Beginning to study literature, ages 7-9
The study of literature begins very early on, when you read to your children and talk about what has been read. This isn't anything formal: it's a very natural process and is simply a development of what you did with your toddler when you looked at a picture book together and asked him about the story. Reading aloud to your children even after they can read for themselves has countless advantages: not only can you expose your child to books which may be technically difficult for him to read for himself (thus expanding his horizons and vocabulary), enjoying a great story together is simply a wonderful shared experience. Your child also sees that you love to read and derive great pleasure from it, and this make it much more likely that he will want to be an avid reader too.
You can introduce the idea of 'literature study' quite gently with simple oral narrations for a young child. Ask the child about the story: Can he tell you briefly what happens? Which characters did he particularly like or dislike? Which passages really jumped out at him? Why? Did the author paint any very striking word-pictures (images) which stuck in his memory? Would he like to write a story about a similar theme? Does he know when this book was written - is it very old or very recent? How can he tell? Does he know anything about the author? Would he like to find out more and perhaps read some other books b y the same person? Really, the list is endless. As long as the child remains interested - and doesn't feel as if he's being interrogated! - this can be a very enjoyable and fruitful exercise. Obviously, if you have read the book aloud to him, then this will be very much a two way process and the questions you ask will be more pertinent. As I said, this isn't a formal exercise at this point, it's more a conversation and should be treated as such.
Recommended books for this age group.
Fairy stories, myths and epic tales
7-8
50 Famous Stories Retold by James Baldwin. This is a nice collection of some famous and not to famous folk tales.
English fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs. These are very old fashioned, sometimes grim, often odd and quirky. You'll either love them or hate them (and you might be surprised at the ones your children end up liking - they do hold a strange appeal for children. You may want to read them first.)
Jack the Giant Killer by Richard Doyle. A gruesome, compelling version of this old folk tale - read ahead if you have sensitive children! Boys tend to like it.
Medieval tales by Mary Pope Osborne. My children have enjoyed these well told tales, and the illustrations are excellent too. Contains nine of the best English and Irish tales.
Tales from King Arthur by Andrew Lang. Nicely written introduction to these great tales (originally written 1902).
8-9
30 More Famous Stories Retold by James Baldwin. Written to satisfy the demand for more stories after the popularity of his first volume, this one is aimed at slightly older children - less folk tales and more adventure stories. Here's the sales blurb:
"We hear of the explorers ...in the New World. We see Newton pondering the fall of an apple, Galileo observing the swinging lamps, and Archimedes yelling "Eureka!" We thrill to the exploits of the heroes at the fall of Troy and rejoice with Penelope at Odysseus's homecoming. We follow the fortunes of Rome from its founding through its wars with Carthage. We travel eastward with King Richard and Frederick Barbarossa during the Crusades. We applaud when King John signs the Magna Charta at Runnymede...".
The Names Upon the Harp (Irish Myths) by Marie Heaney . Read about Cuchulainn, Finn and the Salmon of Knowledge. Stunning illustrations, not for the fainthearted.
Norse Myths by Mary Pope Osborne. As with her 'Medieval tales', well written and beautifully illustrated version. My children have all been fascinated with the 'otherness' of the Norse Myths and some have gone on to study them in much more detail.
King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green
The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkein, whichever edition you have - a must read and much easier for this age group than the epic Lord of the Rings
POETRY
The Golden Treasury of Poetry, ed Louis Untermeyer is a gem of a book and available for pennies. It will last for several years and /or several children!
Complete Poems for Children by James Reeves is a lovely book, especially if you can get the edition illustrated by the incomparable Edward Ardizzone
A Puffin Quartet of Poets (Farjeon, Reeves, Rieu, Serraillier) is also worth picking up. Very 'traditionally English'.
Also worth looking for are books by or including: Jack Prelutsky for intelligent humour, Charles Causley for something more serious, and Pie Corbett for something more modern. We also love various poems by Walter de la Mere.
