Reading the 'classics' to your kids

Akrasia

Last night I started reading the 'Just So Stories' by Rudyard Kipling to my kids at bed time

The first story in the book that I had was "How the leopard got his spots"

It was horribly racist (to modern sensibilities at least)

The story was set in South Africa but the human character was referred to only as 'The Ethiopian"which is a little bit racist I suppose, but towards the end, after 'The Ethiopian' gives the leopard his new spots (using left over black paint from his newly changed skin colour) the book goes full on Bernard Manning with the lines below (warning offensive language)

'But if I'm all this,' said the Leopard, 'why didn't you go spotty too?'
'Oh, plain black's best for a N1gger,' said the Ethiopian.

But it wasn't just the racism that I didn't like, it was also the style of writing. I had to change a lot of the words to make them flow and make them bearable for my children to listen to (I definitely changed that one word in the spoiler tags as well).

I read ahead and there are other stories that are almost as bad, like elephants beating their child to end it's natural curiosity... Not really something I want to teach my children

Yeah, lets just say we won't be reading the rest of that book to the kids.

I've read all of the Roald Dahl books to my kids already and they loved them, but other childrens classics were just not received well at all. The wind in the Willows didn't get past the first chapter, Treasure Island fared only a little better.

I think part of the problem is that literature like Treasure Island is meant to be read, not listened to. I've left a lot of the classics on the shelf for my kids to read themselves when they're older

I've got 'The Iron Man' to read to them tonight. Hopefully this will keep them interested

What do you all think about reading classic literature to your kids?

Any recommendations or any books to avoid?

Alf Veedersane

This is a classic:

Akrasia

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

This is a classic:

It can't be a classic because it was written within my own lifetime and I'm only a child myself

Alf Veedersane

Akrasia wrote: »

It can't be a classic because it was written within my own lifetime and I'm only a child myself

It's a classic though.

Maybe not a Classic.

Knew it word for word and would point out if either of my parents had skipped any as they read it to me for the umpteenth time

Interesting thread though. My daughter isn't even a year old but I was thinking of what I would read to her and thinking back to my own collection of ladybird books.

But you have ne thinking what classics I'd read her in time. Most of the ones I've read are a bit dark for a young 'un. Maybe Catch-22 because if I start laughing shhe probably will too

pwurple

I recommend you avoid the whole Noddy series as well OP. Similar issue for us with golliwogs in that series. They were my own books from my parents attic, but I started reading them to the kids and had to change it up as I read. I'm fairly sure it goes over children's heads, but it doesn't go over mine.
The rest of the enid blyton ones might be ok, I haven't read them in ages. Famous five etc.

I generally read a mix of modern and older to them though. Alice is Wonderland is the favourite. Crikey it's a HUGE book for me to read aloud, so we're doing snippets every now and then. I think the words are just washing over them to be honest. We're up to the caterpillar smoking a hookah, they've no idea what that means (age 4 and 1), but they listen away happily.

What age group are your children?

The secret garden, or A little princess - Frances Hodgson Burnett
Charlotte's web
Narnia series.
Little house on the prairie.

I've got a stash for when they are older.. stuff like Ender's game, Anne Frank's diary, A tree grows in brooklyn.


Have you got The Snowman? No words, they follow the pictures along.

And you can't beat a bit of Calvin and Hobbes.
http://www.amazon.com/Scientific-Progress-Goes-Boink-Collection/dp/0836218787

What child could resist this cover

dori_dormer

Rudyard Kipling is a well know racist sadly. I think the phrasing and style of Classics would be hard for kids to understand or relate to. Theyd have a better understanding when they are teens I think.

If you are reading to them I'd say they are under 8 yes? I'd veer more toward stories that fuel their imagination so they enjoy books and want to read the heavier stuff themselves at a later age.

Animal farm might be an idea tho? Short and can ignite good conversation?

Neyite

Oh I love Calvin and Hobbes, it didn't occur to me that there are books doh!

Toots

I suppose they're not really 'classics' but I'm reading the harry potter series to my 3 yr old and he's really enjoying them. I'm on book 5 now, and it starts getting a little dark, so may have to put them on hiatus for a while. We shall see..

John Mason

Oscar wildes stories for children are great fun but all with a moral.

Queenalocin

pwurple wrote: »

I recommend you avoid the whole Noddy series as well OP. Similar issue for us with golliwogs in that series. They were my own books from my parents attic, but I started reading them to the kids and had to change it up as I read. I'm fairly sure it goes over children's heads, but it doesn't go over mine.
The rest of the enid blyton ones might be ok, I haven't read them in ages. Famous five etc.

I generally read a mix of modern and older to them though. Alice is Wonderland is the favourite. Crikey it's a HUGE book for me to read aloud, so we're doing snippets every now and then. I think the words are just washing over them to be honest. We're up to the caterpillar smoking a hookah, they've no idea what that means (age 4 and 1), but they listen away happily.

