Posted on 12/08/2013 6:53:26 PM PST by SeekAndFind
Sure, Island of the Blue Dolphins is not an uplifting happy book. Neither is it immoral or depressing. It is a tale if survival, imputing a sense of coping under adverse conditions. Sometimes life is hard and without a happy ending; nonetheless you make do with what you’ve got, do right, enjoy what you can, and get thru. It’s a good antidote to a culture of “TV is life” and “here we are now, entertain us.”
LOL. I've loved Kipling for decades. You're right, though. Might want to keep the regimental ditties out of young kids hands, as they aren't likely to understand the sentiments behind it. However, his Just So stories, Kim, and the Jungle Book tales are awesome. I'll hate Disney forever for what they did to Jungle Book. Best thing is, they are all available for free as ebook downloads from Project Gutenberg. I wish we'd had ebook readers around when my kids were young.
Awesome! Bet they'll remember that for the rest of their lives.
You ever read his non-fiction classic Travels with Charley? That is one of my favorites, and I never found that depressing at all. As for the rest of his stuff...yeah, I agree.
As a devoted paronomasiac, I disagree. I want to spread my perversion far and wide to all little children.
Or did you have some other reason for disliking the Xanth series.
My fifth-grade daughter is a voracious reader and prefers hero/fantasy . She absolutely loves the Rick Riordan books!! She has read them repeatedly. The best gift ever was getting to attend an author’s talk when his latest book came out.
Ni I never read “Travels with Charley”, I was so turned off by his fiction that I never had an inclination to read anything else by him.
Agreed.
Absolutly, the author’s cousin John Gould has some great short column collections too.
Interesting. They have won the battle for the time being, if that is true. Sad times we are living in. But God will win in the end—that we can be sure of.
Do you have children? Does the concept of “age appropriate” mean anything? Don’t know how old you are, but books meant for children and pre-teens “way back when” didn’t have anything about baby penguins with two daddies or how to have enjoyable anal sex as a 13 year old. What was once meant to help build character is now used to destroy character. I have to read through every child’s book before I give as a gift to ensure that the message is not a destructive one that goes unchallenged.
A great book for 9-12 year old boys>
http://www.amazon.com/Side-Mountain-Jean-Craighead-George/dp/0141312424
My Side of the Mountain.
bump
I have fond memories of curling up on my dad’s lap as he read The Jungle Books to me…. his Rik Tik Riky Tik still rings in my ears. That and If and Tommy….his stories and poetry were (are) the best reading any young child or even adult can do
“My Side of the Mountain.” Loved that book. I must have read it three or four times.
Posts like yours is when I automatically seek the “like” button.
Thank you for lending a voice of reason
I devoured the Xanth books as a kid. IN retrospect they were terrible. What do you dislike about them?
Everything should have a happy ending?
‘Native Son’ is a crudely written tract. It’s arguably the official start of the modern ‘Race Industry’.
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