phatDonna

At what age do kids want to hear chapter books read aloud to them? I realize this is a random question.

When I was a kid, one of my favorite things about school was having the teacher read chapter books to us. I loved hearing one chapter a day, sitting in a circle on the floor. I would often think about what we’d read that day and what was going to happen the next day. I remember hearing some of my favorite books that way.

I know every kid is different and there is no formula for it. No one can tell me that at age XYZ Bridget will be ready for it and enjoy it. I did a little research and found some moms recommend the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, specifically the first one – Little House in the Big Woods – as a good chapter book for kids her age. I bought it and she let me read her part of the first chapter today.

To my horror, there was talk of wolves eating little girls and killing deer and eating the meat. Luckily she wasn’t too interested and wanted to stop reading it.

Now, I realize that these are facts of life and nothing terrible in the grand scheme of things. But she’s four. First of all, she has not yet made the connection between “the chicken says bawk bawk” and the chicken on her plate, and the longer I can hold that off the better, because I’m sure she’ll go on a meat strike for a while when she learns that lesson. And secondly, she’s hitting that stage where she’s afraid of everything just to say she’s afraid and to stall bedtime. I don’t want to add wolves to the mix. I’m really a fan of keeping them innocent as long as possible because it goes downhill pretty quickly once they realize the world isn’t always a nice safe place.

Any recommendations out there for chapter books that are fairly innocent and won’t scare her? Or should I just put this idea on hold for a year or two?

Have I mentioned that I am a bookworm? I think this just runs in my family. Growing up, I never saw either of my parents without a book to read, and I honestly can’t remember a time in my life since second grade when I also didn’t have a book to read. Since having a child, my reading time has been severely limited, and it now takes me much longer to finish a book, but no matter what, I always have to read, even if just for a few minutes, before going to bed.

Since I know I’m always looking for new books to read, I thought I’d share what I’ve been reading this summer. I always love to read posts about what others are reading.

Furious Love – a story about the stormy relationship between Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Every so often I need brain candy, and this fits the bill. Part biography and part sleazy gossip rag, it’s a great read so far.

Her Fearful Symmetry – by the author of The Time Traveler’s Wife. I think this was a pretty good book. I like the way the author treats the idea of ghosts, just like she did time travel. It just is, but that’s not really what the story is about. I was intrigued from page one.

The Life of Elizabeth I – another of my nerdy interests, Tudor England. Every year or so I like to read a biography with weight. This one took me ages to get through but it was good. A lot of biographies of this time period are so dry that it’s impossible to get through them, for me anyway. But this one was actually written in a very readable way.

Cut, Paste, Kill – The fourth Lomax & Biggs mystery, it certainly didn’t disappoint. I read it in one day – on my flight to BlogHer. I’m sure my seat mate on the plane thought I was insane because I was laughing out loud at the one liners. As usual. I will eagerly await the fifth in the series.

Shanghai Girls – Interesting and heartbreaking at the same time. Contains lots of information about the effects of WWII on China and the US, interwoven with a great story of sisters who survive by relying on each other.

I’ve read more stuff this summer but those are the stand outs. Of course I also read The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, but either you love those books or you hate them so I won’t bother talking about it. I happen to love them.

So come on, what are you reading?