Friday, May 20, 2011

Shakespeare...

Gabriella finished Mattimeo (432 pages), Brian Jacques.
Marcus finished Mariel of Redwall (387 pages ), Brian Jacques.

This summer I am reading Shakespearean plays to the children.

I found a book called Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare for Children, E. Nesbitt, that is wonderful, in narrative form, and easy enough to follow.  We have read:  The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, As you Like It, Hamlet, Macbeth, The Comedy of Errors, and The Taming of the Shrew. 

At the end I ask, "Did the story go from bad to good or good to bad?"

If they answer, "good to bad," then the play is a tragedy.
If they answer, "bad to good," then the play is a comedy.

Very simple, yes, but it gets the job done.

I also really like the series that is based on the animated tales as seen on HBO years and years ago.  Shakespeare, the Animated Tales is abridged by Leon Garfield, and has fun illustrations.  The stories read like plays, and keep much of the original language and poetic forms.  Our library even had four of the animated tales (vhs tapes!) that we checked out and watched.  The kids LOVED watching the tales after reading the plays. 

A short series that Marcus and Lella read and enjoyed is called The Buddy Files, Dori Hillestad Butler.  Each book is about 130 pages, and super easy to read.  There are five books in the series, and Marcus and Lella have read three of the five.  The main character is a Golden Retriever named Buddy, and he solves mysteries.  "Buddy speaks "dog" so all humans hear is barking," Marcus commented.

Gabriella has been enjoying these two series (easy reads):
Houndsley and Catina, James Howe - Gabriella enjoys them, "because they are funny have lots of adventure in them."
Bunnicula and friends, James Howe

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Anne of Green Gables, C.S., and Jacques...

Believe it or not, I never read Anne of Green Gables (304 pages, L.M. Montgomery) growing up, so I decided to finally check it out from the library and read it with the kids.  It was grand!  Some things we loved...

We loved how Anne said "Marilla" all the time, how dramatic she was, and how she always overcame trials with a new outlook on life.

"Oh, Marilla, you look so elegant!"
"This is the most tragical thing that has ever happen to me."
"Marilla, isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?"

We also liked how first and last names were used in speaking, Ruby Gillis, Gilbert Blyth, Josie Pye, Moody Spurgeon, and how wonderful the names sounded when we read them aloud.

We fell in love with Anne, of Green Gables, and will always cherish this book.

"There's such a lot of different Annes in me. I sometimes think that is why I'm such a troublesome person. If I was just the one Anne it would be ever so much more comfortable, but then it wouldn't be half so interesting." 

Gabriella finished Mossflower (376 pages), Brian Jacques.  It was slow going at first, but then she flew through it in a week or so.  Marcus finished Mattimeo (432 pages), Brian Jacques and is onto the next book in the Redwall series.  Marcus is obsessed with The Redwall Cookbook (104 pages), Jacques, and is constantly reading recipes to me.  "Mama, do you think I would like Mole's Favourite Deeper 'n' Ever Turnip 'n' Tater 'n' Beetroot Pie?"  So cute.

Steve and the children finished The Magicians Nephew (208 pages) and The Horse and His Boy (240 pages), C.S. Lewis.  Of course, they loved them both.