Happy Friday Everyone!
This morning I have been having an in depth conversation with a friend, and I want to bring you all into the conversation.
Her nephew has turned 10, and is entering the literary world of JK Rowling. As excited as we both are for him, having grown up with the wonderful series, we are trying to decide how far he should read into the series at his age. Their family is very similar to mine, with rules like, you don't watch PG13 movies until you have turned 13.
So I pose to you a series of questions:
1. How far into Harry Potter should he read this year? Just book 1? Book 2? Or let him go through the whole series?
2. What other books are age-appropriate for a 10 year old boy? I think I was reading Baby Sitter Club then, which he is obviously not going to read. We discussed Narnia, which I haven't read, Animorphs, which she hasn't read, and then, on a tangent, the incredulity we both felt knowing that Hunger Games is being introduced to some students his age.
So help us out, English majors, Elementary School teachers, and anyone who wants to weigh in!!!
How far is to far? What else can he read? What did you love as a pre-teen?
Harry Potter is appropriate to a certain point at this age. I've always thought it would be fun to introduce the books a year at a time. Almost let them grow up with the books. But if he gets really enthralled and wants to keep going, I think that's appropriate too, as long as it's accompanied by some serious discussions about the content as he reads further and things get darker. I think Narnia is also appropriate for that age.
ReplyDeleteIf you're looking for series, I love A Series of Unfortunate Events (even for you, they're hilarious). I also love the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. I've never read any of them, but I hear Artemis Fowl and Diary of a Wimpy Kid are big hits with boys. Also, Roald Dahl is still approprriate at that age and boys tend to really enjoy graphic novels as well.
What did I love? The Phantom Tollbooth, Holes, Tuck Everlasting, Bridge to Terabithia...well, pretty much everything I read then.
Check out my board, "Bookish" on Pinterest. I have a pin of 100 Best Children's Chapter Books and there's a lot of good ones there.
Otherwise, I'd make sure he has his own library card and let him pick out what appeals to him. The best way to develop a good relationship with reading is to let him make his own choices and be guided by his own reading instincts.
I have actually read all of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and the Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan. They are awesome books for boys and girls at that age. Also, with the Harry Potter books I would let him read like 2 books a year so he can kind of grow up with them. I have also read the entire Narnia series and I think it is appropriate for a young boy, that is actually one of my favorite series of books. I would also say to let him go to the library and maybe ask the librarian for a recommendation on books about things he is interested in.
ReplyDeleteThank you both so very much for your comments!
ReplyDeleteTrista: I'll definitely repin the 100 Best Chapter Books, and that way she can see them too. I found it entertaining that all those books you quoted as loving, I never read. My English teachers were more of the "read whatever you want, as long as you get AR points" so I read a lot of short books. I love the Percy Jackson suggestion! I didn't even realize that was a series! I may have to check that out myself this summer.
Sarah: I'll definitely send along the Percy Jackson, since it came up twice. I thought about the "ask the librarian" thing too, so I'm sure they'll do that.
Thanks again y'all!
The Percy Jackson series was so popular that the author is actually writing a second series based off of the first one, I like the series so much that I can't wait for the next book to come out in October which will be the third book in his second series.
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