5/6/11

My boy's eighth reading year

When my little one turned six, I posted a list of his favorite books of the year. I'd wish I'd done it the next year, but I didn't...it was his year of the Wimpy Kid, and so not that interesting anyway. More interestingly, he met Odd and the Frost Giant that year too; it's a book he still loves (me too).

So anyway, he turns eight tomorrow. He started his eighth year of reading with the Magic Treehouse books...but happily moved on to richer things. This was his year of meeting Harry Potter, and spending hours and hours in a row reading books 1-4 almost straight through. We've agreed he should wait a bit before book 5; I think he'll enjoy it more when he's a bit older. Another favorite series was Roddy Doyle's books--The Giggler Treatment, the Meanwhile Adventures, and Rover Saves Christmas. And this was the year that I read him the Hobbit.

Here are the books he's getting for his birthday: Long Tail Kitty, by Lark Pien (cause it looked really cute and fun), and Trickster: Native American Tales: A Graphic Collection, by Matt Dembicki (because he thinks of himself as the trickster type. "I'm a lot like Loki, aren't I, Mama," he says. To which I answer, "Not so's you'd notice.") I like to give my boys graphic novels as presents, by the way. It's a much better bet they'll like them--chapter books are so darn hit and miss, and it is so sad to give them a chapter book, watch them read it for a few chapters, put it down, and never finish it).

So tomorrow his ninth year of fun with books will begin...and we'll be playing host to a total of 8 little boys. My plan is to attach the hose to the rain barrel, and let them flood the garden. Making streams and dams is fun, and nothing is planted yet.

Which leads me to my final thought for the day--why is it that May, the one month where I want to work in my garden to the exclusion of all else, is so richly packed with so many other things???? February was really boring.

8 comments:

  1. Best suggestion, ever! I am going to write down my kids favorites right now. :)

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  2. We liked Long Tail Kitty. I think my boys would love The Giggle Treatment--I'll have to put it on their Goodreads list. Has your son read The Faraway Tree Stories yet? We're in the middle of reading that now, and both of my boys (5 & 8) keep asking for more.

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  3. Just to say that one doesn't have to be a kid to enjoy The Giggler Treatment! Among the funniest things I've ever read, I must say... and always glad to meet a fan of any age!

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  4. We read one of the Faraway Tree books...but although they were attentive, it didn't quite hit the spot for them.

    And I had a typo in the first draft, LitLass--it should have been The Giggler Treatment.

    They are truly funny, funny books!

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  5. First, Happy Birthday to your son.
    Isn't it grand to watch your reading child grow and develop? I miss those days - I used to think of them as Days of Wonder until I realized they don't end (Allison is 22 and I still get calls about "a new book I just read.")
    I hope your son has a wonderful day and reading year, and I hope you do too.

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  6. I'm with you on May being packed and crazy. Bit (whose 7th birthday is this month) has reread the first two Harry Potter books so many times I've lost count. She agreed to wait a little before going to book 3, but I think her patience is dwindling....

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  7. Thanks Alex! I hope mine still call me when they are grownups!

    And Brandy, I am so very jealous of the kdis who were eight when the first book came out, who didn't have this problem!!!

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  8. What a fabulous idea to record your son's favourite books each year! I wish I had done something similar. Great favourites live on in the memory, but the dates blur. I bought the trio of Roddy Doyle books in Dublin last year, and both my son and I enjoyed The Giggler Treatment. Happy Birthday to your son, I'm sure that he has another great year of reading ahead of him.

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