Posted on 12/08/2013 6:53:26 PM PST by SeekAndFind
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Not always. But animals are not immortal, either, just like people. Charlottes Web was a favorite my daughter when she was six.
My children loved the Little Britches series during our morning and evening readings.
loved Tree Grows In Brooklyn
As charming as the movies were, they weren't very faithful to the books. As I recall, by the end of the book Tarzan speaks perfect English and can drive a car. Tarzan is smart.
There was actually a Tarzan television series in the late '60s starring Ron Ely that was fairly faithful to the spirit of the books, much more so than any of the films.
I would recommend any of the “juvenile” novels of Robert A. Heinlein.
Ah, Kipling. As a child living in the Commonwealth, I certainly was confronted with Kipling. For me, the final stanza of “The Young British Soldier” was always especially memorable, and certainly the kind of thing that would warm the heart of any kiddie...
When you’re wounded and left on Afghanistan’s plains,
And the women come out to cut up what remains,
Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains
An’ go to your Gawd like a soldier.
Of course there are other verses that deal with alcohol abuse and having a colleague sleeping with your wife, but nothing satisfies like desperate suicide. Thanks Rudyard, for searing that imagery in my mind for the last 45 years.
I feel like I missed out. I was reading Churchill in sixth grade.
I pretty much had complete freedom also but I wish I had not spent so much time reading junk. I could have used more guidance from my elders.
Maybe the nuns were too strict with your wife...it’s certainly good to have some freedom to read what you like. But too much freedom can end up badly as well.
Loved the Little Britches series. Every Freeper should consider this series for their kids or grandkids
I started that one, but didn’t finish it. I forget why, it was OK.
I used to read that book to my kids, with my own suitable alterations.
The book ends with the rainbow fish -- who has torn off his own scales to give to his 'friends,' swimming happily off to join them in the ocean.
My version, which I read in my best cockney was "But as the now mut'ilated, slowly dyin', rine-bow fish swum off wiff 'is newly purchased mates, 'ee wondered exactly why 'ee wanted those koind of pals."
My wife agreed the book was awful, but she found Dad's version somewhat gruesome for the three and four year olds. [Actually, kids like that kind of stuff.]
His Dark Materials is nothing short of a Satanist screed. Although Pullman denies being one, in the final book, the child heroine sets all the souls "free" from Pullman's idea of "Heaven" (it's actually more like Limbo, which is part of Hell) where they're annihilated.
Meanwhile, the adult "heroes" make war on a senile, impotent old "God" who's on life support as his archangels terrorize the universe.
This is obviously intended to be offensive to Christians of all stripes -- as an agnostic I even found it offensive.
In any event, It's not in the same class as Lemony Snicket's books, which are written tongue firmly in cheek, and which intelligent kids who like to read will not be fooled for one second into thinking is about the iconic struggle between good and evil, anymore than are Dudley Doright's unending travails against Snidely Whiplash.
The movie has pretty much nothing to do with the books. Not even the characters are really very close, and the plot is somebody’s idea of a bad joke.
In high school, mom got angry that I was reading, “The New Centurions” and threw it out. Too many curse words, I guess. That was the only time she ever banned me reading anything. Our kids were allowed to read anything they wanted. However, I did have to limit the Harry Potter reading hours or they’d never have have any sleep.
I would agree, they are mostly nihilistic or heavy handed socialist.
But Travels With Charley is wonderful. It's a tale where Steinbeck drives around the country with his poodle.
Then again, it's non-fiction, so I guess it doesn't fit with his novels.
As far as books being "forbidden fruit" if they are controversial, that made me want to read them more.
There was an episode of Lou Grant where Rossi was talking about Catcher in the Rye being censored.
I read it soon thereafter and really enjoyed it.
I re-read it in HS as an assignment and didn't enjoy it as much as when I was 12.
But I did learn a whole lot about the symbolism that went completely over my head the first time. We also read the Lord of the Flies, and contrasted it. I didn't like it as much as Catcher.
Another "controversial" book is The Giver. I think it needs to be read by everyone. A totally dystopian society where old people are euthanized when they are no longer useful.
Not sure if it was the author's intent, but this is a very anti-socialist book. And it's very easy to see that this is how our society will turn out unless liberalism is completely vanquished.
I felt forced to read The Red Pony in government screwool. Hated itto death and it probably ruined me for most fictional reading for the rest of me life.
I once clapped when Judy Blume announced she wouldn’t be writing any more children’s books.
Regarding censorship: Does everybody realize that leftist critics and the folks in power in the American Library Association have already censored our books? Most anything with traditional values has been pulled out or prevented entry. There are tens of thousands of new books published every year so they can censor away under the guise of being selective.
Not sure if it was the author's intent, but this is a very anti-socialist book. And it's very easy to see that this is how our society will turn out unless liberalism is completely vanquished.
Another great Antisocialist, anti-big government series is the "Hunger Games"
Great series for kids from the opposite end of the spectrum from the "Giver"
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