The study of literature begins very early on, when you read to your children and talk about what has been read. This isn't anything formal: it's a very natural process and is simply a development of what you did with your toddler when you looked at a picture book together and asked him about the story. Reading aloud to your children even after they can read for themselves has countless advantages: not only can you expose your child to books which may be technically difficult for him to read for himself (thus expanding his horizons and vocabulary), enjoying a great story together is simply a wonderful shared experience. Your child also sees that you love to read and derive great pleasure from it, and this make it much more likely that he will want to be an avid reader too.
You can introduce the idea of 'literature study' quite gently with simple oral narrations for a young child. Ask the child about the story: Can he tell you briefly what happens? Which characters did he particularly like or dislike? Which passages really jumped out at him? Why? Did the author paint any very striking word-pictures (images) which stuck in his memory? Would he like to write a story about a similar theme? Does he know when this book was written - is it very old or very recent? How can he tell? Does he know anything about the author? Would he like to find out more and perhaps read some other books b y the same person? Really, the list is endless. As long as the child remains interested - and doesn't feel as if he's being interrogated! - this can be a very enjoyable and fruitful exercise. Obviously, if you have read the book aloud to him, then this will be very much a two way process and the questions you ask will be more pertinent. As I said, this isn't a formal exercise at this point, it's more a conversation and should be treated as such.
Recommended books for this age group.
Fairy stories, myths and epic tales
7-8
50 Famous Stories Retold by James Baldwin. This is a nice collection of some famous and not to famous folk tales.
English fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs. These are very old fashioned, sometimes grim, often odd and quirky. You'll either love them or hate them (and you might be surprised at the ones your children end up liking - they do hold a strange appeal for children. You may want to read them first.)
Jack the Giant Killer by Richard Doyle. A gruesome, compelling version of this old folk tale - read ahead if you have sensitive children! Boys tend to like it.
Medieval tales by Mary Pope Osborne. My children have enjoyed these well told tales, and the illustrations are excellent too. Contains nine of the best English and Irish tales.
Tales from King Arthur by Andrew Lang. Nicely written introduction to these great tales (originally written 1902).
8-9
30 More Famous Stories Retold by James Baldwin. Written to satisfy the demand for more stories after the popularity of his first volume, this one is aimed at slightly older children - less folk tales and more adventure stories. Here's the sales blurb:
"We hear of the explorers ...in the New World. We see Newton pondering the fall of an apple, Galileo observing the swinging lamps, and Archimedes yelling "Eureka!" We thrill to the exploits of the heroes at the fall of Troy and rejoice with Penelope at Odysseus's homecoming. We follow the fortunes of Rome from its founding through its wars with Carthage. We travel eastward with King Richard and Frederick Barbarossa during the Crusades. We applaud when King John signs the Magna Charta at Runnymede...".
The Names Upon the Harp (Irish Myths) by Marie Heaney . Read about Cuchulainn, Finn and the Salmon of Knowledge. Stunning illustrations, not for the fainthearted.
Norse Myths by Mary Pope Osborne. As with her 'Medieval tales', well written and beautifully illustrated version. My children have all been fascinated with the 'otherness' of the Norse Myths and some have gone on to study them in much more detail.
King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green
The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkein, whichever edition you have - a must read and much easier for this age group than the epic Lord of the Rings
POETRY
The Golden Treasury of Poetry, ed Louis Untermeyer is a gem of a book and available for pennies. It will last for several years and /or several children!
Complete Poems for Children by James Reeves is a lovely book, especially if you can get the edition illustrated by the incomparable Edward Ardizzone
A Puffin Quartet of Poets (Farjeon, Reeves, Rieu, Serraillier) is also worth picking up. Very 'traditionally English'.
Also worth looking for are books by or including: Jack Prelutsky for intelligent humour, Charles Causley for something more serious, and Pie Corbett for something more modern. We also love various poems by Walter de la Mere.