School Children

[Wabbit]

Hmmm… Silly Wabbits are not always as silly as they sometimes sound. Especially when they get a bit riled up.

Yep And Silly Wabbits may not be silly at all, but rather they just never lost their sense of fun and wonder at the world. There is fun to be had. There are smiles to be smiled. There are leaves to be kicked and snow angels to be made. I think anybody that really reads my posts can see the true heart of the bunny. I think some people confuse a sense of fun with something else.

And yes, most especially when riled. Beware the bunny, it bites :-D

I think the question is a worthwhile one.

Thanks!

to add my two cents worth, "Three Men In A Boat" -- Jerome K Jerome. I read it when I was about ten or eleven, on recommendation from parents who both liked it. So did I. Hardly life changing, but a real fun read; and I agree with others that kids should be reading for fun at that age.

Book is obviously dated, but timeless. And on a similar note I think all adults should read "The Wind In The Willows."

Wind in the willows is great!

I admit it was a tough choice for me between something fun that would give them a smile and a love of reading or something that would teach. I still am not totally sure but i'll stay with my choice for now.

 

[novella]

Because you are rude.

It's ok to disagree with me but you stated the question was pointless and opinionated that it was "silly" which is just a polite way to say stupid.

In fact, I said none of these things. To what do you refer?

 

[Ou Be Low hoo]

I think the majority of the books that kids read in schools in England are excellent choices...Animal Farm, To Kill A Mockingbird, Watership Down, Great Expectations, Dubliners...These are all GREAT books...Not only because they are great stories, but also that they have great lessons and insights into human behaviour and give the kids an excellent initial basis from which to form their own life judgements.

 

[Freya]

I think Novella's my new hero.

 

[Crystal]

I think my post contributes quite a lot to this discussion.

Yah, I personally loved to read your posts!

and please don't learn from me to do this WATERCRYSTAL thing, which is a coined word by that naughty girl and which means to delete and/or edite a post.

On the other hand, there are loads of books I found on my own around age 15 that were enlightening and life-changing, ones that my teachers probably wouldn’t have recommended at all. On the Road made me want that same freedom. Adrienne Rich made me want to write poetry. Joan Didion wrote my disillusions, Virginia Woolf showed me how to write outside normal, Perelman cracked me up, Anne Sexton made me cry, John Cheever showed profound emptiness in a full world, Tom Wolfe showed something true about American craziness, Roland Barthes showed how to shape the thought world in words, . . .

haven't heard about those authours. my lady, more lectures.

think i should have to find this one : Wind in the willows, which has been mentioned by several members here.

 

[VTChEwbecca]

I don't know I think you are underestimating them. Maybe not at 11 but I think a 15 year old is more than able to understand Lord of FLies or 1984. I think a lot of adults forget how they were when they were that age. I mean, you can vote when you are 16 years old ( at least here ) if you are old enough to vote you are old enough to understand 1984 so I can't agree with you on that

But yes, it would also be a nice idea to expose them to something that would fill them with a love of reading!

You can't vote until you're 18 here. I think 15 y/olds could understand the novels, I do not think their 11 y/o counterparts are as likely to understand the novels. My fear is that, even though they understand the novels, they will turn them off to reading. Unfortunately, so much of what children are exposed to are depressing novels about the human condition, which is depressing. A lot of children growing up thinking this is what books are all about and refuse to read another book once they are out of school. Thus my suggestion of something that would be enjoyable enough that they would want to read.

 

[novella]

Unfortunately, so much of what children are exposed to are depressing novels about the human condition, which is depressing. A lot of children growing up thinking this is what books are all about and refuse to read another book once they are out of school. Thus my suggestion of something that would be enjoyable enough that they would want to read.

Yes! I do agree.

Let's see . . . 1984 is recommended as a lesson in freedom.

The basis of democratic freedom is free intellectual inquiry, questioning the status quo, public exploration of ideas, and tolerance.

Isn't it ironic that 1984 was recommended by someone who clearly will not tolerate intellectual exploration, who misrepresents others' viewpoints, who clearly is not a close reader (see misquoted posts), and who takes personal offense when his point of view is questioned?

This is NOT personal. I don't understand the resistance to discussing the merits of the original proposition.

From my perspective as someone raising an intellectually curious person who is subjected to depressing, horrific reading material time after time by his school, I wonder what one really expects to accomplish by inflicting stories of unrelieved anxiety on kids?

