Reading Machines

Last school year, Joseph and Grant read some great children's classics and a bunch of the Boxcar Children books and I thought they were doing well. But this year they are on fire!

I often have to force one or the other (or both) of them to turn off their light at night or they will stay up until midnight reading. In the morning, I have to confiscate their books until their chores and schoolwork are done or they accomplish nothing. They recently discovered a huge box of about fifty Hardy Boys books that my friend Pam gave to us last year. Now they are addicted and can't put them down. They are averaging two of them a day. Neither Joe nor I liked to read as kids (luckily we've changed), so we are surprised and happy that they love to read. Hopefully the younger kids will catch the reading bug too.

Here is a list of some of the books they've enjoyed reading so far:

The Great Brain Series by John D. Fitzgerald

The Oz series by Frank L. Baum

Books by Roald Dahl

Other Books:

• The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman
• A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond
• Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming
• Danger on the Trail by Mildred Houghton Comfort
• The Borrowers by by Mary Norton
• Mary Poppins by P.L. (Pamela) Travers
• Lassie Come Home by Eric Knight
• Homer Price by Robert McCloskey
• Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Callodi

I should also report that they think all the "classics" they've read are much better than the Disney/movie versions of the same stories (Mary Poppins, Pinocchio, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, etc.).

They have also read several history books that I have not included in the list. They have read biographies about George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Helen Keller, as well as Tall Tales about people like Pecos Bill, Paul Bunyan, Johnny Appleseed, Bigfoot and several others.

Now, if only I could get them to be as passionate about writing and math as they are about reading...