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Books for Roisin and Yorkiegirl to read!

135 replies

Turkiegirl · 04/12/2004 21:19

I think we need a whole new thread.....
Half way through Wolf Brother, then need to read Curous Dog, then Eragon, then my new set of Michael Morpurgo!

OP posts:
vict17 · 06/12/2004 19:00

How about The curious Incident of a Dog in the Night-time - absolutely fab!

Yorkiegirl · 06/12/2004 21:37

That's on my pile of books to read! Want to finish Wolf Brother first, then on to that one!

Roisin · 08/12/2004 20:07

Yorkiegirl I'm about 2/3 way through Shadowmancer - it's quite odd, isn't it? Excellent writing, but rather disturbing: I'll let you know my verdict when I've finished! (I certainly won't be recommending it for ds1 for a little while though - similar to Lirael.)

Mars - I hadn't heard of Garth Nix's works for younger readers, and someone else recommended them to me for ds1 this week; so I will definitely track them down - thanks.

OLittleYurtofBethlehem · 09/12/2004 20:14

Aha! Yorkie girl- have been hunting high and low for you!!! Thankyou very much for the little shoes and hat - dd will look really sweet in them :)

Yorkiegirl · 09/12/2004 23:30

Glad you liked them yurtgirl!

Roisin, I finished Wolf Brother last night. What a disappointing ending! So much build up and then it was over so quickly! It was interesting to read, but lacked so much depth. I think the idea behind the story could lend itself to so much more than Michelle Paver gave it IYKWIM!
Now on to Curious Incident....
Have also got a Molly Moon book to try, looks promising. Read any of those?

MarsselectionboxLady · 09/12/2004 23:41

May I ask why you two are reading children's books? Is it so that you know what your children are reading? Do you just like the genre? My children have so many books and if you two are reviewing them, I'll let you know what's there and you can let me know whether or not I should remove them lol

Yorkiegirl · 09/12/2004 23:45

Roisin's DS is 7 and a very good reader. I teach year 5 and am intrigued by the books my class read. They look interesting so I read them to see for myself. More often than not they are well worth reading. There is such a selection out there nowadays that there is always a great children's book waiting to be read!
If there's a particular book you want to know about then ask us... we might know if its worth reading!

MarsselectionboxLady · 09/12/2004 23:48

To be honest, I'm pretty good at knowing what my kids read. I was just being nosy and facetious. I am always open to suggestions for the kidwinkles. DS1 is 12 next week. DD1 loves reading Jaqueline Wilson and anything about animals. I'm trying to dilute the JW books. I think they should read a variety of authors, but at the end of the day am just pleased that they all love reading. DD2 is determined not to read independently at home, but that's ok because I know she's capable. I think that kids reading is wonderful and should be encouraged at all costs. Smile

Yorkiegirl · 09/12/2004 23:52

IKWYM about JW, the girls I teach nearly all love her, I just find her books to be very samey. I'm trying to get them to branch out, but ultimately as long as they're reading then that's fine with me too! Its so easy to fall into the habit of reading books by the same author all the time, I have done that myself. Its a shame your DD2 is not keen on reading at home independently.... hopefully that'll change

MarsselectionboxLady · 09/12/2004 23:56

Well she's 6 and has older siblings to read to her. I think that secretly she does read or want to read at home, but she's kinda backed herself into a corner. I figure if I don't make an issue then she will have space to come out of it. We buy them hardback books for Christmas and at the end of the school year to say well done for working hard.

A good book that DD1 read was called Oven Chips for Tea. I can't remember who it was by, but she really enjoyed it. It was recommended by my lovely man at the Children's Bookshop. Your girls might like it. It's about a girl's grandparents who divorce and the reason she finds out about it is because one day grandma makes oven chips for tea. Grandma normally makes her own chips. Sounds grim but a wonderful read. Smile

einRosentsprungen · 10/12/2004 18:43

Hmmm... Why do I read children's books? I guess a few reasons really:

  1. So that I can talk to ds1 about his reading. It gives us something in common, and his friends don't tend to read very much, so he doesn't have anyone to share it with.
  2. To censor his reading. His reading ability is scarily high, and he is capable of reading just about anything, but there is a large swathe of "teenage fiction" that I don't consider suitable for him at this age (7).
  3. To direct his reading. There's loads of superb children's literature been written in the last 15 years, but there's also a huge amount of complete drivel. I am at heart a bit of a snob about books, and I would prefer him to read decent books rather than rubbish. Don't get me wrong, I don't refuse to let him read rubbish (if he brings it home from the school library!) but I know he is more likely to read and re-read the books we have on our shelves at home, so having read some of the work by those authors enables me to make informed decisions on what books to buy.

