What Are You Reading Now?

[[deleted user]]

Since the weekend, I've been attempting to get through Gone with the Wind. It's a great book, but hard...

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Plain Kate happens to be on my library wishlist already. Thanks for the nudge!

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

I've never read Gone w/ the Wind. I'm just not a fan of long books. I think that's one of the reasons I like children's books - they get to the point, thankyouverymuch.

[Peter]

Dear All,

One of the best things about having kids myself is that I can read to them the kids books that I so enjoyed during my childhood. I'm having a second childhood, in effect, lol.

I have just read Bottersnikes And Gumbles and Charlotte's Web to my 10-yr old son, and am currently reading The Phantom Tollbooth to him.

Oh, I also collected all 48 books of Asterix and Obelix and read those to him last year.

[Helen]

Peter R Stone wrote: "Dear All,

One of the best things about having kids myself is that I can read to them the kids books that I so enjoyed during my childhood. I'm having a second childhood, in effect, lol.

I have ju..."

Wow Peter, your mention of Bottersnikes And Gumbles just sent me rollicking down memory lane! As a fellow Victorian, I can vividly remember having my grandfather read this to me... a memory I haven't recalled in years. And with that, I'm off to order it now. Thank you!

[Peter]

That's great :)

I've read the book to both my son and my daughter now. It's one of their favourite books too.

[Beverly, former Miscellaneous Club host]

Now reading Greenglass House.

[[deleted user]]

I'm still struggling through GwtW, but I've managed to slip in Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever, and I'm also reading The Read-Aloud Handbook (second edition, from the 80's)

[Lisa]

Well, I'm not reading them yet, but 2 Patricia Polacco are waiting for me at the library. I'll probably be able to get them both on Tuesday. I'm so excited. I've never before gotten 2 of her new ones at one time. When I've read them, I'll be caught up reading all of her books.

Fiona's Lace

and

Mr. Wayne's Masterpiece

[Michele]

Christine wrote: "I just finished The Magician's Land whch confused me for a while, but in the end, I did enjoy it. I've just started Fool's Assassin"

I loved both of those series!!

[Michele]

I've not been here in FOREVER!!! I have just read Neil Gaiman's Hansel and Gretel and am now reading Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin. I loved the Hansel and Gretel. Nice and dark. :)

[Michele]

Cheryl wrote: "I've never read Gone w/ the Wind. I'm just not a fan of long books. I think that's one of the reasons I like children's books - they get to the point, thankyouverymuch."

:) I agree...except that I also like long books, for just the opposite reason. Good ones that is. Gone with the Wind is one of my favorites.

[Manybooks, Fiction Club host]

Lisa wrote: "Well, I'm not reading them yet, but 2 Patricia Polacco are waiting for me at the library. I'll probably be able to get them both on Tuesday. I'm so excited. I've never before gotten ..."

They look lovely!!

[Carolien]

Lisa wrote: "Well, I'm not reading them yet, but 2 Patricia Polacco are waiting for me at the library. I'll probably be able to get them both on Tuesday. I'm so excited. I've never before gotten ..."

These look so interesting. I hope you got them! Any idea what age group would be best?

[[deleted user]]

Still reading G...used the handbook to add 70 books to my to-read list....and I'm also re-reading

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

My husband and I both love Big Nate. Well, the strip. The boy himself... let's just say, we're glad he's not our kid!

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Carolien, I don't know if you know any Polacco, but in my experience with her, I think she's probably best for ages 6-9. Her works are kinda subtle, kinda thoughtful, not so accessible for most little ones, imo.

[Manybooks, Fiction Club host]

Finally reading Winterbound and enjoying it immensely.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Oh good. That's a book that def. needs some more positive reviews here on GR (even just a brief comment on its book page would be terrific :).

[Fjóla]

Since this summer, I have been transitioning into longer books with my now six year old. Yeah, maybe I'm a bit late to the game, but I get so much joy out of reading picture books (and on the side, I'm also really trying to get through that seemingly endless list of 1001 children's books, one age group at a time ... ) I will say that the more advanced books have been a bit hit or miss, and we have abandoned a few books, only a few pages or a couple of chapters in. But at the same time, we've developed an almost obsessive relationship with other books.

We have just finished reading My Father's Dragon series (all three books), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Hobbit and most recently the two first books of the Cobble Street Cousins. All these books have been huge hits with my son.

I was most surprised he liked the Cousins, because it is more than a bit girly, they talk about flowers and always want to be making some crafts and stuff. And all that focus on their aunt having a love interest is a bit weird, I think, in literature for this young age and totally above my son's level of comprehension. But the set up is pretty enticing: three cousins, all so different but who really get along, living in this lovely house with their aunt, and the abundant BW illustrations, so intricate and cute, really draw you in.

[Fjóla]

As for the books we gave up on, I am planning to try again with most of them at some later date. The only one I remember deciding not to waste more time on was Toys Go Out. Now, I really tried to make it interesting to my son. I honestly thought he would like it, because he's thoroughly into his stuffed animal friends, but I could tell he wasn't really enjoying it and halfway in he asked me to please take it off our reading list. I couldn't blame him. I myself found the writing exceedingly unimaginative and boring. I realize this book is wildly popular, so I think maybe he's just too old for it at this point.

