Recently Read or Watched with Various Kids
With the boys:
Little Bear.
The original—Huck’s first time, though he’s seen the show of course. He loved the book so much. Although the text is less sophisticated—a bit more Dick-and-Jane—than contemporary early readers, it absolutely holds up. Beautiful pacing; wonderful humor; sweet, cozy tone; warm relationships; and fresh storylines. What a marvel it is. So glad we have more to enjoy together.)
Okay Andy and My New Friend Is So Fun.
Two of my fellow Cybils Early Reader finalists. Huck loved them both. Of course the Elephant and Piggie is a delight. Great plot in this one: Piggie has a new friend and naturally Gerald begins to worry he’s been replaced. Mo Willems is my hero.
With Rilla:
Understood Betsy.
It’s time, it’s time! Color me ecstatic. One of the best readalouds ever, and here’s my last little girl to read it to. Hmm, make that color me wistful. 😉 A bit of both, I guess. She’s going to love it so much. I waited and waited until the time was right.
(Meanwhile, Scott is reading her Watership Down. One of his best readalouds. Rose and Beanie are listening in—they wouldn’t have it any other way. This book is a very big deal in our family culture.)
With Beanie:
Short stories: “The Gift of the Magi,” “The Most Dangerous Game.”
Billy Collins poem: “Marginalia.” (Delicious.)
With Rose and Bean:
Big History Project, Unit 1. This week had us reading origin stories from several cultures, watching some really breathtaking videos about space, scale, and various scientific disciplines, and reading a BBC article on Easter Island. Good stuff.
With Rose:
Paradise Lost.
The whole shebang for her, selections for me. I listened to a number of these Yale Open Courses lectures last fall to prep for this study. Rose is finding it slow going but she enjoys the discussions and agrees that somehow Satan is the most likable character.
kortney says:
Wha??? There’s a Little Bear movie? Oh my stars!
On January 16, 2015 at 9:19 pm
Melissa Wiley says:
It’s a TV show that airs on PBS (or used to). One of my favorite kids’ shows ever–just perfect. You can watch some episodes on Youtube! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-kcXXZIVLs
On January 17, 2015 at 2:03 pm
kortney says:
We watched a few minutes before bed last night (after a full episode of Little House). Then talked about when we’d get a chance to watch more.
I told them I heard about the show from Huck (Happy Birthday!) and Rilla. Our soon-to-be-six year old said wistfully, They tell us about all the good stuff!
Yeah, they do!
On January 17, 2015 at 2:11 pm
Melanie Bettinelli says:
I remember long nights in college sitting up on top of the bookcase in my dorm’s lounge declaiming Milton out loud to anyone who happened to be passing by. Only way I could stay awake, which isn’t a knock on Milton. Poetry that good should be read aloud.
On January 16, 2015 at 9:29 pm
Susanne Barrett says:
I love teaching “The Most Dangerous Game” to my high school Expository Essay class through Heritage Christian School’s Class Days. The boys enjoy the adventure; the girls appreciate the descriptions and character development. I always offer extra credit to students who want to rewrite the ending, adding more action or changing the way it ends. I find the ending satisfying and appreciate the irony, but many kids over the years have hated the ending. It’s a great discussion, though! 🙂
And I loved seeing Billy Collins in person here in San Diego two years ago at the Writer’s Symposium by the Sea. He was amazing! And I just got my tickets to see Joyce Carol Oates there next month! 🙂
Take care and enjoy our beautiful weather this weekend! 🙂
Warmly,
Susanne…who has lots of Brave Writer work to do this weekend! 😉
On January 17, 2015 at 8:48 am
Emily D. says:
Ahhh, Satan in PL….I’m having flashbacks to the paper I wrote about him for Survey of Brit Lit I in college. 🙂 There really are parts where Satan is sympathetic. And then he blows it. 😛 But gosh what gorgeous poetry.
Do y’all watch the Watershed Down movie at your house, too?
On January 17, 2015 at 5:55 pm
Tom Edmisten says:
Cannot fail to read Satan’s soliloquy in Book IV and feel a sort of deep chill:
Me miserable! which way shall I flie
Infinite wrauth, and infinite despaire?
Which way I flie is Hell; my self am Hell; [ 75 ]
And in the lowest deep a lower deep
Still threatning to devour me opens wide,
To which the Hell I suffer seems a Heav’n.
Possibly Satan’s recognition of some infinite void that lies within him, a sort of existence-nullifying emptiness. Kin, perhaps to Stevenson’s “nothing that is” in His “Snowman.” As for PL sounding so beautiful, well, Milton was mostly blind when he composed the poem and I think his daughters wrote the lines down as he composed them aloud
On January 19, 2015 at 9:00 am