Reading this article made me realize just what a sad, sad state the minds of most Americans are in. Apparently, I do at least four times more reading in a month than the average American does all year!
Oh, and speaking of reading, I think I'm going to order Jamie a boxed set of those "Choose Your Own Adventure" Books my brother and I loved so much when we were kids. I have a feeling he'd get a big kick out of those!
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Jen, another great resource for reading is Comic Books. My son Riley (who is 9) devours them. While he enjoys reading "regular" books such as Eragon, Harry Potter, etc., he wouuld still prefer to watch TV or play video games. However, if I put a stack of comic books in front of him, he would rather read these than do almost anything. The other cool thing about Comic Books is that they tend to be of a more advanced reading level than most of the books he wants to read. The downside is that unless you are deligent about buying limited series instead of a monthly title, you will end up having to buy new titles every couple of weeks.
A great online comic book store for buying lots of titles HEAVILY discounted is NewKadia. If you buy some from this site, make sure you get the new customer discount, which is very good. And, instead of just buying a bunch of random titles from the discount bin, look up a couple of specific titles. That way you can buy issues in a run and have a complete story arc.
I realize that the above is starting to sound really confusing, but if you want more help, feel free to let me know.
Jamie likes the Avatar: The Last Airbender graphic novels that have come out, but isn't yet interested in other types of comics. He isn't a very advanced reader yet; I'm just letting him build his confidence in his reading right now. He really likes the Magic Treehouse books and Hank the Cowdog. He is starting to get interested in superheroes, though, so that may be a good way for me to introduce him to other comics besides the Avatar ones. Thanks for the heads up on this!
A really good start is anything that has Power Pack in it. They are four brother and sisters that have super powers and rub shoulders with the "adult" superheros. These books are more kid friendly and are an easy read. In fact, it was through Power Pack comics that Riley got addicted to other titles.
Okay, thanks! You've just added another level to Jamie's "Monthly Reward Program". If he can go a full month at school without getting any pyramid pieces taken down, and doesn't bring me any school papers with nasty grades on them, he gets a monthly trip to either Build-A-Bear Workshop, Incredible's Pizza, the movies, etc. So, looks like I can add a trip to the comics store to the menu! Thanks!
I just beat my children.
(I am joking in case the sarcasm doesn't transmit over the internets)
LOL! Yeah, sometimes I beat mine, too. But first I put him in the stockade. All his friends think I'm a big Rennaissance Faire buff, but really, I only have it for the beatings.
BTW - this is sarcasm, too. Please do not think I strap my son in the stockade or beat him excessively. Really, I just use The Rack on him. That's the real reason why he's so tall and skinny.
I had to stop and really think about whether I read a book last year, since there was no new Harry Potter.
Seriously, I think I read four books last year? I'm not sure. Between having a toddler PLUS outside full-time employment, at the end of the day playing with giant Legos is almost too taxing on the brain.
I did read the new HP, so I've hit my quota for the year. I'm also working on a book called Leading Geeks for my professional development, and the latest Dreamers book by Eddings (which I happened to find in the bargain bin at the grocery store).
I think the COYA books would be a great choice for Jamie. I still fondly remember The Trumpet of Terror!
Pretty good, but the Gibbet is far more effective, you can buy one here
Well, since the popular saying is "Oh, grow up!" when someone does something baby-ish, I could always use "The Machine" from the Princess Bride...
And Becca, what all do you have to read in the course of the day at work, though? I would bet all you have to read and analyze on a daily basis would average out to be much more than 4 books a year. Plus, I have this weird compulsion that I have to always be reading something. If I don't have a book to read, I feel like part of me is missing. I'm such a freaky mental dork. :-)
I finally read that article you linked to...and, well, wow. I guess it shouldn't really be all that surprising. Daniel's first year I barely read anything, but it was SO rare for me, and I was actually depressed by how little I was reading.
I've always been the nerdy bookworm type, though :)
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