Moving on in literature, ages c 9-11
When your child is happy with writing and it isn't a chore introduce the habit of choosing at least one of the books he is reading and getting him to make notes on various aspects of the text. This isn't the kind of 'book report' you find in American syllabi, it's a very simple record which children used to be encouraged to keep of the books they had read. On a piece of paper (which could be used as a bookmark), he would write the title and author of the book and the date he began to read it. As he progresses, he could note the setting (time and place of the story) and the main characters (spelled correctly and perhaps with a brief character sketch of each). Whilst reading he could note down any words or phrases which are unknown, or which particularly strike him. Finally, when he has finished the book he could write a short summary. If he keeps all these notes in a folder, he could look back over what he has read in the year.
At around 10 or 11, you can introduce the idea of simple textual analysis. This would consist simply of taking a particularly striking or memorable passage and actually trying to work out what it is that the author has done to make it so effective. Here you would begin to look at vocabulary use, syntax etc. (are there any unusual words? Are the words in an odd order? How do the characters speak? Does the length of sentences vary in a particular pattern?).
At the same time, if you've been working on poetry composition in your English Language lessons, then your child will probably be interested in doing some closer study of well known poems. Children of ten are quite capable of studying a poem to identify techniques such as verse-form, rhythm and rhyme, structure etc. If they are keen, help them identify similes and metaphors, alliteration and so on. If they are trying to write their own poems, knowing these terms might help. And, of course, you are laying an excellent foundation for later work in the teenage years.
The Famous Five problem...
What if your child doesn't want to read 'good' books? What if he's more keen on ploughing through the whole Famous Five series, or Beast Quest or Artemis Fowl...or any other popular series he'll find in the local library? Unless you're going to put your foot down and say no, you'll have to work the more 'classic' books in side by side. If you read a lot, and your children are used to having good books read to them, they won't baulk at your suggestions; and, as long as the books you suggested are really good books, there shouldn't be too many complaints! Classic books really should be great to read, not something we have to trudge through just because a book list tells us it's a worthy thing to do. Children of this age don't usually have much time for that sort of thing - and, so long as they are prepared to put in the effort reading, they should be free to dislike a book even if it's highly recommended (my own husband is very well read yet can't abide Dickens or Austen, with the result that no-one around here except me reads these authors much...).
Recommended books
Fairy stories, myths and epic tales
9-10
The King Arthur Trilogy by Rosemary Sutcliffe
Andrew Lang's Fairy Books. If your child likes fairy tales, you'll want to invest in a few of these. There are several, all named after a colour: here is the Blue Fairy Book. These are not about the sweet sorts of fairies with wings - they are often of the dark and mysterious 'faerie' tale genre.
Beowulf. There are various editions for children:
Beowulf: Dragonslayer, by Rosemary Sutcliffe. Typically reliable, well-written with simple but effective black and white illsutrations
Beowulf the Warrior, by Ian Serraillier. A well- regarded verse version from the 1950s, with simple b&w illustrations
Beowulf, ill. by John Howe. If your child really gets into this tale in a big way (as ours have: we have eight or so versions of it), you can't beat this one for superb colour illustrations
Beowulf by Penelope Hicks (Kingfisher epics). This one has very modern eye-catching illustrations and appeals visually, but I think the text is a bit too plain to be very inspiring.
10-11
Lord of the Rings. A must read saga, at whatever age you choose to read it, in whatever edition!
Myths of the Norsemen by Roger Lancelyn Green. A more complex and satisfying retelling than the Osborne one.
Robin Hood by Charles Vivian. An excellent re-telling, wonderful to read aloud, and the illustrations are very appealing (they comprise a series of the most famous illustrations of this tale from various ages)
When your child is happy with writing and it isn't a chore introduce the habit of choosing at least one of the books he is reading and getting him to make notes on various aspects of the text. This isn't the kind of 'book report' you find in American syllabi, it's a very simple record which children used to be encouraged to keep of the books they had read. On a piece of paper (which could be used as a bookmark), he would write the title and author of the book and the date he began to read it. As he progresses, he could note the setting (time and place of the story) and the main characters (spelled correctly and perhaps with a brief character sketch of each). Whilst reading he could note down any words or phrases which are unknown, or which particularly strike him. Finally, when he has finished the book he could write a short summary. If he keeps all these notes in a folder, he could look back over what he has read in the year.
At around 10 or 11, you can introduce the idea of simple textual analysis. This would consist simply of taking a particularly striking or memorable passage and actually trying to work out what it is that the author has done to make it so effective. Here you would begin to look at vocabulary use, syntax etc. (are there any unusual words? Are the words in an odd order? How do the characters speak? Does the length of sentences vary in a particular pattern?).
At the same time, if you've been working on poetry composition in your English Language lessons, then your child will probably be interested in doing some closer study of well known poems. Children of ten are quite capable of studying a poem to identify techniques such as verse-form, rhythm and rhyme, structure etc. If they are keen, help them identify similes and metaphors, alliteration and so on. If they are trying to write their own poems, knowing these terms might help. And, of course, you are laying an excellent foundation for later work in the teenage years.
The Famous Five problem...
What if your child doesn't want to read 'good' books? What if he's more keen on ploughing through the whole Famous Five series, or Beast Quest or Artemis Fowl...or any other popular series he'll find in the local library? Unless you're going to put your foot down and say no, you'll have to work the more 'classic' books in side by side. If you read a lot, and your children are used to having good books read to them, they won't baulk at your suggestions; and, as long as the books you suggested are really good books, there shouldn't be too many complaints! Classic books really should be great to read, not something we have to trudge through just because a book list tells us it's a worthy thing to do. Children of this age don't usually have much time for that sort of thing - and, so long as they are prepared to put in the effort reading, they should be free to dislike a book even if it's highly recommended (my own husband is very well read yet can't abide Dickens or Austen, with the result that no-one around here except me reads these authors much...).
Recommended books
Fairy stories, myths and epic tales
9-10
The King Arthur Trilogy by Rosemary Sutcliffe
Andrew Lang's Fairy Books. If your child likes fairy tales, you'll want to invest in a few of these. There are several, all named after a colour: here is the Blue Fairy Book. These are not about the sweet sorts of fairies with wings - they are often of the dark and mysterious 'faerie' tale genre.
Beowulf. There are various editions for children:
Beowulf: Dragonslayer, by Rosemary Sutcliffe. Typically reliable, well-written with simple but effective black and white illsutrations
Beowulf the Warrior, by Ian Serraillier. A well- regarded verse version from the 1950s, with simple b&w illustrations
Beowulf, ill. by John Howe. If your child really gets into this tale in a big way (as ours have: we have eight or so versions of it), you can't beat this one for superb colour illustrations
Beowulf by Penelope Hicks (Kingfisher epics). This one has very modern eye-catching illustrations and appeals visually, but I think the text is a bit too plain to be very inspiring.
10-11
Lord of the Rings. A must read saga, at whatever age you choose to read it, in whatever edition!
Myths of the Norsemen by Roger Lancelyn Green. A more complex and satisfying retelling than the Osborne one.
Robin Hood by Charles Vivian. An excellent re-telling, wonderful to read aloud, and the illustrations are very appealing (they comprise a series of the most famous illustrations of this tale from various ages)