"My kids are getting old!"
That has been my whine for the last few weeks. It's technically not true since they are still quite young but YA literature is just on the horizon. My oldest turns 10 (!) in a few weeks. She, along with her 8 year old sister, is a voracious reader and boy does that make me proud! She still firmly belongs in the Newberry award world (which I also try to keep up with) but before I know it, she will be ready to dip her toes in older teen literature.
I hope that many of her first choices will be classics such as Little Women and Anne of Green Gables, but heaven only knows what influences her friends, classmates and teachers will have on her reading list. Now more than ever, little girls feel like they want to grow up faster and faster. And literature that is technically written for her age might not necessarily jive with what her father and I deem appropriate.
So, by reading the Printz Award winners and the honor books I hope I will be au courant enough to know which books are right for her age level. Since her reading level is much higher that her actual age, this can get tricky. Also, because I know I am going to need it later, perhaps by knowing the contemporary literature of her time I can earn some cool mom points. Maybe? No? Yeah, you're right.
I can completely relate to this great post. My oldest daughter is 10 and my second daughter is 8. The oldest especially is an avid reader and I've tried to steer her towards classics like Anne but have not had much luck. She could read Box Car Children over and over. I'm hoping that in another year or two she'll be ready for the "good stuff". I'm glad she's at least been enjoying Laura Ingalls Wilder. That's a start.
ReplyDeleteBrenda, you have a great start on your blog. Do you mind if I link to it from my blog?
ReplyDeleteI don't mind at all, Kim. Is that proper blog etiquette? I feel really bad if it is and have a lot of belated requests to make! I am still trying to get comfortable with leaving comments at all.
ReplyDeleteYours was the first blog I found when I searched for clean books. I love your rating system! Thanks for reaching out!
Thanks so much. I don't really know what the proper blog etiquette is but since you're just starting out I thought it might be best to ask if you're ready to join the book blogosphere at large. (Not that a link from my blog will make that big of a difference.) I have been asked permission before but I don't know that it's standard protocol. I'm always flattered when I go to a blog and see my link on it.
ReplyDeleteI understand about leaving comments too. I struggled at first and, honestly, I still feel stupid about it sometimes but it does get easier. I do truly think you have great blogging potential. Commenting just helps others find you. Good luck.
We're happy to have you join us for the Printz Project. Can't wait to see what you end up reading and what you think. I've been doing a pretty lousy job at getting some read, but hopefully I can get going on them again soon. Nice blog! I hope to come around more and see what's going on here! :)
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