November--What are you reading?

[Pielorinho]

Also, have to concur with above opinions on Treasure Island and Where the Red Fern Grows. Both fantastic books, though I haven't read either in years. I sometimes wonder about kids these days. I read Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn, Treasure Island, Call of the Wild...many of the classics, and I loved them. I dunno what turns some people off, though I suppose they can be challenging reads.

Two things to think about with older books:
1) The more time that separates an author from the audience, the more different the author's language will be from the audience's. Books literally become more difficult to read the older they get. It's not that kids are getting dumber.
2) There are a LOT more people writing kids' books these days, and there are plenty of quality books being written in modern times. Today's kids may be loving Holes or Maniac Magee every bit as much as you and I loved Tom Sawyer and Call of the Wild.

Daniel

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Just got back from a trip to Cardiff, where I picked up a load of second hand books.

I've finished The Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton; its quite good, if short, and seemed surprisingly different to the film in many places. (The 13th Warrior )

While I enjoyed the 13th Warrior, I thought the book was heads and shoulders above it. An amazing little piece of writing IMO.

 

[EricNoah]

Two things to think about with older books:
1) The more time that separates an author from the audience, the more different the author's language will be from the audience's. Books literally become more difficult to read the older they get. It's not that kids are getting dumber.

And it's not just language (syntax, vocabulary, even shades of meaning) but it is also culture, technology level, and other hidden assumptions implicit in the text.

 

[CCamfield]

Oh, I forgot to mention that I'm reading Bloody Crown of Conan (Howard). It's a bloody good read!

 

[WmRAllen67]

Work's been busy, so I'm still working my way through The Pirate Wars by Peter Earle...

After that, I'll be reading Of Plymoth Plantation, 1620-1647 by William Bradford, and am going to try to get a trip out to the Plimoth Plantation living history museum when I'm up in New England for Thanksgiving...

I'm just a tad topical this month...

 

[AIM-54]

Two things to think about with older books:
1) The more time that separates an author from the audience, the more different the author's language will be from the audience's. Books literally become more difficult to read the older they get. It's not that kids are getting dumber.
2) There are a LOT more people writing kids' books these days, and there are plenty of quality books being written in modern times. Today's kids may be loving Holes or Maniac Magee every bit as much as you and I loved Tom Sawyer and Call of the Wild.

Daniel

I think you're overestimating how old I am.

Sure, I loved Sideways Stores from Wayside School and My Side of the Mountain and other more modern works, as well, when I was young. Still managed to get through plenty of the classics, though I suppose I'm probably an exception.

My intent was not to insinuate that today's kids are somehow less intelligent, but I suspect that fewer kids are exposed to these things than in the past. And I think that's sad, because I think they're great stories, that at heart should be accessible regardless of generation.

But it's all just impressions. I am by no means expert in this area.

 

[Pielorinho]

I think you're overestimating how old I am.

I'm thirty myself. I read Call of the Wild when I was eight or nine and enjoyed it. I'm observing a second-grade classroom for my college classes, and today I was browsing through the books that the second-graders can choose from, and found an unabridged copy of Call of the Wild. So they're definitely still there.

My intent was not to insinuate that today's kids are somehow less intelligent, but I suspect that fewer kids are exposed to these things than in the past. And I think that's sad, because I think they're great stories, that at heart should be accessible regardless of generation.

They are great stories. But the fact that they were written in old language makes them difficult.

When I read the chapter from Treasure Island, I had to read it aloud by myself first, to make sure I understood all the words. When he talks about hearing nothing but the sound of the surges, it took me a minute to realize that "surges" must be an old word for "breakers" or "waves."

More than that, the pacing of the language is not a modern pacing: sentences are longer, verbs precede nouns more often, and so forth. It's beautiful, don't get me wrong, but there's a skill in reading it.

Which is part of why I read it aloud to my classmates, and why as a teacher I hope to read it aloud to my young students: there's a skill to reading old books, and part of that skill involves reading the unusual language patterns and "hearing" it in your head, being able to catch the rhythms of the language and use those rhythms to make sense of the passage. I think that reading the classics aloud is a great way to learn this skill.

Hey, Eric Noah is a children's librarian, right? Eric, are you around? I'm guessing you'd have great insight in this area.

Daniel

 

[AIM-54]

I'm thirty myself. I read Call of the Wild when I was eight or nine and enjoyed it. I'm observing a second-grade classroom for my college classes, and today I was browsing through the books that the second-graders can choose from, and found an unabridged copy of Call of the Wild. So they're definitely still there.

Good to hear. I think a lot of us not in the education field get a skewed view of these things. My girlfriend is finishing up her education degree (HS US history) and often surprises me with insights and such that I otherwise don't have an opportunity to twig into. As someone who thinks education is invaluable, I'm always happy to learn that my sometimes negative impressions are mistaken.

They are great stories. But the fact that they were written in old language makes them difficult.

When I read the chapter from Treasure Island, I had to read it aloud by myself first, to make sure I understood all the words. When he talks about hearing nothing but the sound of the surges, it took me a minute to realize that "surges" must be an old word for "breakers" or "waves."

More than that, the pacing of the language is not a modern pacing: sentences are longer, verbs precede nouns more often, and so forth. It's beautiful, don't get me wrong, but there's a skill in reading it.

Which is part of why I read it aloud to my classmates, and why as a teacher I hope to read it aloud to my young students: there's a skill to reading old books, and part of that skill involves reading the unusual language patterns and "hearing" it in your head, being able to catch the rhythms of the language and use those rhythms to make sense of the passage. I think that reading the classics aloud is a great way to learn this skill.

Hey, Eric Noah is a children's librarian, right? Eric, are you around? I'm guessing you'd have great insight in this area.

Daniel

That's true. It's been so long since I read some of those, I imagine my memory has faded as to my experience with reading those stories. These days I'm pre-occupied with my professional reading (as a quick look at my reading list will show ). I should make some time and reacquaint myself with some of my old favorites.

Also, I commend your work in this area. It's important work that you're doing.

 

[PieAndDragon]

This month I will attempt to finish the Battle of Evernight by Celilia Dart-Thornton, the Dark Moon by Julia Gray, Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott and the Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood.
Later in November I will try Archangel by Sharon Shrinn, but have decided to give up on Myrren's Gift by Fiona McIntosh, Medalon by Jennifer Fallon and Seer King by Chris Brunch.

 

[Pielorinho]

Good to hear. I think a lot of us not in the education field get a skewed view of these things. My girlfriend is finishing up her education degree (HS US history) and often surprises me with insights and such that I otherwise don't have an opportunity to twig into.

Your girlfriend will appreciate this anecdote, then--my masters-in-history wife said she found it "amusifying."

In one of my education classes, the professor was having us do an idiotic activity that culminated in telling one another one thing we knew about "The Revolutionary War." Being a smartaleck, I told my partner, "There were lots of different Revolutionary Wars. The French one involved guillotines." (I should've specified which French one, I know). My partner giggled and said, "I don't know anything about the Revolutionary War--who was President then?"

I looked at her disbelievingly and, once I realized she was serious, said, "Uh, there wasn't a President. That was kind of the whole point."

"Oh, okay," she said, "then who was President after the war?"

"YOu mean the first president?"

"Yeah! Was that George Washington?"

Ladies and Gentlemen, I introduce you to the woman who will be teaching your children.

Daniel