My kid has now suggested The Neverending Story as our next read. We watched the movie a few months ago, and he’s still thinking about it, as I told him there was more to the story. We’re waiting to get it at our library, but in the meantime I have started reading him Winnie-the-Pooh. Never read it before, and never thought of it when he was “more little” because he never clicked with the Disney version of Winnie, Piglet and Tigger. I myself am quite fond of Disney’s rendering, but I’m finding the books so much more clever and subtle. It also took me a little while to get used to the narrator - it might have felt more natural had we had the audio book - but I like this style now, and I also enjoy reading between the lines.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Oh I'm glad you're reading the original Winnie-the-Pooh. They really do have a clever appeal that works on another level of playfulness, an almost subversive, sly level that Disney didn't master.

It's interesting you're sharing such diverse books, too. Whenever someone talks about 'books for 6 year old boys' or whatever, I roll my eyes. From now on, I can do more than that - I can tell them to read these posts, and maybe to take a peek at your bookshelves and reviews.

Thank you for being such a great mom, and contributer, and thereby making the world a better place.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Actually, that reminds me, when we did our Thankfuls last Thursday, I told the gang I was thankful for all the terrific ppl on GR. They laughed, saying they knew I'd say that.

[Kathryn, The Princess of Picture-Books]

Cheryl wrote: "Actually, that reminds me, when we did our Thankfuls last Thursday, I told the gang I was thankful for all the terrific ppl on GR. They laughed, saying they knew I'd say that."

Awww! ;-) I'm thankful for all the friendships I've made here, too. It's so nice to have this community to share our love of good books!

[Kathryn, The Princess of Picture-Books]

Fjóla wrote: "Winnie-the-Pooh. Never read it before, and never thought of it when he was “more little” because he never clicked with the Disney version of Winnie, Piglet and Tigger. I myself am quite fond of Disney’s rendering, but I’m finding the books so much more clever and subtle. It also took me a little while to get used to the narrator - it might have felt more natural had we had the audio book - but I like this style now, and I also enjoy reading between the lines. "

I'm so glad you are enjoying Milne's book! I love Pooh, both the Disney version and the original but I agree that there is just something extra-special about Milne's storytelling (though Disney did a fairly good job staying true to it, at least in most of the films I've seen). This is one of my mom's favorite books and I have such fond memories of her reading it to me. Looking forward to sharing it with my son when he's a little older, though he's already a fan of the characters because we have a few of the Pooh board books (I usually despise abridgements but I couldn't help myself!)

It also delights me to know your son enjoyed The Cobble Street Cousins. I loved the first one I read a few years ago. It is definitely more on the "girly" side, but such a nice story -- kudos to you for sharing it with your son, and I'm so happy to know your son is open to reading a variety of good books!

[Kathryn, The Princess of Picture-Books]

I've just started An Irish Country Christmas by Alice Taylor. So far it's charming and such a great portrait of rural farming life in Ireland (I think around late 1940s). I don't think it's technically a children's book but the narrator is nine years old and so far it seems family-friendly. I will post back when I finish to let you know if it continues to be appropriate for the kiddos.

[Kathryn, The Princess of Picture-Books]

Lisa wrote: "Well, I'm not reading them yet, but 2 Patricia Polacco are waiting for me at the library. I'll probably be able to get them both on Tuesday. I'm so excited. I've never before gotten ..."

*squee* so excited for you! Hope they're great!

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

I highly recommend The Art of Reading: Forty Illustrators Celebrate RIF's 40th Anniversary.

[Beverly, former Miscellaneous Club host]

The Unicorn’s Tale

[Stephanie]

Does anyone agree with me that they loathe reading Dumpy the Dump Truck by Julie Andrews to kids? It's so long and boring. I'm the type that if I have nothing good to say about other children's books I keep it to myself and just do a star rating. I love Julie Andrews too..just not this book. I recently had to read it again and this time I hid it afterwards.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

I've not read it - and now I have no plans to do so. ;)

But I do think you should write a review, to warn everyone (not just readers of this thread). Also, a star rating w/out a review has no chance of either helping the writer, nor of helping readers who actually might be looking for a longer story.

There are lots of books I write reviews for that I don't star, for example the first few books of a new genre when I don't feel qualified to judge, or books I don't finish. But I get frustrated to see ratings without reviews, especially 1 or 5 star ratings, and also especially on books that don't have a lot of reviews.

Of course none of this probably applies to Julie Andrews' book. But I do believe strongly in the value of even the briefest of comments, even if the reader doesn't want to write in more depth.

[Manybooks, Fiction Club host]

Stephanie wrote: "Does anyone agree with me that they loathe reading Dumpy the Dump Truck by Julie Andrews to kids? It's so long and boring. I'm the type that if I have nothing good to say about other children's boo..."

Actually, Stephanie, I think it is even more important to write reviews for books one has rated with two or one star. Now, I have some two and one star books that I have rated without a review because I read them years before every joining GR, but mostly, if I read a book that I consider a one or two star book, I write a review as to why (nothing nasty, but hopefully, constructive criticism).