Sorry that was long .. Why do I have to justify myself?

Yorkiegirl · 10/12/2004 18:47

You don't have to justify yourself!
After all, you enjoy what you're reading, I do too, so let's get on with more great reading!
Did you finish Shadowmancer? Smile

einRosentsprungen · 10/12/2004 19:41

Yes, finished Shadowmancer: I enjoyed it more than I expected to, but am not exactly jumping up for the sequel.

Have you finished Wolf Boy yet?

I've just started Lion Boy: The Chase. After that ds1 has suggested I should read Murderous Maths and Shocking Electricity! I draw the line there - they're a great series of books - but of no interest to me.

Yorkiegirl · 11/12/2004 11:35

thanks so much for Wormwood, it came this morning!
I'll be interested to read the next part of Wolf Brother series, no doubt the child I borrowed Wolf Brother from will get it and then lend it to me!
Must start Curious Incident tonight!

feastofstevenmom · 11/12/2004 12:16

are those Lemony Snicket books any good?

einRosentsprungen · 11/12/2004 12:28

YG - you're very welcome. I can't even remember exactly how I came to end up with two copies!

Feastofstevenmum - the Lemony Snicket books are quite unusal, very different from most other books for children/teenagers. I do enjoy the style. Having said that they are very 'samey' to each other, and there are loads of them now - I've read two or three, and have no desire to read any more.

I don't really know how to describe it. The children in the story are very precocious and bright, and much of the narrative is in a rather pompous and over-eloquent style, employing longer words rather than shorter at every available opportunity. But interspersing these rather quaintly with dictionary definitions, e.g.:

Klaus sighed, and relinquished - a word which here means "gave to Count Olaf even though he didn't want to" - the book on nuptial law.

DS1 refuses to read them because of the warning on the back about the lack of happy endings! I'm hoping the film might win him over, as I know he'd love the books ... being rather pompous and eccentric himself, and speaking as though he's swallowed a dictionary!!!

Yorkiegirl · 11/12/2004 12:44

I'm planning on going to see the Lemony Snickett film too, let me know if its any good! Haven't read any of the books, yet another title on my 'to read' pile!

einRosentsprungen · 11/12/2004 13:21

I haven't managed to persuade ds1 that he wants to see it with me yet though! Dh has taken them both to see the Incredibles this afternoon, so I hope they might see a trailer to entice them.

Yorkiegirl · 12/12/2004 14:38

well, I started Curious Incident this morning, so far so good.
Did you see my 'DH apologised...' thread??
Hopefully will see Lemony Snickett when I go to my parents' next weekend

MarsselectionboxLady · 12/12/2004 14:42

My DS1 didn't like them I don't know why. I don't think he's keen to see the film either

einRosentsprungen · 12/12/2004 14:45

I did see your thread - was delighted to read it.

Btw have you read \link{http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0749748885/qid=1102862553/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_10_1/026-4812066-4508405\Jenny Nimmo: Midnight for Charlie Bone} I just asked ds1 for his two favourite books and he responded with (fairly predicably) Order of the Phoenix, but also this one. (It's part of a quintet, three of which are written already.)

Yorkiegirl · 12/12/2004 14:47

Not read that. One of the kids has leant me a Molly Moon book (Georgia Byng I think wrote it) Read any of those?

einRosentsprungen · 12/12/2004 14:48

Mars - sorry crossed posts with you - not ignoring you! How many Lemony Snickets did your ds read? I'd be interested to hear his reasons for disliking them.

I found them rather refreshing in their uniqueness (in the same - but different - way as Artemis Fowl), but they did become tedious after a while.

MarsselectionboxLady · 12/12/2004 14:58

I'll ask him when he's back in. He's off out with his mates at the moment at an alternative Nativity talent show with the youth group.

Don't worry, I didn't feel ignored, though sometimes I feel like I belong on one of the I killed the thread threads lol.

Will be interesting to look at the other book you suggested. How old is your DS?

einRosentsprungen · 12/12/2004 15:06

He's only 7 ... but he's not a 'typical 7-yr-old' iyswim - sometimes I wish he were!

Do you have 4?

YG - I've not read Molly Moon. Review please when you've read it.

I quite fancy re-reading Curious Incident, but not this week.

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