I have volunteered to read a 'favourite text' to dd1's primary school during book week. What would YOU read?

[Enid]

Have no idea how long it has to be. Thoughts are: Wind in the Willows (too old fashioned?), Clever Polly and the stupid wolf (too young?) Roald Dahl (crowd pleaser)

Suggestions Plllllllllllllease.

Room on the Broom makes any reader sound like a genius performer. It's impossible to mess up.

yes but I will be tempted to add

look look its just all the animals covered in mud

to 'monster averse' dd2

You want a bit of shock and grizzle to get 'em eating out of your hand. Half of 'em won't hear you or won't be listening anyway.

julia donaldson books (the Gruffalo, Room on the Broom, Monkey Puzzle etc) are suited to younger kids but go down well even with older ones. Take a few story props along and you'll look like super mum!! Better still dress up your child as one of the characters and prime tham in acting it out as you read it! Have fun!

My dd had a great book home today.. "When mum turned into a monster" I read her it 4 times before bed!!!!!

The chapter from the Hodgeheg where he first gets "a head on the bang" is pretty funny for that sort of age group (and handily reinforces road safety lesson at the same time )

Agree with mp about the Fudge stories (4th grade nothing etc) there are some v funny episodes there - oh and the Ramona books are sort of similar, both are v American but the kids will still empathise and get the humour.

dh has pointed out that the letter says one of "your" fave texts

so maybe its an adults thing

surely not

Oh LOL - you could clear the hall if you put your mind to it!

(I think "children's" is implicit, don't you?)

I have put

yes any day is fine (as long as I can read Red riding hood by roald dahl)

they will think I am childish and silly

I would read "The Jabberwocky", it's a great poem and kids love to listen to it.

Good choice enid. I'm sure they'll see it as a driving passion for ch8ildren's literature

dd1 chose that book (When Mum Turned into a Monster) from a bookshop the other day and she lurves it...
I had never heard of it before.

The Quangle Wangle's Hat by Edwar Lear.

Meant to add that it's beautifully illustratd by Helen Oxenbury and totally original.

Having been regaled by extracts from Winnie the Pooh by DDs on the way to school this morning I would strongly recommend for everyone. We love playing "who do we know that could be..?" I fear I am Eeyore at the moment but that may be PMT so could well be Rabbit next week or even Owl. Am waiting for that accolade.

I bought the "When Mummy turned into A Monster" for my DS a couple of years ago after he dreamt that I "turned into a giant Mummy" one night. He was v. upset with me for days and kept asking "but Mummy WHY did you do that? I didn't like it". I could not make him understand taht I didn't do it and can't control his dreams!

I love the quangle wangle - you can't have too much nonsense IMO.

I did roald dahl's red riding hood

what a crowd pleaser - I had to do it twice

I did a kind of 'Withnail' type voice for the wolf

DS1 was also scared of 'When Mummy tuned into a Monster' - perhaps it was a bit too close to the truth for him

yes and surprised myself with the ease and swagger with which i carried it off