Now that my kids are six years old, I have the pleasure of reading chapter books to them. No more reciting the same picture book over and over again until I’m tempted to bash my head through my kids’ black-out-blinds in search of sharp glass.
Lately, I’ve been on a Roald Dahl kick. He’s hilarious, his books read well aloud, and there’s some adult-level humour. James and the Giant Peach is the book we’re reading now. I especially enjoy doing the voices: the centipede speaks with a snooty BBC accent, and the earthworm sounds vaguely like Grandpa on the Munsters.
Generally I enjoy this readers’ theatre, and Vivian and William are attentive. But not last night. Maybe it was the Valentine’s Day candy. Maybe there was a full moon somewhere in the universe. Maybe the plastic from the Tupperware glasses finally leached into their brains. Whatever the cause, Vivian and William were rambunctious. They didn’t interrupt me, but rather did things that caused me to interrupt myself.
This is how story time went.
Read, read, read.
Read, read, read.
Read, read, read.
Read, read, read.
Read, read, read.
Read, read, read.
This sounds suspiciously like our house at bedtime, except ‘Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing’ is the book of choice and I often find myself saying things like, “Are we reading or are you building lego?”
(Side bar: I’m sneaking some online time in my bedroom at 7am and I just heard my 3-year-old daughter say, “C’mon, let’s go and annoy mommy.”)
I strongly suspect that that daughter of yours has a lot of her mommy’s personality in her. And “Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing?” Judy Bloom! Is that the one with “I must…I must…I must increase my bust”? The things I remember…
I’ve been reading Alice in Wonderland with my 12-year-old daughter…I love doing the voices too (although I’m sure true Brits would cringe at my versions of their accents!).
Glad that you read to your kids, Leanne!
Wendy
How nice you’re still reading with your 12-year-old. As much as I complain, it’s usually my favourite part of the day. How does Alice read aloud? (I tried Winnie the Pooh and hated how it read aloud – I know admitting this is close to blasphemy).
I read to Hope because I’m trying to get her to enjoy it…she has learning disabilities which affect her comprehension and retention of information.
I like reading Alice aloud, but it might be a little beyond six-year-olds with the language…might be boring for them…
I know you said the kids were past picture books, but one of the authors I used to love to read aloud to my kids is Helen Lester. Her books are hilarious…our favourite was “Tacky the Penguin.” Edward Lear is fun, too.
A chapter book that had my dad and I in stitches at our bookstore a few years ago was “Peck’s Bad Boy” by George Peck…they’re old, but there’s a series of them, and the kid in them is very inventive in coming up with schemes to drive his Pa nuts! There are several of them online at abebooks.com.
I hope your kids keep enjoying reading…
Wendy
I don’t think we’re ever too old to be read aloud to. It’s the best of togetherness and alone time combined.
I’m going to check out both Peck and Lester. Thanks for the suggestions!
Love it. We’re reading A Series of Unfortunate Events right now. I keep trying to persuade (read: bribe) my 6yo to let me start reading The Chronicles of Narnia but so far no dice.
As far as crazy things I’ve heard, just this morning, my Bug said, “Hey, Mom, in China, they have these really fat men who fight in their underwear!” And then he said, “I know a lot about China. I watched Kung Fu Panda like, a hundred times.”
Lemony Snicket. Great idea. I haven’t started Narnia yet either. My kids still like some pictures.
The Kung-Fu-Panda line has me laughing out loud…
Wow.. chapter books.
I have a sneaky feeling my Tackler will not understand the concept of “just one chapter” and wish for the book to be read in one sitting – a trait he no doubt inherited from me.
This had me rolling – because it is how book time happens in this house – with the child being read to attentive, and the other one doing everything in their power to drag our attention away from the book.
Love the multiple whiteboards.
I tried 18 months ago to read them chapter books and they weren’t into it, so we stuck to picture books. So it’s worth the wait till they’re ready.
Yes, I think little ones have advanced degrees in Being Easily Distracted.
LOL! “Stop singing Born To Be Wild” cracked me up! You have such funny little kids!
Nothing like a little Steppenwolf to liven up any reading…
I pick out all books I read out loud because I honestly don’t believe my children are paying any attention while they do forward rolls off the bed. I have even tried rubbing feet while reading but they fought over who went first. Now I get books on CD and we listen while we drive in the car and I call it good. Of course I listen ahead so they never know what is going on but I figure it encourages imagination to fill in the blanks.
Okay, someone rubbing my feet while reading to me sounds like HEAVEN. Childhood is clearly wasted on children.
I am so looking forward to being able to read chapter books to the kids. I’ve already set aside The Secret World of Og by Pierre Burton for one of our first reading forays. Now I just need to wait another two years to read it.
I’ve never heard of The Secret World of Og. I’m going to look it up at the library! Thanks for the suggestion.
As I read to my kids last night I said the following:
“Do not fart on your sister!”
