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alikander at 05:11pm on 09/11/2008
alikander at 05:11pm on 09/11/2008Can anyone recommend some "chapter books"? Fiona loves the "My Father's Dragon" books, but we're getting tired of reading them over and over and over.
Things we have tried, but that haven't really grabbed her: Winnie-the-Pooh, Wind in the Willows, Secret of Ron Mor Skerry, ballet stories (by Jane Yolen), The Hobbit, The Wonder Clock, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.
Things that we have considered, but fear might be a little too mature: Wainscot Weasel, Alice in Wonderland (plus, I really don't like it), Wizard of Oz, The Hobbit, The Wonder Clock, Matthew Looney, Charlotte's Web, Swallow and Amazons, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe... well and probably some others, but that's all that occurs to me right now.
(Yeah, some are on both lists. What can I say. We're willing to give things a try.)
I might try Little House and Stuart Little, but I have a feeling they'll be too old, too.
We've had some success with fairy tales (Barefoot Books, Andrew Lang), and also "Sylvester and the Magic Pebble," but I'd like something a little longer than those.
There's a gazillion series of little paperbacks (Magic Treehouse, Tiara Club (::shudder::), etc.), but they all look horrid. I'd like to find something light, short, fast-paced, and relatively shallow, and that takes more than one evening to read, but not icky either.
Now, for the sake of my own remembrance, here are two Fiona-said moments:
Scene: Martial arts class. Just after a series of races. Fiona did pretty well, faster than a couple of kids, but far from the fastest. The teacher is starting to move on to the next activity when Fiona pipes up.
F: Sensei Bobby! Somethig slowed me down when I was running!
SB (concerned that something is really wrong): What was it, Fiona?
F: My feet!
Scene: Election Day. I took Fiona to vote when the polls opened. She knows (sort of) what voting is, and knew that her parents were voting for Barackobama. When we pulled up, there was a long line of people, about 100. She asked, Are they all voting for Barackobama? And I explained that no, there was another person who wanted to be president, John McCain, and some of these people might vote for him.
So, we stood in line for about 45 minutes. She ran in circles around me, so we talked about moons and planets, and when we got closer to the door, she read "No" on the signs, and I had to explain what skateboarding is. The point is, a lot of time went by and many other topics were discussed.
I got my ballot, filled it in, tucked into the folder, and as we walked across the cavernous gym full of voters, that piercing pre-k voice said, "Mummy, did you vote for JOHN MCCAIN?"
I came to a screeching halt, crouched down, and showed her my ballot. "No, honey, I voted for BARACK OBAMA." Ahem. I expected be embarrassed by my child someday, but not quite like that.
Oh, and yesterday was "observation day" at Fiona's ballet class. If you can stand mediocre snapshots of three-year-old girls in tutus, proceed.
PPS I'm wicked tired and headachy, so I've probably made spelling and grammar errors above. Apologies. Do not judge too harshly. Why are so many of my friends editors? Do I have some weird kink I've only just noticed? The other day, it finally dawned on me that the two "official" boyfriends of my life were of Scottish extraction. That's perverse.
Things we have tried, but that haven't really grabbed her: Winnie-the-Pooh, Wind in the Willows, Secret of Ron Mor Skerry, ballet stories (by Jane Yolen), The Hobbit, The Wonder Clock, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.
Things that we have considered, but fear might be a little too mature: Wainscot Weasel, Alice in Wonderland (plus, I really don't like it), Wizard of Oz, The Hobbit, The Wonder Clock, Matthew Looney, Charlotte's Web, Swallow and Amazons, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe... well and probably some others, but that's all that occurs to me right now.
(Yeah, some are on both lists. What can I say. We're willing to give things a try.)
I might try Little House and Stuart Little, but I have a feeling they'll be too old, too.
We've had some success with fairy tales (Barefoot Books, Andrew Lang), and also "Sylvester and the Magic Pebble," but I'd like something a little longer than those.
There's a gazillion series of little paperbacks (Magic Treehouse, Tiara Club (::shudder::), etc.), but they all look horrid. I'd like to find something light, short, fast-paced, and relatively shallow, and that takes more than one evening to read, but not icky either.
Now, for the sake of my own remembrance, here are two Fiona-said moments:
Scene: Martial arts class. Just after a series of races. Fiona did pretty well, faster than a couple of kids, but far from the fastest. The teacher is starting to move on to the next activity when Fiona pipes up.
F: Sensei Bobby! Somethig slowed me down when I was running!
SB (concerned that something is really wrong): What was it, Fiona?
F: My feet!
Scene: Election Day. I took Fiona to vote when the polls opened. She knows (sort of) what voting is, and knew that her parents were voting for Barackobama. When we pulled up, there was a long line of people, about 100. She asked, Are they all voting for Barackobama? And I explained that no, there was another person who wanted to be president, John McCain, and some of these people might vote for him.
So, we stood in line for about 45 minutes. She ran in circles around me, so we talked about moons and planets, and when we got closer to the door, she read "No" on the signs, and I had to explain what skateboarding is. The point is, a lot of time went by and many other topics were discussed.
I got my ballot, filled it in, tucked into the folder, and as we walked across the cavernous gym full of voters, that piercing pre-k voice said, "Mummy, did you vote for JOHN MCCAIN?"
I came to a screeching halt, crouched down, and showed her my ballot. "No, honey, I voted for BARACK OBAMA." Ahem. I expected be embarrassed by my child someday, but not quite like that.
Oh, and yesterday was "observation day" at Fiona's ballet class. If you can stand mediocre snapshots of three-year-old girls in tutus, proceed.
PPS I'm wicked tired and headachy, so I've probably made spelling and grammar errors above. Apologies. Do not judge too harshly. Why are so many of my friends editors? Do I have some weird kink I've only just noticed? The other day, it finally dawned on me that the two "official" boyfriends of my life were of Scottish extraction. That's perverse.
(no subject)
The Catwings books? or are they too short? Frog & Toad (not sure if these have chapters). Beverly Cleary.
http://www.belmont.lib.ma.us/childrens/readaloud.htm
If you have the time to stop by the library, this is the sort of question that children's librarians are really good at answering (among other things).
(no subject)
(no subject)
I know it sounds like we never read anything else but we did go through a jag on these and I have to say that they were reasonably cute, enough to make it tolerable to have to read them aloud to her (and I suppose soon enough to M.) and, since there are so many, you don't really run out.