Thursday, October 04, 2007

You read to me, I'll read to you

You may have heard me say before that the one thing I am really excellent at, as a mother, is reading to my kids. Patience, not so hot. Housekeeping, definitely iffy. Gospel teaching, spotty at best. But reading out loud, we do every day and we spend a good amount of time at it. I flatter myself that it's why my kids are so darn stinking smart. I'm a big believer in read-aloud.

So last night we left Harry Potter in quite a place. If you haven't read the Deathly Hallows by now, you almost deserve a spoiler, but I will be nice and not give it to you. S begged me to go on, trying to figure out how the book could go on after what just happened, but it was 9 p.m. and I had to say no.

After we finish this book in a couple of days we are going for something light: Otis Spofford by Beverly Cleary. I have been previewing it and laughing out loud, especially in the spitball chapter where ... oh, never mind; I'm staying away from spoilers. I just love Otis and I love it when I remember that my kids are SO Otis themselves - that spark of mischief drives me nuts but it is also so essential to their smarts and spunk and personality. They are really awesome kids.

So if, hypothetically, my life were feeling about as serious as Harry Potter's incident in the Forbidden Forest right now, what would you read to me to lighten it all up and make me remember what I love and what makes me smile?

9 comments:

Deborah said...

I wouldn't put in the canon of great lit, but my absolutely favorite laugh-uncontrollably-until-I-have-to-leave -the-classroom-to-collect-myself book is: Skinnybones, by Barbara Park. It simply *reads* well out loud; it's made for the human voice. Your boys will LOVE it.

Denise said...

For you, or for the kids? For you, I'd say "A Nun in the Closet" by Dorothy Gilman. It's dated, yes, but it still makes me smile. Just a bit of silliness, no deep thought required. =)

SalGal said...

Sarah Cynthia Saliva Stout!

Plenty of silliness there. I had something else in mind, too... hmm...

Mary Kay Andrews. She's very fluffy.

jjf said...

Your boys will LOVE Hank the Cowdog by John Erickson. I am reading it to my first grade classroom right now and we are to the part where he falls in love with a coyote. They BEG for me to read it. I also like reading the Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Park. She just doesn't understand why she is trouble all the time. Something ALL kids can relate to.

Mary said...

Otis Spafford is funny. I tried to read it to Noah last year but all the school references were kind of over his three-year-old head. Why is it that the funniest books that we really enjoy reading to our kids are all about sort of naughty kids? Otis, Ramona, Junie B.... What is this teaching them? Oh well.

SalGal said...

Don't forget Skippyjohn Jones!

Lisa M. said...

We have read every Harry book, out loud as a family. My kids were early teens when the first one was printed.

What about the Great Brain Books-

I loved those.

Angela said...

We are so alike. The sad part now is....no one wants me to read to them anymore. sniff. But when Jess came home for a visit a few weeks ago, she brought the book "Twilight" and was so excited for me to read it that she read ME the first chapter! Yay! She will carry on in my footsteps and read to her kids. Now--if I can just get my future grandkids to live close by I might be able to start reading to someone again.

Stephanie said...

I just stumbled upon your blog and I love your writing!
I loved your comments on Sister Beck's talk and your own personal insights.
Sooooo I had to post a little message.

A great read (out loud) is always, always, always Shel Silverstein!! His poems are fun and enchanting!

There are too many kids in the tub,
There are too many elbows to scrub.
I just washed a behind,
I'm sure wasn't mine.
There are too many kids in the tub!

My little family just got done with one of his books - A Light In The Attic.