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Dec. 4th, 2008 11:35 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
averygoodun42Facebook is weird. And really, really slow. I'm so used to the LJ way of doing things that it'll be challenging to learn something new.
Otherwise, life here continues apace. Geoff and I have been reading the Neverland series by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. When we went up to the lake for Thanksgiving, I forgot to pack any stories to read to Babe at bedtime, so we had to go with the only book I did bring, Peter and the Shadowthieves. Geoff was skeptical that Babe would be interested at all, but he was. He asked for it the next night, and then the night after that.
So, when I went to the library a few days ago, I figured that I'd pick up the original Peter Pan as well. Geoff hadn't read it (I can't remember whether I had or not, either), and I chose an illustrated one to make it more interesting for Babe.
He loves it. We've already read through it once and there was a tantrum last night because he wanted more. (If I had known where Geoff had left off, I would have suggested he read one more chapter. Wendy had just been shot down, for heaven's sake!)
Yesterday, Babe hung out at my side for most of the day, and in his pretend play, he was talking about Tinkerbell's light going out, and needing to save her, and everything. It was so cute.
So, I think we'll be upping the level of books we read to him now. Anyone know or remember any good stories that are on the same level as Peter Pan?
(As an aside, Peter Pan really is a great book for the imagination. As I was reading it, I was wondering what happened here, and there, how did Tiger Lily get captured in the first place? Why is Peter so bitter about grown-ups? Why did the Never bird choose to save Peter? There are stories there, behind the action...)
It's also interesting reading Peter Pan as an adult to Babe and cringing at the violence. It's not explicit, and it does really appeal to boys' sensibilities, but it's disturbing all the same. But it's also interesting to see how it doesn't affect Babe noticeably; Babe is a sensitive sort, but reading it to him, he doesn't have any concerns. Possibly that is because the concept of killing is beyond him (and his vocabulary does not include "massacre" or "slaughter" yet, thank god), but maybe it's just because it's part of the adventure. It is all make-believe, it all takes place in the Neverland, so it's not something to be concerned about. Especially as it's not being shown to him.
Mostly I think it's that the concept of killing is just not familiar to him. Foreign, abstract concepts lack horror without references to build upon. There's also the comfort of it being only words, spoken by a safe and familiar voice, in a safe and familiar setting. There are no visuals to imprint on his psyche. There is no reference.
However, as he gets older, I'll make sure that the books we read to him are doing as much to develop his empathy as his imagination and sense of adventure. Someday he will cringe at the word 'kill', and that is how it should be.
(Charlotte's Web! That's a good one! And The Mouse and the Motorcycle, and Wind in the Willows and... yeah.)
Otherwise, life here continues apace. Geoff and I have been reading the Neverland series by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. When we went up to the lake for Thanksgiving, I forgot to pack any stories to read to Babe at bedtime, so we had to go with the only book I did bring, Peter and the Shadowthieves. Geoff was skeptical that Babe would be interested at all, but he was. He asked for it the next night, and then the night after that.
So, when I went to the library a few days ago, I figured that I'd pick up the original Peter Pan as well. Geoff hadn't read it (I can't remember whether I had or not, either), and I chose an illustrated one to make it more interesting for Babe.
He loves it. We've already read through it once and there was a tantrum last night because he wanted more. (If I had known where Geoff had left off, I would have suggested he read one more chapter. Wendy had just been shot down, for heaven's sake!)
Yesterday, Babe hung out at my side for most of the day, and in his pretend play, he was talking about Tinkerbell's light going out, and needing to save her, and everything. It was so cute.
So, I think we'll be upping the level of books we read to him now. Anyone know or remember any good stories that are on the same level as Peter Pan?
(As an aside, Peter Pan really is a great book for the imagination. As I was reading it, I was wondering what happened here, and there, how did Tiger Lily get captured in the first place? Why is Peter so bitter about grown-ups? Why did the Never bird choose to save Peter? There are stories there, behind the action...)
It's also interesting reading Peter Pan as an adult to Babe and cringing at the violence. It's not explicit, and it does really appeal to boys' sensibilities, but it's disturbing all the same. But it's also interesting to see how it doesn't affect Babe noticeably; Babe is a sensitive sort, but reading it to him, he doesn't have any concerns. Possibly that is because the concept of killing is beyond him (and his vocabulary does not include "massacre" or "slaughter" yet, thank god), but maybe it's just because it's part of the adventure. It is all make-believe, it all takes place in the Neverland, so it's not something to be concerned about. Especially as it's not being shown to him.
Mostly I think it's that the concept of killing is just not familiar to him. Foreign, abstract concepts lack horror without references to build upon. There's also the comfort of it being only words, spoken by a safe and familiar voice, in a safe and familiar setting. There are no visuals to imprint on his psyche. There is no reference.
However, as he gets older, I'll make sure that the books we read to him are doing as much to develop his empathy as his imagination and sense of adventure. Someday he will cringe at the word 'kill', and that is how it should be.
(Charlotte's Web! That's a good one! And The Mouse and the Motorcycle, and Wind in the Willows and... yeah.)
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Date: 2008-12-04 10:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-12-05 02:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-12-05 03:06 pm (UTC)I've got some other ideas of things he might enjoy and will look through my books to see if I've got any extra copies.
But mostly I would just encourage you to read whatever you're interested in. He will like it, too.
no subject
Date: 2008-12-06 05:32 pm (UTC)There's an article about another author with this experience in Salon, today, which pushed me to put it out there.
I'm also going to be sending you Moomins, and Homer Price. I also recommend you share the Hobbit with him at some time, but keep the Tolkein books until he's older.
My parents read us the bible religiously, not to mention classics. It was unconventional, but prepared me for a life and love with literature in a way that I don't think was ever intentioned or imagined.
What's most important is just that you interact with him in this way. It matters less what you're reading, than that you are reading. And what a joy to finally have graduated to chapter books!