To have to post on here

[LesleyA]

Rather than under MN topics if I want a quick/better response?
Which then I feel bad about cos isn’t juicy/in genuine need of support etc. advise?
Was recommended Common Sense Media by fellow MN which I’m thoroughly enjoying using. Under this and in other reviews ‘the girl who drank the moon’ is for 10 year olds to read. I find the words very advanced (some I don’t know and have a degree). Are 10 year olds really able to read stuff like this? Very worried as thought my kids were getting a very good education but there’s no way if they read this to themselves they’d understand it. Just at the beginning (and yes I’m reading it to them as I’ve started reading to them as a fabulous loved way to get them to enjoy books and spend quality time - judgement in this not required please ) interested to hear if anyone else found it a tough start. Looks like it will be a wonderful read though.

Sorry few typos

Eh?

So you are asking if you are unreasonable for thinking the girl who drank the moon is too hard for a ten year old?

Yes picklemewalnuts in a nutshell I am? And worried that if people don’t think so then how in the world will my kids catch up? They’re 12 and 13

If your 10 yo child can't comprehend "The Girl Who drank the Moon" I would be very,very concerned

@LesleyA

Yes picklemewalnuts in a nutshell I am? And worried that if people don’t think so then how in the world will my kids catch up? They’re 12 and 13

Y OP r kids are 12 and 13? I would be extremely concerned

I'm intrigued as to what words you don't know.

They should look up any words they don't know (as should you) - how will you all learn otherwise?

It's not a problem to see words you don't know, it's a problem if you don't know how to find the meanings or pronunciations...

What words didn’t you know? Perhaps others could tell you if they or their children would know a them.
Unless you have an English degree there is no reason that having a degree would mean you know all words. There are often words in book I need to look up.

As an English grad and a teacher, no, I wouldn’t be surprised if many 10-11 year old children found it challenging. The language is rich, visual and the vocab is unusual at time. That’s what makes it so good. I wouldn’t think your children are behind just because this would be challenging to them.
However, as a pp said, unfamiliar words are just an opportunity to learn and discuss. Reading to them is great, why do you think people would judge? If they’re still happy to be read to, read away.

What kind of words are we talking about, Lesley? It's not a book I'm familiar with. I am familiar with the various challenges some people have with reading, though. My children were really late readers, but they both read for enjoyment as adults.

Well done for reading to and with them, by the way. It's great to keep that up!

Just read a couple of pages. I'd think a bright 10YO would have no trouble and most 13YOs would be fine. I've taught plenty of kids right up to 16 who couldn't manage that.

And worried that if people don’t think so then how in the world will my kids catch up?

It's MN, someone will tell you their 2YO found A la recherché du temps perdu easy going in a minute. It doesn't matter what anyone else's kid can do, it's how to encourage yours which is important:

• Take them to the library.
• Buy books as treats.
• Ask them about what they read.
• Keep reading to them and having them read to you.
• Teach them to look up new words and share interesting ones you come across.
• Absolutely do not be 'extremely concerned'; make reading fun.

Beset, fulcrum,fissures, sated,loamy,pontifications,unaccountably, clabbering, lore, compliant, decrepit, protestations, grove, kohl,inexplicable,facade, precedent,invariably, melancholy,gnarled,unemcumbered,delusions,millennia,debris,traverse, gossamer, diffused, noxious, imposing, perpetuated, Ember, affixed, contemplation,

Jesus Christ

Tbh I would expect you and your children to know some of those words.

Many are longer versions of very common words - unaccountably, protestations, inexplicably, perpetuated, affixed, contemplation.

And words like millennia, compliant, grove, delusions, debris, ember are really not uncommon.

Seriously, look them up. You can Google the words on your phone.

I would say most of those words could be implied from context if you don’t know them. Most of them are not exact common words but none that you don’t come across.

I have 11 and 9 year olds, the 9 year old would do a splendid job sounding out the words but wouldn’t know the meaning. He would remember though once he’d been told.

11 year old not a chance. Very dyslexic and doesn’t retain knowledge well unless it holds a particular interest or is repeated a lot.

(I’m not familiar with the book but going by the language you posted @LesleyA)

You’re reading to a 12 and 13 year old and none of you can google the hard words?

Get a kindle and you’ll even be able to look them up right in the text.

Thank you everyone for all of your comments. I skimmed through the first 22 pages and these are the words that stood out. Naturally some are more understandable when read in context but it did make me worried as I thought these were extremely advanced and if my kids read the book to themselves they would have given up, sigh. I know it’s won so many awards and I guess I’m just gauging Common Sense Media standard ie is this general accepted age of reading ability. My 13 year old wouldn’t know these. I 100% agree this is a great way to learn new words and if I read a word say ‘contemplate’ I immediately say ‘thought about’ or similar so my kids learn. I just know they’d be so bored if I’m the first 22 pages we looked up these and they’d lose track of what it was about. I am looking forward to pushing through the beginning and these words so that they can learn that they need to read further to give a book a good chance. It’s apparently an amazing story. Previously read ‘Wish’ such a beautiful poignant story. Thanks for replies!!!

Frdd might be being snippy but actually one of the things I love my kindle for is that I can look up unfamiliar words - or just a way to explain it well if I’m reading to the children. It saves the words too so you can go back to them if you want.

I want being snippy - I have a kindle and I look up words I don’t know all the time.

*Wasn’t

Those are higher level words, but I think you’ll find that for many of them, you children will deduce the meaning from the context, or that knowing the exact meaning of one word won’t be vital. Just ask them to stop you and ask if they don’t know the meaning of something.

Frdd I know almost all of them just some I wasn’t familiar with. Yes of course we can google them just a lot of googling if I wasn’t there to explain it that’s all. We are reading for 20 mins before school, changed our routine and instead of rush rush rush we get to do this, a little preday pleasure that is soothing, fun, adds to their book knowledge, is calming, a form of mindfulness for kids and myself as we are all present, and my daughter who struggles to read gets the pleasure of hearing why it’s worth practicing as well as the fact that we couldn’t get her up and going in the mornings and now she gets up and ready and has to have everything done in time for reading which she does so is a win win.