Sure, Huck Finn, To Kill a Mockingbird, Songlines (Chatwin), EB White, Salinger can be very entertaining, morally instructive, and engaging to read. But pick one? Why?

 

[Wabbit]

This kind of hypothetical limitation serves little purpose.

My question has no purpose.

....and don't give me that, "it's just a silly question cause I'm a Silly Wabbit" crap.

By your very own words the implication is clear that my qustion is a stupid one.

I have no problem if somebody disagrees with me. If you can disagree with me by not being insulting or rude then all good and well. If not, shut the hell up.

There is no wrong or right and only opinions. I am here to find others opinions. It's you that does not. You are often insulting and condescending and have an air in many threads of "I am right so therefore you must be an idiot to not agree with me or you don't know what you are talking about" I can post examples of this if you want me to?

 

[novella]

You are often insulting and condescending and have an air in many threads of "I am right so therefore you must be an idiot to not agree with me or you don't know what you are talking about" I can post examples of this if you want me to?

I post my thoughts in a straightforward manner, and I have strong opinions on some things, including the subject of this post. I enjoy it when other people honor me with the same degree of honesty and explore something beyond the obvious. To me, that is fun, real discussion about things that matter.

I have not insulted you or condescended to you. Perhaps you percieve a pointed, real question as condescending? I think it is the opposite.

 

[Wabbit]

I have no problem with being honest and straightforward but

....and don't give me that, "it's just a silly question cause I'm a Silly Wabbit" crap.

You are just plain rude. And let's not forget the "prawn balls" comment.

Like I said, I have no problem with people that don't agree with me. I have no problem with straightforwardness and honesty. I have a problem with rudeness.

 

[novella]

And let's not forget the "prawn balls" comment.

haw haw haw. A genuine laugh! You didn't really take that hard, did you?

 

[Wabbit]

So is that all you can say? You can't say anything can you? Because your own words speak for themselfs.

If you can't enter into a discussion without being rude because you think you are right all the time then please don't bother.

I'm done with you, I refuse to argue any longer with you.

 

[Maya]

I don't think I would have given someone between the age of 11 and 15 a Charles Dickens novel to read. I, myself, have only read half of "Great Expectations", and I really don't understand how a kid at that age would be interested in this kind of book. I'm not saying it's boring or anything, it's just that, well.. I'm not reading any more Dickens before I get alot older than I allready am. Maybe it's just me, or it's a difference between kids who live in "english-countries" and "non-english-countries". Not sure if that came out right... anyways, I also think that it depends on whether the child likes reading books or not.

 

[Crystal]

3) suggestions for them: don't read anything related with too much bloods.

Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury would be the one I like to recommend.

 

[Wabbit]

Yes, but that was not my question

My question was if you had to choose just one book. It's a for fun hypothetical question and not a discussion on the merits of this or that system of teaching children or which books they should read or what books they should not The point of the question is to pretend that they will only ever read one book and you get to choose what book. What book would you choose and why would you choose it?

You see what I mean?

 

[VTChEwbecca]

Watercrystal, you must come from some magical place where kids actively choose to read. Here, until the whole Harry Potter mania, kids were not choosing to read anything besides what was assigned in schools. Most schools did not actively encourage students to read anything beyond the assigned works, and none that I recall ever mentioned anything but the classics. How can one actively choose to read something if they don't even know it exists?

 

[Crystal]

Watercrystal, you must come from some magical place where kids actively choose to read.

hehe. Rebecca, you teased me here, didn't you?

Most schools did not actively encourage students to read anything beyond the assigned works, and none that I recall ever mentioned anything but the classics. How can one actively choose to read something if they don't even know it exists?

Just look those young guys who looked for recommendations and suggestions on the board, at least, they did actively choose to read something.

have a nice weekend,

 

[Thelma]

One book

Fahrenheit 451, definitely, I agree with Cathy C, I thought about this book because it's both interesting for teenagers who love adventure, SF, etc. and it makes them really understand the meaning and importance of books, I don't know if it's telepathy but I had in mind a similar thread, slightly different but having the same concern for the fact that more and more people stop reading.

 

[novella]

So is that all you can say? You can't say anything can you? Because your own words speak for themselfs.

Can I quote you on that? It's priceless.

(ever hear of Yogi Berra?)

 

[Wabbit]

No you can't, yes I have, and i'm done with this conversation. Bye