What age group are your children?

The secret garden, or A little princess - Frances Hodgson Burnett
Charlotte's web
Narnia series.
Little house on the prairie.

I've got a stash for when they are older.. stuff like Ender's game, Anne Frank's diary, A tree grows in brooklyn.


Have you got The Snowman? No words, they follow the pictures along.

And you can't beat a bit of Calvin and Hobbes.
http://www.amazon.com/Scientific-Progress-Goes-Boink-Collection/dp/0836218787

What child could resist this cover

The Niddy Books have all been rewritten, the poor old goblins are now the villains.

Moonbeam

I loved Beatrix Potter books as a child.

My kids love Roald Dahl and Horrid Henry.

They love music so the 6 year old knows the story of The Phantom of The Opera and Les Miserables as she knows the songs:)
My 2 year old Loves The Snowman.

skallywag

My daughter loves when I read her the classic Irish Legends such as Children of Lir, Setanta, Red Branch Knights, Tir na nOg, etc. I had forgotten myself (or perhaps just didn't realize at the time) how forlorn these tales can be, and I'm quite sure that many modern parents would question their suitability for children. I've no issue with them myself though to be honest, I think that they are fantastic stories as they are.

pwurple

skallywag wrote: »

My daughter loves when I read her the classic Irish Legends such as Children of Lir, Setanta, Red Branch Knights, Tir na nOg, etc. I had forgotten myself (or perhaps just didn't realize at the time) how forlorn these tales can be, and I'm quite sure that many modern parents would question their suitability for children. I've no issue with them myself though to be honest, I think that they are fantastic stories as they are.

Those are fantastic. I've an old book of those, the one illustrated by Pauline Bewick.. I think it's by ulick o'connor? Gorgeous book, absolutely stunning illustrations. Nearly bought a print of one of those a few years ago but couldn't afford it. Maybe some day. This is the book
http://www.amazon.com/Irish-Tales-Sagas-Ulick-OConnor/dp/0246113332/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

skallywag

This is the one I have ...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Irish-Legends-Children-Yvonne-Carroll/dp/0717125513/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1438347101&sr=8-1&keywords=irish+legends+for+children

Akrasia

skallywag wrote: »

My daughter loves when I read her the classic Irish Legends such as Children of Lir, Setanta, Red Branch Knights, Tir na nOg, etc. I had forgotten myself (or perhaps just didn't realize at the time) how forlorn these tales can be, and I'm quite sure that many modern parents would question their suitability for children. I've no issue with them myself though to be honest, I think that they are fantastic stories as they are.

Do you have any books that you recommend? There are loads of different versions of these stories, but a lot of them are rubbish.

I tried reading them an Eddie Lenihan book but I couldn't help reading it in an exaggerated kerry accent and the kids just laughed at me.

edit - sorry, just saw your post now, I'll get myself a copy of that. It's better than me mangling the salmon of knowledge by half remembering/half making it up as I go along L )

eviltwin

I love the old books, I'm reading the Roald Dahl books with my 5 yr old, we recently finished Fantastic Mr Fox which had plenty of references to drinking and smoking. Its great!. We're moving onto TinTin now, I know comics are sometimes frowned upon as not proper reading but he loves them.

One eyed Jack

John Mason wrote: »

Oscar wildes stories for children are great fun but all with a moral.

I'd second this definitely, as well as the works of Charles Dickens. I'd a fierce problem sourcing age appropriate books for my child when he was younger as a lot of modern children's literature doesn't stretch their literacy skills, and his teacher told me he needs to be challenged because at six years of age he had the reading comprehension of a 16 y/o.

I found the classics were great for giving him a much greater vocabulary, and the Irish legends books were great for really firing up his imagination. Roald Dahl books are great too and if you like them, you'll like David Walliams (seriously!), and then there's the whole Horrid Henry and Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, because you can't be too serious all the time, they're like Adrian Mole books if you ever read them?

One type of books which I loved as a child were the create your own adventure books, you read a page and then you're offered a decision, and it leads one way or another, great for learning the value of considering the consequences of your actions.

Aesop's fables too of course!

Honestly, there are so many to choose from OP, but I personally wouldn't rule out any kind of books on the basis that I found the language unpalatable. You'll have to avoid well, most of Mark Twain's writings really, but to avoid Huckleberry Finn?

Fuelled half my childhood adventures that book did!

IvyTheTerrible

eviltwin wrote: »

I love the old books, I'm reading the Roald Dahl books with my 5 yr old, we recently finished Fantastic Mr Fox which had plenty of references to drinking and smoking. Its great!. We're moving onto TinTin now, I know comics are sometimes frowned upon as not proper reading but he loves them.

In France, everybody reads comics! You have huge sections for comics in every bookshop! It's a nice way to get children who aren't huge fans of reading into it.