As lovely as it is to have a bookworm for a child, it can be a bit frustrating when said child is both a voracious
and a very picky reader. The "I don't know what I want to read" dilemma is a problem I love to solve, except when everything that I suggest is rejected.
Last night at bedtime, when the unending What To Read whine started up again, I was thrilled to be able to tell Bookworm Child, "I have just the thing for you!" I pulled a cute pink book out of the middle of my TBR pile and handed it to her:
The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot. I could tell by the gleam in her eye that she was immediately optimistic about this one. She ambled obediently off to bed, new treasure in her hands.
Bookworm Child got up before her alarm went off this morning and came to find me, informing me that she was almost finished with her book. My first question: "Did you SLEEP last night?" With a wry grin she assured me that she had. Of course, I was glad she'd enjoyed the book, but that also meant my book selection success was far too short-lived.
I tried for a longer one this time:
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith. I've heard wonderful things about it, though I haven't yet had a chance to read it myself. But no dice. Maybe she'll enjoy it more in a few years.
Meanwhile, BC is busy with the next book in Cabot's series, soon to be followed by #3 and #4. AND I have two other books waiting in the wings for her:
The Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall. We've all read the first two books in the series. They're sweet and timeless stories, though I think I've always been more enthralled by the covers than by what's inside the book. This new cover is no exception.
And, yes, yet another book I chose because of its cover:
Horton Halfpott by Tom Angleberger. Well, it was a combination of the cover and the ridiculously long subtitle:
The Fiendish Mystery of Smugwick Manor or
The Loosening of M'Lady Luggertuck's Corset. Who could resist? Not me, anyway.
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6 comments:
How exciting that she wants to read though. I've enjoyed THE PRINCESS DIARIES myself and think that Meg Cabot captures a lot about a kid who doesn't quite fit in and then isn't going to still because of her birthright. :-)
Has she read any of Tamora Pierce's books? I like her Circle of Magic quartet.
I'm glad she found something to read. I think there are ten of them, so that should keep her going for a while.
My son is much the same. He's very picky. He finally gave in and picked up The Series of Unfortunate Events and is blowing through them. I love that there are 13. I don't have to go through the ordeal of finding him something to read for a little while longer.
Kay--it is exciting. To be a bookworm and have a bookworm as a child is a wonderful thing! I guess I'd not even heard of Tamora Pierce before, so I'm pretty sure my daughter hasn't read anything by her, but that sounds like something to look into once she's finished with Meg Cabot! Thanks!
Kristi--it is a relief, isn't it, to have a reprieve (however short-lived) from the book hunt! It's hard for me to understand, since I have SO MANY books I want to read--my dilemma is too many rather than not enough. I hope your boy manages to read all 13 in the series--my kids did, so I'm sure there's hope, but I got bored after the third or fourth one.
I tried and failed with I Capture the Castle as a young teen, Tried again in my 30s and adored it. it's really not a kid's (or even teen) book in spite of the teenage narrator. I think it must get shelved there because Smith is thought of as a children's author because of 101 Dalmations.
I thought The Princess Diaries were charming, too and my girls loved the films when they were younger.
AJ--Good to know Castle may be more interesting for someone older. I definitely need to get around to reading that one!
VR--I loved the first Princess Diaries movie. (The second one was cute too, but I liked the first one more.) I have high hopes for the book!
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