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Hawkrider123's money saving 2008 book reading challenge

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  • Savvy_Sue
    Savvy_Sue Posts: 47,477 Forumite
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    whitewing wrote: »
    Why, thank you very much! (He is sitting here shaking his head...)
    :rotfl: sounds normal ...
    whitewing wrote: »
    Incidentally, I'm capping his potential earnings to £366 for the year! And letting him start today. Strike while the iron's hot!
    Very wise, he may get the bug! :rotfl:

    Incidentally, why have you limited it to storybooks? Many people don't enjoy novels as much as 'factual' books. I'd really struggle to get DS3 (who's 15) to read fiction, but he's fine with things like 'Eats, shoots and leaves' and 'The pedant's revolt'. Perhaps more at hawkrider's level are the Murderous Maths, Horrible Histories etc. Also I hope Asterix and Tin Tin aren't excluded: they may have pictures, but there's quite a lot of words too! :rotfl:
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  • whitewing
    whitewing Posts: 11,852 Forumite
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    Savvy_Sue wrote: »

    Incidentally, why have you limited it to storybooks? Many people don't enjoy novels as much as 'factual' books. I'd really struggle to get DS3 (who's 15) to read fiction, but he's fine with things like 'Eats, shoots and leaves' and 'The pedant's revolt'. Perhaps more at hawkrider's level are the Murderous Maths, Horrible Histories etc. Also I hope Asterix and Tin Tin aren't excluded: they may have pictures, but there's quite a lot of words too! :rotfl:

    Aaaargggh - just lost my post; here goes again.

    Hawkrider is very good at science and maths and reads a lot of factual books already. Has virtually all of the Horribles, Murderous Maths etc.

    Although he's not a nerdy intellectual, he is quite shy and doesn't really empathise with people too much. OH and I think that if he reads more stories he will begin to understand his, and other people's, feelings much better. I think this will make his life much easier as he grows up, and he will see much more readily that things aren't black and white. He's very logical and does take things very literally. Possibly even has face-blindness, which may make it difficult to read people's emotions. So, it will help him to see life from other people's perspectives, even if only to build awareness that other people think differently than him.

    Also when reading factual books, one tends to read about only subjects that interest you. If you read a lot of fiction, I think you're more likely to read a wider variety of subjects so you experience a lot of the richness of language, which I think is inspirational in your day to day life.

    I'm also hoping that it will have a positive affect on his spelling ability to counteract the dreadful text-talk he uses on msn lol
    :heartsmil When you find people who not only tolerate your quirks but celebrate them with glad cries of "Me too!" be sure to cherish them. Because these weirdos are your true family.
  • Savvy_Sue
    Savvy_Sue Posts: 47,477 Forumite
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    Right, that makes a lot of sense. Sounds quite like DS1 ...
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  • haylibo
    haylibo Posts: 1,004 Forumite
    Whitewing,
    you're a genius. I home ed. three of my kids, two with their own challenges so I'm always trying little schemes and they yield some great results. My beans are younger and not great readers so can't use your idea for mine but have a friend who is a primary school SENCO and am going to let her know about it with your 'OKAY'. Will wait for your reply first.
  • ceridwen
    ceridwen Posts: 11,547 Forumite
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    aaaaaawwwwwww!

    What a good idea.
  • Lillibet_2
    Lillibet_2 Posts: 3,364 Forumite
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    Brilliant idea Whitewing & well done Hawkrider for taking up the challange:T:T:T

    I think the trick of getting into reading is to find one book which you fall in love with & this triggers a life long interest. (For me it was Enid Blytons Castle of Adventure when I was 8 but you're too old for this now I expect). Of course, you don't kow what the book is until you read it so you have to experiment a lot! As a stepping stone between factual books & fiction what about biographies? These deal with peoples emotions & life experiences but are often written in a fictional style.
    I'm guessing at 11 years old you have already read Harry Potter? What about the Spiderwick chronicals & the Darkness Rising series?

    Oh, and for poor spelling, a weekly game of Scrabble (maybe with a small prize?) helped me loads in my teenage years! I was allowed to "cheat" in that I could use a dictionary to check my words were correct before using my letters and that helped me enormously as the point was to improve my spelling & vocab rather than win according the exact rules;). I used to play with my Dad in the kitchen (Mum can't spell for toffee!) and we would have a special (easy) buffet tea, just things like a huge selection of cheese, crakers & pickles; prawns & dips; welsh raebit; occasionally a crab or lobster (when cheap!) with melba toast & it was also great one-2-one time with my Dad.

    Good luck & am looking forward to reading your updates Hawkrider:D
    Post Natal Depression is the worst part of giving birth:p

    In England we have Mothering Sunday & Father Christmas, Mothers day & Santa Clause are American merchandising tricks:mad: Demonstrate pride in your heirtage by getting it right please people!
  • whitewing
    whitewing Posts: 11,852 Forumite
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    haylibo wrote: »
    Whitewing,
    you're a genius. I home ed. three of my kids, two with their own challenges so I'm always trying little schemes and they yield some great results. My beans are younger and not great readers so can't use your idea for mine but have a friend who is a primary school SENCO and am going to let her know about it with your 'OKAY'. Will wait for your reply first.

    Yes of course. I think if just one other person joined this challenge (with their own reward system), it would give Hawkrider a huge boost.

    He has read all your comments this morning and is now off to swimming with a massive grin on his face. He will do his first book review later today!
    :heartsmil When you find people who not only tolerate your quirks but celebrate them with glad cries of "Me too!" be sure to cherish them. Because these weirdos are your true family.
  • Savvy_Sue
    Savvy_Sue Posts: 47,477 Forumite
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    I shall look forward to it, and I have sent you a PM.
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  • Book review for Escape from Shangri-La BY Michael Morpurgo


    I think that this is a book of very high quality, as you would expect from Michael Morpurgo. It is one of those types of book that is totally unpredictable. It is a mixture of highs and lows one minute you could be as merry as Santa the next you will be as sad as Oliver Twist first was. It tells the story of Cessie. Cessie’s grandad just appeared out of nowhere one day. Cessie had never met her grandad before and it is the story of how she gets to know him. Cessie’s dad did not like his father but you will have to read the book to find out why.

    There is a great range of words, and my personal favourite would have to be kerfuffle on page 202. The ending is an ending which you think will be happy then you find out its sad but it does actually end up happy.
    I think that this is a book that is good for anyone but children under 10ish might not understand some parts of it. Overall this book is of extremely high standard and anyone will thoroughly love this book.

    The next book I am reading is Stig of the Dump BY Clive King. This is one of my mum’s old books from when she was young.
    Hope that this review is useful and if you do read Escape from Shangri-La hope you enjoy it. Thanks for reading this.

    (My first £1 earnt! WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    :cool: I am 11 years old:cool:
    Hawkrider123's money saving 2008 book reading challenge #1
    :T Earnt £12 out of a possible £366 :T
  • Savvy_Sue
    Savvy_Sue Posts: 47,477 Forumite
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    hawkrider, I do not think I have read any of Michael Morpurgo's books before but I heard him on the radio the other day and thought I must do so, and on the basis of your review it is clearly essential that I do so!

    I hope you will enjoy Stig of the Dump too.

    If you like funny books, have you tried Truckers, Diggers and Wings by Terry Pratchett yet? I am not sure what order they come in.

    Kerfuffle is an excellent word to know at this time of year, there will probably be a lot of it going on in your house over the next few days! Hope you can help your mum and not moan about any kerfuffle she wants to put you all through.
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