was surprised that she couldn’t handle a conflict like that in her reading.  I could use some advice.  Do I insist that she continue reading the book (this was the tact I took this morning, telling her that reading things that are difficult help us grow, to which she replied that she didn’t think it would be helpful at ALL to read something so disturbing) or do I pick something else and wait for a little more maturity before having her try these again?

    Thanks for your insights!

    Valerie

    October 19, 2015 at 2:42 pm
    Melanie32
    Participant

    Only you can answer that question. Do what your momma’s heart says is right for this particular child.

    I will say that I prefer to do Little Britches as a read aloud for that age so that we can discuss things of that nature and I can edit out the “cowboy language”. 🙂

    October 19, 2015 at 4:09 pm
    Veveme
    Participant

    Thanks for your reply!  🙂  Good idea about reading aloud instead.  Perhaps that would help.

    October 19, 2015 at 5:01 pm
    ServingwithJoy
    Participant

    As I understand it, one of the key principles of using a ‘living book’ is that the child enjoy the book.  Sometimes it takes some time getting into the reading, or some stretching to assimilate new language, but if it’s simply a case of the subject matter being too graphic, I would say hold off on the book. There are plenty of other books for this reading level that she would find enjoyable and which would stretch her just as much!

    October 21, 2015 at 7:07 am
    TailorMade
    Participant

    Our family enjoyed this book as a read aloud.  Ages ranged from elementary through high school at the time.  Tears were shed by all, but it sits in the top three favorite read alouds of all time by all….maybe at #1 for most.  I’m not sure that it would’ve been as well loved by everyone had it been assigned for independent reading at certain ages.  In fact, DH was asking for book suggestions from the kids recently.  They all said “Little Britches!  Dad, you have to read it!”  So, I wouldn’t skip it.  Just move it to family time.

     

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