I'm sorry, I have to have another rant about school - please feel free to ignore (it's ridiculously long).

[marthamoo]

Ds1 is in Year 4 (I am so mad....) He loves reading, reads anything, everything, has read Harry Potter, lots of quite difficult books etc. (I am bl*dyseething....) I love that he loves reading, I consider it one of my prime roles as a parent to instil in him a love of books - it's a gift for life (I hate that bl**dy school...)
OK, deep breath...phooooooooooooo.
The reading books he gets from school are a) too easy b) exceedingly dull. This galls me a little but as he has a diet of the good stuff at home I haven't worried about it too much. Since he started in Year 4 he has been bringing home a series of books called Boys Rule here (have just seen that they are for "less able" or "reluctant" readers....BOOOOM! - that was my head exploding) They are crap, anyway. They are aimed squarely at boys. He finished those and now he is reading the "Girls Rock!" series (see link, left hand side). These - surprisingly enough - are aimed at girls. So far we have had sneaky brothers reading diaries, lost ankle bracelets...
Tonight, he brought home "Girls Rock! School Play Stars" and, in among such gems of literature as

Ooh yes, a MN reading resource!

Also a section for advanced 8/9/10 yo who can read pretty much everything but shouldn't have to deal with the gritty sex/drugs/teenage pregnancy vibe that most books for teenagers seem to specialise in.

That would be FANTASTIC. But it would need to be monitored and organised into categories etc so that you didn't end up with huge long confusing threads. Like the "Mumsnet best.... books for confident 7 yr old readers"; "books for new readers"; "classics for 11 yr olds"....
wonderful.
Feel like another (part time, unpaid) job Marina?!!!

Oh Miss Grainger, when you let your hair down, you're beautiful.

Nooo, pph, this is to be MY unpaid part time job.

Yes: one of the first steps would be to canvass for what categories would be good. And I think maybe a limit of no. of books in each category.

Totally agree about books that do not push you into worldliness too early.

Will start sep. thread, OK?

Personally I think the main issue is that the teacher is unaware that mooboy is capable of so much more and that he is not enjoying what he is reading. The school must have more suitable books for him albeit possibly in limited supply.

But please miss binkie will you let me be Helper?

hm. Oh, I know, dear, we always need a blackboard wiper, don't we. Here's a sticker.

whoops sorry binkie (pph gets off binkie's toes)

It's not fair, not fair, Marina always gets to be Helper, I want a sticker

oh dear dear. Well, when we go out to play someone has to hold the door nicely for everyone, don't they? And I think it should be .... ah, motherinferior, perfect.

Here'sasticker.

Can you get your Academic Friend as consultant?

A definite possibility!

And Bundy has a family member who might be willing to be quizzed or even help out...

What did you do to my thread...?

And.....yayyyy! She has put him on different books! The inside front cover says "bright, funny, imaginative stories written by some of today's top writers especially for newly [hmmmmm] fluent readers." And...wait for it...in this series we have books by Michael Morpurgo, Adele Geras, Penelope Lively, Anne Fine, Robert Leeson, Jean Ure, Jenny Nimmo...etc. etc.

Result, I think

She didn't reply to my note though which I think is a little rude (never satisfied, me).

School is not compulsory.

Binkie, I was rather talking about forcing all schools down the obsessive I.T route with interactive whiteboards required when I'd much rather concentrate on making sure that all my 8yr olds can write their own name and read more than basic CVC words.

Great result MM - some excellent authors in that list. What's the series?

Can I make you all hideously envious? Our school has a p/t 'librarian' (an enthusiastic if unqualified parent - who is paid though), who checks the books back in, makes sure they are shelved correctly, and helps the children if they are having problems changing their books. There are two non-fiction libraries, plus three fiction sections (free readers); all of which have an IMMENSE number of books - but all well ordered and classified so you can find what you're looking for. (This is on top of a huge number of reading scheme books, and 'libraries' in every classroom.)

But all ordering of books is done by the literacy co-ordinator, who is a fabulous, very experienced teacher. She is very enthusiastic about children's literature, including all the contemporary authors, and must command a considerable budget. When ds1 was in her class she used to discuss with him what she was reading currently, as well as what he was reading! I remember her telling him about Life of Pi.

Many of the parents in our school take all this completely for granted, as they've never seen anything else.

They currently have a ratio of 13 non fiction books to every one child in school. (c.500 children in the school)

glad to hear you got a result martha - I would have exploded too, judging by the quotes that you gave from the original dire books.

Marthamoo

Just a message of support really, I was reading at 2.5 and school didnt know how to handle it. Their solution? detentions and a library ban for reading too much.

And as a mother of 3 boys, completely sympathise with the anti-boy type stuff... it's everywhere it seems, and really unnecesary. I see so much on how to promote male learning and I am sure it's very valid, but a simple start would be to stop telling boys that they are second class.

They are "Banana Books" published by Heinemann, Roisin. I still think he is at the stage where he could choose his own books rather than follow a scheme but at least these are by real authors and are proper stories.

Roisin, that sounds fantastic - don't you live in the Lakes too? I'm envious on both counts.

Thanks,PeachyClair - I can empathise with that. I could read before I started school too and when I said I could my reception class teacher told me I couldn't. Showed her, ha!
And the anti-boy stuff really gets my goat, it is entrenched, isn't it?

Have seen those. They do fact-based ones as well as stories-- dd2 was seriously impressed by one called Firecat which I bought because it tied into a topic they were doing on the Great Fire of London. I think they must be fine because Helen Dunmore wrote one of the fiction titles, and she's great.

But, like you say, perhaps a little... young for a reader who has cut their teeth on Harry Potter and the like?

Oh well... Small steps. And great note, by the way. Shame on her for not being brave enough to respond!