Live chat with Susan Reuben and Leonie Flynn, authors of a new book: the Ultimate First Book Guide

[rachel(mumsnet)]

Authors and Children's book experts, Susan Reuben and Leonie Flynn will be joining us on Monday 4th Feb between 12 and 1pm for an online chat about all aspects of reading with your children.

Susan and Leonie are Editors of 'The Ultimate First Book Guide' which provides advice from a team of experts and children's authors and illustrators on everything from when and how to start sharing books with your baby, to what to do if your child doesn't like reading. It also gives recommendations of over 500 top titles for all ages of children. You can put your questions and concerns about the importance of your child's reading habits to the experts Susan Reuben and Leonie Flynn on Monday, or feel free to post your questions in advance here.

Lemontart, I can truly sympathise, because we've had to read our 2-year-old You Choose! by Nick Sharratt and Pippa Goodhart about a thousand times now. It's wonderful and I'd recommend it, but it begins to wear thin after a bit.

Unfortunately this trend of asking for the same thing night after night... after night, is a well-known one, and to a certain degree you probably just have to put up with it, as young children do just love repetition. Might it work if you tried saying you will read her Bright Stanley so long as you can read a different book first? Or keep Bright Stanley for bedtimes but keep some other stories downstairs to read together during the day?

lemontart,
I love the idea of Spiderman appearing in Room on the Broom. Perhaps we should suggest it to Julia Donaldson for a sequel!

Hi LemonTart,

(the picture of you typing with your 4yrold sitting on your feet is too sweet!)

I wonder what she is getting from the constant repetition of the book she must, by now, know by heart? I suspect she will eventually grow tired of it, but will that be before you tear your hair out! I'd be inclined to offer two books, one fresh one as well as the over-read one - input as much zing into the fresh one and as much dullness into the other...

I'd like to put in a plea for illustrators not to put black text on a dark background as it is amlost impossible to read in a dim bedtime light

The Snail and the Whale is particularly hard

Cappuccino,

hello there - you don't mention if your daughter is wearing reading glasses? If the Rainbow magic print is too small, then she is going to struggle. I'd go for picture books, definitely, and then the early readers that have clear, bold text. But I can see how it must be a struggle for her when the simple mechanics of reading from a page re a trial and reading off the screen is easier.

Effieperine, I so agree! And with early readers for them not to make the text too wild and zany - there's time for that when the kids can actually read independently!

Batters, so glad that Journey to the River Sea is a hit. I'm a big fan of Eva Ibbotson. Try 'The Star of Kazan' next.

Two questions:
Firstly, my 2 year old son LOVES pop-up books or anything with flaps and movement. He loves Wiggly Pig and Kipper particularly.We need some new pop-ups and wondered whether you could suggest some to us. They need to be sturdy as he is quite rough with them!
Next question: my daughter is seven and just got into reading longer books.She's Loved some of the Jacqueline Wilsons but think we've exhausted the ones that she likes.Some seem a bit old for her and some are too depressing!She is very much a girly-girl(loves secret diaries and best friend clubs etc but not into fairies). I'm a bit stuck as to which series/books she may enjoy. Can you help?Many thanks.

Leonie, do you want to answer emmybel's question about her 7-year-old and I'll think about pop-ups?!

thank you for your replies
(she is quite a cute kid and has built herself a little den under my desk, complete with a small plug in night light, cushions, a few toys and a stack of books. )
She is (literally) surrounded by lovely books but adapts all of the stories to suit her whims and fantasies. Interestingly, she is happy to vary these but when I read it has to be word perfect or she asks me to go back and redo it! I am reassured about the repetition thing and maybe it is just her habit. It is strange the way she views books as launch pads for her own stories rather than following the original plot of the book and as a result seems to see reading the words as getting in the way of "her" story! She gets quite upset when I suggest I read her the "real" story - and maybe that is where the problem lies.
Anyway, enough talking about my child and her whims. Thanks for your thoughts, I will try the offering 2 books idea and will definitely order the book about helping children to read. Her distinct objection to the "words" part of reading will need addressing soon as she starts school this year.
Many thanks

Emmybel - regarding your 7yrold - has she tried Pippi Longstocking? Oh, and does she prefer real life to fantasy???

I suspect Susan will answer too!

Emmybel, for the pop-ups try 10 Wriggly Wiggly Caterpillars. Don't Put Your Finger in the Jelly Nelly by Nick Sharratt is great, as is Ketchup on Your Cornflakes. The Jack Tickle books such as The Very Busy Bear are great, though liable to fall apart. And some good books with moving parts that are quite sturdy (because they're made of board) are the 'Busy' series, such as Busy Airport and Busy Beach, though the stories are quite young for a 2-year-old.

Emmybel, for your 7-year-old, try Cosmo and the Magic Sneeze by Gwyneth Rees. Some of the younger Anne Fines are great such as The Angel of Nitshill Rd.

Hi TotalChaos, you asked a tricky one "I would be interested in what books you would recommend for young children with language problems such as difficulties with receptive and expressive language" and I need to know a little more detail. Please do feel free to email me via Mumsnet, they've kindly said that they'll forward your message.

That was fun!

Thank you Rachel and all at MumsNet - I hope we've been of use

The Ultimate First Book Guide has two siblings - the Ultimate Book Guide (8-12) and the Ultimate Teen Book Guide. Hopefully we've got all ages covered.

PS...(Now what I want to write is the Ultimate Book Guide for Over-stressed Women!)

Well the hour's up - Many thanks to Susan and Leonie for answering our questions. Don't forget their book 'The Ultimate First Book Guide' is now available with lots of tips and recommendations on books for children. You can visit their site here

Thanks everyone - I've really enjoyed it!

Thanks Leonie, will e-mail you via MN. Very kind of you to take the time.

I know they've gone now - but I'm impressed, reading this - some good answers. I may even buy the book...

Wonder if they've thought of writing one for older children?

do you know, I don't think they answered that one Soren, I did ask. I enjoyed the chat too so if you are still reading Leonie and Susan, thanks - and CAN we have a similar book for older children please