Blogger: Etta Wilson
Location: Books & Such Nashville Office
Weather: Hot as you-know-what
The title for this post has a broader meaning than at first may come to mind. As I read the summer movie listings, review publishers’ offerings of games, and receive inquiries about film rights-all based on children’s books, I can’t help thinking what terrific influence authors of children’s books have.
Beverly Cleary’s classic books about Ramona Quimby have just hit the big screen in the full-length film, “Ramona and Beezus.” For an older audience, Stephanie Meyer’s third book and film, “Twilight Saga:Eclipse,” is playing, though it’s questionable whether the book or the film was birthed first. And if you think kids books include comics, you’ll want to know about ComicCon, the annual San Diego conference devoted to that format that took place last week. I heard it was awash with trailers for viewing.
All of which may cause us to ponder which comes first with kids now: words or pictures? The time-honored approach developed in a world where reading was a great achievement was first the picture book, then the all-text chapter book, followed by the longer novel and nonfiction book. But things have changed in the last 20 years, thanks to declining levels of classic education, the rapid spread of computer and texting culture, and the lure of entertainment.
I don’t mean to indict any of those changes–just saying that they have happened and that kids learn in different ways now. And even in all this change, some things are universal. That’s why it’s encouraging to see a major movie being made of “Ramona and Beezus.” Beverly Cleary is 93 or 94 years old, and she clearly remembers her father losing his job when she was a child. The Ramona books began in 1968, developing out of Cleary’s success with books about Henry Huggins. Read the Ramona books and see the movie–with a child.
What experiences are universal themes that children still respond to? How much time do the children in your life devote to reading?
Teri Dawn Smith
I mingle with a lot of homeschool families so books still play a huge roll in their lives. I think children respond to classic story structure. Someone with a strong desire that matters, their struggle to get it, and the lessons they learn along the way. There’s something so universal in the structure itself.
Teri Dawn Smith
* opps! “a huge role” Sorry for the typo!
Britt
I have no children, but I still read Children’s books! I collect them and read them from time-to-time.
~Britt Mitchell
Timothy Klingerman
To aid our discussion, I checked with two of my sons, ages 8 and 11. I was told that the books they like are about mystery, war and adventure. The series they mentioned were The Redwall Adventures, The Boxcar Children, A-to-Z Mysteries, and The Magic Tree House. Also mentioned were The Castle in the Attic and its sequel, The Battle for the Castle.
It appears that in our house there is a love not only for reading on themes, but also the series built on those themes. Hopefully, my boys will outgrow them before they reach the big screen. If they turned every one of the books in these series into films, I don’t think I could afford all the tickets.
Etta Wilson
Timothy, your boys are exactly the age when kids like series, and they’ve picked good ones, though i don’t know The Castle in the Attic. I wonder if any graduate student in children’s lit has done a long-term study of the impact of reading series at the ages of your sons. Would be interesting.
Annie
I am sitting next to my 13 year old sister who tells me if she had to choose between a book and a movie, she’d pick a movie.
However, she’s also an avid reader who likes to use her own imagination.
*shrugs*
Also, YOU HAVE to read Castle in the Attic. Love love LOVE that book!
Stephanie Reed
I write for kids and work with them, too. How blessed am I? Today’s kids respond to themes like justice/unfairness. They long to keep their families together, but many are shattered by divorce, and later, remarriage. The battle between good and evil probably sums it up. Most respond to humor. They crave respect and love, too.
On a sidenote, I am so happy to hear Beverly Cleary is still with us! My sister once wrote her a fan letter and received a gracious response. I can’t hear about her without remembering her story of the Newbery Medal banquet when she won for DEAR MR. HENSHAW in 1984:
“The first thing that pops into my head when I think of the Newbery Award is the librarian standing beside me as I nervously waited to enter the ballroom for the awards dinner. She said in a penetrating voice as she looked straight ahead, “That book never should have won the Newbery.” My shock was soon assuaged by the hundreds of friendly, welcoming faces of the crowd and by the warmth of their response to my speech, but I cannot forget that librarian.” http://www.carr.org/read/newberyauthors.htm#cleary
🙁
Cara Putman
My oldest are 9.5 and 6.5 and big readers. True, Jonathan prefers the graphic versions, but has the ability to read the real deal. And Abigail, my 9.5 year old, has really taken off with reading this summer. She loves Nancy Drew and all the American Girl books.She’s read a couple of mine LOL. Reading is a huge priority, but the kids watch their dad and me read voraciously. And the series mentioned above have been huge hits in our home. Box Car Children, A-Z mysteries, Eric reads the Hardy Boys aloud to the kids. We just started Tom Sawyer. So a mix of new and old. But big readers.
Etta Wilson
Cara, I’m jumping with delight at the picture of reading in your home. What great gifts you are giving your children. Keep it up!
Etta Wilson
Teri, interesting that you should mention classic story structure. I’m seeing a lot of permutations on that in submissions these days, and I haven’t really checked with kids–the end readers. Maybe it’s just a YA thing.
Karen Robbins
We are just wrapping up 10 days with our 4 1/2 and 2 1/2 year old grands who have a new baby sister. Grandma has read a stack of library books over and over. They never tire–especially the 2 1/2 y/o. You mentioned pictures vs. words. I found that the words are just as important at this age although they may not be words we would consider important to us. The words make sounds (puff, puff, chugga, chugga) They bring life to the stories and make the reading fun. I think it creates a love for reading early on.
Leigh DeLozier
Our kids are 8 and 11 (or, almost 9 and almost 12, as they would tell you LOL).
