As always, I overdo it

I’m an avid reader.  I don’t read quite as much as I’d like, but I do read a lot.  I think on average I read around 2 books a month.  Sometimes more, but very rarely less.  If you count all the books I read with the kids while homeschooling, It’s probably  much higher.

I love to read and I share this love with my children.  We’ve always been regular library attendees.  We visit the library weekly and know our librarians rather well.  Every week, between the 6 of us, we check out nearly 25 books, sometimes more.  Some books don’t get read but for the most part everything gets looked at briefly.

I do not regulate my children’s reading.  I let everyone pick whichever books strike their fancy.

McKayla seems to have stopped deliberately choosing books which will shock and awe me.  She has recently discovered Stephen King, and though I think there are much more worthwhile books she could be reading, they are a heck of a lot better than books about teenage love and sex.

Thankfully Marshall loves to read everything.  If it’s in a series, he reads it.  If it’s sports related he reads it.  If it’s by an author that he’s heard of, he reads it.  If I recommend it, he’ll read it.  If it’s part of a reading list, he’ll read it. If it’s been made into a movie, he’ll read it.

Mike has checked out EVERY book pertaining to the US military inside our library.  He recently found out how to request materials from other libraries.  I’m pretty sure that when we walk into the library the librarian groans when seeing mike.  He constantly puts her to the test.  “I’m looking for a book about World War 2, specifically something with lots of pictures and maps.” or “I need something about Vietnam.  At a third grade reading level but I want real pictures, no drawings”  “I want a fictional account of the Korean war but I want the main character to be a real soldier, not a boy.” “Do you have a book about tanks in the easy reader section”  If anything, he has taught her how to use the search engine for the library quite well.

I let the twins pick anything they like but I discourage them from books which are too long or have any kind of tv or movie character in it.  I can’t stand reading Dora the Explorer books! I also don’t like Curious George, The Bernstein Bears or anything made by Disney.

As I am near my 15th year of reading picture books to young children, I consider myself a sort of picture book connoisseur. I like beautiful pictures, nice story lines and very few words per page.  If I can find a pure picture book with no words, all the better.  Because I don’t regulate reading mateiral and I don’t preread books, quite a few times I’ve been a little upset about the themes and morals of the stories. I find it disturbing when boys are belittled for the sake of girl power (or vice versa).  I don’t like books without a point.  Or books where the parents are disregaurded.  Or books with terrible chidlren who don’t learn their lesson.

Besides encouraging my kids to read often and giving them ample opportunity to read I also read aloud to them quite frequently.  I love reading aloud to them.  I love making silly voices and the moment when the story truly comes alive.  Until recently I read two picture books a night to my twins and a chapter a night to my older kids.

Recently, I’ve realized that I don’t particularly like reading picture books at bed time.  I don’t like the argument for which book gets read first.  Or the fighting for the real estate on my lap.  Also as the boys get taller, it gets harder for me to see over their heads as I read.  This past month I started reading the “Wizard of Oz” to the twins   We’re all enjoying it very much (even though it doesn’t even vaguely follow the movie).  The hardest part is stopping after only one chapter.

Every night I crawl in bed with Marshall and Michael and we read a chapter or two.  To mention a few we’ve read “The Tale of Desperaux”, “Redwall”, and  “The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe”.  Now we’re reading the “Little House on the Prairie” series.  We’re on book 4.  I never imagined that this series would be such a hit with the boys.  It’s everything boys love:  adventure, survival, animals, instruction, wilderness and love.

After reading to two sets of kids, I popped into McKayla and asked if she felt left out that she didn’t get read to and if she’d like me to read to her.  I didn’t expect a yes.  She hasn’t been interested in me reading to her since she she could read for herself.  At first she said no.  Then she asked what I’d read.  I told her I’d read whatever she’d like, within reason.  I had visions of Jane Eyre or Pride and Prejudice.

Her:  How about Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang?

Me:  No.

Her:  How about something that has been made into a movie.

Me:  Okay.  How about Jane Eyre?  or something by Jane Austen?

Her:  OOOO something by Stephen King and then we could watch the movie and you could scream like a little girl.

Me:  Are you sure you don’t want to read Jane Eyre?  It’s one of my favorites?

Her:  Is it scary?  I want scary!! 

Me:  Fine.  Stephen King.

Her:  How about the Stand (at something like a bazillion pages)

Me:  How about Misery?

and more than any of my kids every night she asks for just one more chapter.

Bedtime now takes twice as long.  It’s definitely infinitely more enjoyable, but twice as long.

One of the downsides (besides the time) is that besides the bedtime read alouds, I’m reading quite a few other books.  I’m also reading a  library book (Smoking Seventeen by Janet Evanovich because I have to finish the series before the movie ruins it for me and also, because who can resist a book at the library?) and then the book on my ipad because I need something to read at night while the lights are out (World War Z by Max Brooks), and the two books I’m reading simultaneously with Marshall and Michael for a book report (Little Men by Louisa May Alcott and Mr. Poppers Penguins), and now I’ve decided to join a homeschool mom’s book club (because my goodness, I need some friends who live within a short driving distance!)

I’m pretty sure that eventually all these story lines will become muddled and confused.  I’m hoping that it will eventually lead to the great story which will give me the incentive to write a book and make a million dollars.  Dorothy will become a zombie who lives with Ma and Pa in a log cabin pursued by a crazy bounty hunter and her fat side kick in stiletto heels while a gaggle of penguins are looked after by a group of orphaned boys who save the world.  J.K. Rowling, eat your heart out!