[Beverly, former Miscellaneous Club host]

The Maze Runner

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

I just loved A Child's Christmas in Wales, the one with Hyman's illustrations. Terrific read aloud... as to be expected, as it was written by a poet.

[Steve]

I'm on my way through all of L. Frank Baum's Oz books once again, this time in the order they were written. What a gifted storyteller he was. His stories are ideal for reading aloud to a youngster at bedtime. His narrative voice is exactly that of a beloved elder telling a story to a beloved child.

[Kalynda]

The Testing Series--Love that the main character is a strong female with a science identity.
Independent Study

[Aimee]

Steve, my daughter just read the entire Oz series and loved it!

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Just finished working my way through Story Land: 40 Of The Best Little Golden Books Ever Published. They really weren't the 'best' and a whole big 'stack' of them in one day was a bit much. But it was the only source in my library system for The Color Kittens and that was just as terrific as I'd hoped it would be!

[Beverly, former Miscellaneous Club host]

The Revenge of Seven

[Carolien]

I've just finished The Faerie Guardian which I really enjoyed. A very feisty heroine who gets things done.

I was not aware there is a series of Oz books. Just watched a children's theatre production of The Wizard of Oz with my children. Off to investigate.

[Carolien]

And they are all open domain books, even better! Any suggestions on how to approach them or do I just follow publication order?

[Manybooks, Fiction Club host]

I've just ordered some of the Tintin comics and the Asterix comics in Alsacian (which is basically a type of Creole, a mixture of French and a South German dialect). And I've also ordered a few of the Tintin comics in Gaumais which is a type of French spoken in Belgium.

[Steve]

Carolien wrote: "And they are all open domain books, even better! Any suggestions on how to approach them or do I just follow publication order?"
Each Oz book is a stand alone story. As a youngster I gobbled them up in no order whatsoever, including several of the later Oz books written by Baum's chosen successor, Ruth Plumly Thompson. Now I'm marching through them in sequence for the first time. With all of them easily available, that's probably the best way to go.

[Carolien]

Thanks, I'll do that.

[Rosalba]

I've been reading The Ascendance Trilogy, just began the third book The Shadow Throne right now. Good stuff.

[Manybooks, Fiction Club host]

So, the Tintin comics in Alsatian dialect have arrived and it's both fun and intriguing reading them (or trying to read them). I am sure glad that my mother's family is from the Lake of Constance area of Germany (Bodensee), because visiting them over the years has made me at least a bit used to upper German dialects (of which both Alastian and the dialect spoken near the Lake of Constance are one). I am not understanding every word, but certainly most of them. Interestingly enough, while many of the greetings are taken over as is from the French (like bonjour, au revoir), many other French loanwords seem to have been made to look and sound German (or rather upper German Alsatian).

I do wonder if most people fluent in German would be able to understand Alsatian, and I think the answer would likely be that oral Alsatian would be more difficult than written Alsatian (but also that individuals from areas where an upper German dialect is spoken, like Southern Germany, Austria and the German speaking areas of Switzerland would have less problems than individuals from areas where middle or low German, or even mostly standard German is spoken). Case in point. My mother's family is from near the Lake of Constance, my father's family from Northern Germany, Hanover, and before we moved to Canada, we often visited my mother's family (so that while I did not learn how to speak the dialect spoken by my mother's family, I certainly became used to it). When my father's mother (my paternal grandmother) took me to visit friends in Lucerne, Switzerland, I actually often had to translate for her, as I understood the Swiss German dialect a bit better than she did.

[Beverly, former Miscellaneous Club host]

Gundula wrote: "So, the Tintin comics in Alsatian dialect have arrived and it's both fun and intriguing reading them (or trying to read them). I am sure glad that my mother's family is from the Lake of Constance ..."

When I was in high school, I took German. My German teacher told us we were learning Hoch Deutsch. Is that different from the Alsatian German you are describing?

[Manybooks, Fiction Club host]

Beverly wrote: "Gundula wrote: "So, the Tintin comics in Alsatian dialect have arrived and it's both fun and intriguing reading them (or trying to read them). I am sure glad that my mother's family is from the La..."

Hochdeutsch is basically standard German (and calling it Hochdeutsch, High German is actually kind of a misnomer, as standard German is based on something called East Middle German because Martin Luther wrote his Bible in East Middle German and the German Bible of Martin Luther, along with Gutenberg's printing press did much to standardise German).

Actually, the different German dialects are kind of roughly divided into Low German (spoken in the northern, low lying areas, Anglo-Saxon would also be considered a form of Low German, Plattdeutsch in German), Middle German (spoken of course in the middle lying areas) and Upper German (spoken in the Southern parts of Germany, Austria and Switzerland, called called Upper German because many of the areas are mountainous). Alsatian would be a form of Upper German (specifically, Low Allemanic German).

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

oy

[Beverly, former Miscellaneous Club host]

Gundula wrote: "Beverly wrote: "Gundula wrote: "So, the Tintin comics in Alsatian dialect have arrived and it's both fun and intriguing reading them (or trying to read them). I am sure glad that my mother's famil..."

Thanks for the clarification!