They both love series — hook them in the first book, and they’ll drive us crazy to get the next one from the library or bookstore! Some favorites are Box Car Children, Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew, American Girl. They both loved Magic Tree House and Junie B when they were younger. He’s gotten hooked on the Alex Rider books this summer — the main character is a 14YO version of James Bond. 🙂 But he also just devoured The Witch of Blackbird Pond for a summer reading assignment.
I’ve always heard that girls are more likely to read books with boys as main characters and that boys won’t read about girls — but my son doesn’t really seem to care. He loved Blackbird Pond! Didn’t mind the girls or Puritan setting at all. We actually sat on the porch swing this weekend taking turns reading it aloud to each other, which was wonderful. 🙂
I’m writing a middle grades novel and have found that I enjoy it more than the adult stories I worked on. From what I see with my kids, their friends, and my kids at church — as long as you have plot twists, realistic themes and characters they can relate to, they’ll read it.
Timothy Klingerman
Etta, I forgot to mention yesterday that my wife has developed a wonderful habit in our boys. Every time they go to the library, they can get whatever they want, but she also requires them to pick one nonfiction topic as well. It can be history, biography, how things work, whatever. They have to look it up in the system, track it down and bring it home. My boys love fiction, but thanks to my wonderful wife they are hounds for research too.
I am currently writing a nonfiction book about God’s creative power and how he changes our circumstances from darkness to light, emptiness to fullness, etc. While talking with my 11-year-old at lunch the other day, he quizzed, “Hey, Dad. Did you know Louise Braille developed his system of writing for the blind with the same tool that he had accidentally blinded himself with?” He had recently checked out a bio on Braille that told the tale. Guess what story I will now be working into my book? God never ceases to amaze!
Crystal Laine Miller
I had to do a study of children’s books in college because I was an elementary ed. major. I ended up teaching 1st/2nd and then 6th grade, and one thing I noticed about the children of any age: Stephanie Reed is right. Justice and fairness reign in their lives. They also love animal stories (real and fantasy.)
When I did a convocation at an elementary (I had small groups and presented according to the age group) school not long ago, I used Andy McGuire’s new series of animal books, particularly Rainy Day Games for all of them. They all laughed appropriately at his picture jokes. The whole school loved the book and rightly so.
I brought stacks of books to leave in their library, among them Stephanie’s, Wendy Lawton’s, Max Anderson’s, and several others I’m forgetting right now.
My now 25-year-old son loved Go, Dog, Go! and had it memorized as a 2-year-old. He loved anything sing-songy/lyrical and is now a song writer. Children’s books are so important and I do think story will always win out. Good post, Etta!
Lynn Squire
My kids are 6, 8 and 10 and they all spend about an hour a night reading. My oldest and my youngest might spend time in the middle of the day to read as well.
My 6 year old is an exceptional reader and loves the Boxcar Children books, but still thrives on picture books. My 8 year old is a boy and picture books are the center of his reading.
My 10 year old is a very astute reader. She reads mostly mystery books and horse books and is quick to come to me if she feels something is inappropriate. Interestingly enough, we have discovered that most of the books she finds with ‘inappropriate’ issues or scenes or behaviors are Christian books. When I saw this trend, I found it very disconcerting.
All of them have fed upon the ‘Manners’ books. My oldest is beyond that now, but my two younger ones still pull these books from the shelves.
The good versus evil themes predominate their reading choices, and I am often amazed when my kids pick up that something evil is being exalted as being good.
Jenny Rose
My now 8yo daughter finally clicked with reading when she discovered the Pony Pals series last summer. Before that I was reading Magic Tree house and didn’t hold her interest the same way. She still likes it when I read those stories to her, but on her own she also likes the American Girl series. I grew up devouring Bobsey Twins and Hardy Boys. Though maybe in another few years she and I can share a love for Anne of Green Gables. My younger daughter loves me to read her Biscuit books or Angelina Ballerina.
It’s good to know that kids of all ages are still reading. As a former teacher with a specialization in reading, that’s a relief. As a writer, I’m working on a children’s sci-fantasy and will keep in mind the good vs evil, mystery and adventure.
Sharon Mayhew
The Castle in the Attic is an outstanding book! I taught elementary school for 17 years and it was always a favorite of the books I read to my class. I think it was made into a movie, but obviously it wasn’t a huge hit like Twilight or Harry Potter…
My 14 year old is always reading or writing in her free time. I expect as a family we spend a good $700 a year on books. I keep receipts on the books I buy to “study” and last year they added up to about $450.
Didn’t I just read that Penguin’s sales were up 6%?
Barbara Blakey
I started reading aloud to my children when they were very young; rather than “tramatize” them with my singing voice as I rocked them to sleep, I read to them. In the beginning it didn’t matter what. They were just listening to the sound of my voice. I read the typical children’s picture books, but as they got older I read from classics (never the abridged versions). All 4 of my children developed an ear for language. We’ve continued reading together even now, and my youngest is in her late twenties. What wonderful memories we share from this lifetime of reading together. And it all began with classic children’s books.
LeAnne Hardy
Vacations were never complete at our house without a family read-aloud.
Etta Wilson
Oh, my! what a wonderful array of testimonies to the joy and power of reading children’s books from 2 years old to 25 years old. Sort of renews one’s faith in our country as well as the value of reading. Many thanks for sharing.
Etta Wilson
Barbara, you mention the “sound of my voice” which makes me wonder if those early reading experiences aren’t more audio-visual than we’ve thought. Besides you have a nice voice for reading!