Monsters
Our library has as cool request system that allows you to find and request books online. This past weekend I put together a lengthy list of books that had been recommended to us by friends as well as some book titles from the ALSC's 2006 Notable Children's Books list. I found that our library had all of the titles I was looking for and many of them were due to be checked in soon. Yesterday we received a call that we had some books ready for pick up, so off we went to the library last night to browse and check out the books waiting.
We scored a sizeable stack of supposedly excellent book choices. By the time we arrived home we didn't have an opportunity to review the books before reading them to the girls. It was already late and they were itching to read a new book that we had just checked out. They loved looking at all the books, flipping through them, etc... They finally settled on a couple of choices for bed-time reading.
One of the choices was Jitterbug Jam. It sounded like a cute book. It looked like a cute book. Overall it was kinda cute, but not so much. We've never had any monster issues, yet. I barely get started and I suggest that maybe we ought to pick a new book. Ellie likes that idea but Abby doesn't. Abby wants to forge ahead. Okay, keep reading. After all, Ellie is thumbing through another book and only half paying attention and she is the one I'm most worried about being scared.
We make it through the book and everything seems to be okay. I'm still not entirely liking the story and the way monsters are portrayed. If I had only done other research on this book before selecting it I could have found that the School Library Journal has said "With muted colors, black outlines, and shadows, it will both enchant and frighten young readers". Lovely!
We read another book that really intrigued them about the solar system. I left with some homework to do so I could accurately answer their questions. Then we finished up our bedtime routine and off to bed they went. Everything still seemed okay.
Until a couple of trips down the stairs by both of them and we discovered that Abby was scared. Abby never gets scared! So we talk a bit about the monsters and having good dreams. Abby asked to sleep with Ellie. Ellie wasn't on board with that idea. But then Ellie decided she was also scared. They then decided it would be okay to sleep together and be close to each other.
This is how we found them when we later checked on them...
Thank goodness they are still easy to move!
I can safely say that we won't be reading that book again in the near future.
We scored a sizeable stack of supposedly excellent book choices. By the time we arrived home we didn't have an opportunity to review the books before reading them to the girls. It was already late and they were itching to read a new book that we had just checked out. They loved looking at all the books, flipping through them, etc... They finally settled on a couple of choices for bed-time reading.
One of the choices was Jitterbug Jam. It sounded like a cute book. It looked like a cute book. Overall it was kinda cute, but not so much. We've never had any monster issues, yet. I barely get started and I suggest that maybe we ought to pick a new book. Ellie likes that idea but Abby doesn't. Abby wants to forge ahead. Okay, keep reading. After all, Ellie is thumbing through another book and only half paying attention and she is the one I'm most worried about being scared.
We make it through the book and everything seems to be okay. I'm still not entirely liking the story and the way monsters are portrayed. If I had only done other research on this book before selecting it I could have found that the School Library Journal has said "With muted colors, black outlines, and shadows, it will both enchant and frighten young readers". Lovely!
We read another book that really intrigued them about the solar system. I left with some homework to do so I could accurately answer their questions. Then we finished up our bedtime routine and off to bed they went. Everything still seemed okay.
Until a couple of trips down the stairs by both of them and we discovered that Abby was scared. Abby never gets scared! So we talk a bit about the monsters and having good dreams. Abby asked to sleep with Ellie. Ellie wasn't on board with that idea. But then Ellie decided she was also scared. They then decided it would be okay to sleep together and be close to each other.
This is how we found them when we later checked on them...
Thank goodness they are still easy to move!
I can safely say that we won't be reading that book again in the near future.
posted by Sonya at 11:01 PM
3 Comments:
Oooh...poor little things. I'm sorry they were scared. :(
They are just too cute together like that, but poor babies. Why on earth do they write books like that for this age group?
Oh, that pic is so cute :) At least they have each other to sleep with when they get scared. HOpefully they are not scared anymore, though.
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