“No sister, we have to finish brother’s book first before we start yours”
“Are you comfortable?” (As she is laying on top of me with her head in my throat)
Ah, the joys…
“Do not fart on your sister” = ROFLMAO. Now that should be in the parody of What To Expect: The Psycho Years.
You crack me up. I’m sure you’re a fabulous story reader. Maybe even better at reading than at making pictures for your blog.
Thanks. I’m not sure which I have more fun at. It’s a toss up. Last night, though, I think the pictures won.
I love this so much. Funny things I heard this week. The principal of my son’s school called me. Why? Because one of my blogs was getting “some negative attention.” No, my child did not set anything on fire or get pantsed or pick his nose and put a bugger on anyone … but someone actually read my blog. That is funny. 😉
Okay, Renee, where’s the link to the blog that was the problem? It couldn’t have been the fencing post. Your Valentine’s one? The reference to “ass” in the photo caption? Jealousy over your SBA?
In Canada, next week it’s Freedom to Read week. Along with the Freedom to Read comes the Freedom to Write…
You read the words?! That are in the books?! (We make up stories that go with the pictures… It makes those 10-page picture books far more interesting/ridiculous. Except for Goodnight Moon. I love Goodnight Moon. ;>)
Making up the stories = far too much creative work for me most nights. And I too heart Goodnight Moon. My son, who is fond of things he liked when he was young, asks to take it out now and then. I think it calms me down, too. I also loved Hug by Jez Alborough (sp).
Ah, the best day of my life (well, not so much a day, but a stage that opened up the world to me) was when both my kids began reading silently. To themselves. Now, we pick a spot (couch, bed, floor) each day and all read together. But the absence of voices, farts, and “Born to be Wild”?
Is bliss.
Pure.
(growing old does have one or two advantages…)
That sounds lovely. My daughter (who reads fluently) and I have done that twice. Curl up, and each read our books. It is bliss. My son would sooner stick his face 2 inches from a screen, however…
You give me hope.
Sounds a lot like when I read to my 6yo.
“Stop flapping the book mark.”
“Stop flipping your stuffed animals in the air.”
“Stop pretending to be a Rockette.”
And always: “No, I will not read another chapter.”
It must be a rite of passage to not listen to your mother read to you.
Okay, I love “Stop pretending to be a Rockette.” Not hilarious when you’re the one reading the chapter, but hilarious when you’re the one reading the comments section!
*Snorts and giggles*
It’s like you’ve peered into our window at bedtime and witnessed the “why” behind my secret-late-night Baileys addiction. One pouts and refuses to read because it’s HIS turn to snuggle on the left side and it’s noooott fffaaiiiirrr. The other steamrolls my head and tries to grab my boob even though he’s been weaned for almost two years now whilst echoing “it’s noooott faiiiirrrrr…
Reading: not for the faint of heart.
If you lived closer, I’d be on my way over for Baileys each evening.
A girlfriend from not-too-far-back and I used to read to each other before bed. I never tried a snooty BBC voice for any of the characters, but you SO know I’m going to give it a shot. Especially if one of the characters is a centipede!
I loved that you read to an old girlfriend. Well…not old…but you know what I mean. The snooty BBC voice also works really well for the cat in The Cat in the Hat. Come to think of it, even Margaret Atwood’s books could use a snooty BBC voice…
To this day I’ve never read any Maggie Atwood. I’d like to think that makes me a snob; however, it probably just means I’m a yokel.
Even if you don’t read Atwood’s books, check out her tweets. She’s been trying to broker a trade…she says she’ll give Calgary Toronto’s current mayor if they can have Nenshi.
I’m currently reading Charlotte’s Web to my five-year-old twins. They live for when the page has the occasional picture 🙂
Oh, and for a crazy thing I heard…
“Mommy, will I live to be 100 years old?”
“I hope so, sweetie.”
“How much is 100?”
“Really old.”
“Are you 100?”
*sigh*
Christi Corbett
http://christicorbett.wordpress.com
Love that. Charlotte’s Web…that might be my next read. Thanks for the tip!
My family also loves Good Night Moon. My 29 year old son still occasionally quotes it on Facebook as his sign-off and my now 21 year old daughter used it in 7th grade for a memorized reading assignment – she got an A. Now my 4 year old grandson has it memorized and “reads” it to his 18 month old brother who loves to do “shush” with his finger on his lips for the “old lady”.
For shared books, we enjoyed the “My Father’s Dragon” trilogy and Little House series for 5-6 year olds. In the “be careful what you say” category, I made the mistake of telling my Kindergartner that I was going to kill myself it I had to listen to her read aloud one more book of a series I won’t mention and she repeated it verbotem to her teacher the next day – oops!
“I’m going to kill myself” repetition = hilarious.
And I LOVE those Good Night Moon stories. It is such a charming, gentle book. My son still asks for it sometimes. It lowers my blood pressure, I swear. Maybe I should read it tonight…
Thanks for sharing those lovely stories.