Stepping Down
Posted by MB on December 04, 1997 at 09:16:49:
In response to I sort of agree but........, written by Alexandra on December 04, 1997 at 08:49:46
] So I guess what I'm saying is that a child should be encouraged to read whatever they show an interest in. This may need a parent helping with explanations but should keep the child interested and challenged. So I guess I am pretty much agreeing with you .......sort of!! ;-)
Yes, I agree that children should never be discouraged. My problem is more with the parents who are pushing their children into advanced literature too soon and who discount good things on their child's comprehension level. As I said, I read P&P at a fairly young age as well, but at that time I truly don't think there was the boom in good children's books that we have now. I even enjoy many of the children's novels that have come out recently! I think that being "encouraged" to keep a book to a reasonable length helps writers avoid some bad habits, too.
A "flip-side" example : I have a book group for 4-7 grade readers. We were discussing what everyone had recently read, and one of the 5th grade boys (very bright, very mature, strong reader) said that he had just read Lord of the Flies. When I asked him what he thought of the book, he said "Well, I liked the story, but there were some things I didn't get, so I think I'll try reading it again next year." Almost brought a tear to my eye! ;-)
MB
:-)
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