Monday, April 8, 2013

Summer Reading with Boys


Having raised three boys, I know that boys can lack a certain interest in reading.  There comes a time when my sons have learned to read and they then begin to read on their own but, there is a little gap in their reading.  This is where I stepped in as a Mother and read a big kid novel to my sons.  I read one to the first two together, they were around 6 and 8.  They were reading books at their level but, the depth of the story was very simple and the wonder and spark of reading a really good book just wasn't there.  When I read to them I was fluent, could do interesting accents, and pronounce the unknow words, so it just translated the magic of the story so much better.

My youngest, this summer, is just the right age for the first big novel.  What to read....  this is what I have been mulling over.   Some of the contenders are The Hobbit, Treasure Island, and Tom Sawyer.  I am still deciding.  Pictured above is Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped.   
Do you have any suggestions for a great novel for a young man?

Boys like romance too.  They like knights in shining armor, pirates with wooden legs, and especially the thickened plot of a great adventure novel.  As a mother showing them the magic of that summer reading experience has been a great pleasure.
This is my new find this week it is a Limoges teacup.  I got it at the thrift store for $4!  I have been looking for one of these teacups for a long time.

Sherry
I will link this to:

 Tea Time Tuesday at Rose Chintz Cottage 
A Return to Loveliness  at A Delightsome Life 
Tea Cup Tuesday at Martha's Favorites
Tea Cup Tuesday at Artful Affirmations
Table Top Tuesday  at A Stroll Thru Life
Share the Shelter at A Sheltering Tree  
Homemaking Linkup at Hope In Every Season  
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm
Thrifty Things Friday at The Thrifty Groove 
Cottage Style Link Party at Lavender Cottage Garden

23 comments:

Cindy @ Dwellings-The Heart of Your Home said...

My son has been out on his own for a good while now...so miss those days! Sweet tea cup and your photos are so pretty!

martinealison said...

Le thé est tellement meilleur pris dans une tasse fine de Limoge de surcroît !... elle accompagne parfaitement un très bon livre.
Gros bisous

Cranberry Morning said...

My vote is for Treasure Island. I loved reading it aloud - and I think he would love it. There are also the King Arthur stories and Otto of the Silver Hand and The Door in the Wall... Is this being read aloud to him or is he reading it himself? Sounds like maybe you mean that he'll read it himself. I think Treasure Island may be enjoyed more if you read it to him. Also, there's the book Scottish Chiefs by Jane Porter. That is VERY exciting. Wonderful tales of William Wallace et al.

Deb said...

I love the saucer with the tea-cup. The design is very unique. I have 2 daughters & 1 son. When they were younger the girls were the readers. It was a struggle getting my son to read a book. He preferred sports magazines. Then in his late teens he became interested more in books. Deb

Jeanette@Creating a Life Studio said...

Reading together has been a big part of our family for years, and it's so special to me as a mom, too. My son is only 5, (my girls still at home are 9 and 15) and we recently read "Farmer Boy" by Laura Ingalls Wilder together. I think my son was amazed at how hard they worked back then, but also all the great descriptions of the food, and how much young Almanzo Wilder could eat! haha
You are creating such wonderful memories for your boys!
Sounds like you have some great contenders in your lineup.
The new cup is really pretty!

The Charm of Home said...

I am reading it aloud to him. It is an awesome time to read a book aloud, at this age. I read till my voice gives out.
Sherry

Unknown said...

I love the idea of the Hobbit! Maybe Harry Potter? Get them hooked early! :P Have fun reading girlie, those are just such treasured memories!

Hugs,

Laura Turner said...

Moccasin Trail is the BEST boy book--or really anyone book--I've read. Probably best for 10 yrs and above. The diary of Lewis and Clark is an excellent read. Also, it's hard to go wrong with books that have been awarded a Newbery Medal. Hope this is useful!

Laura from sundayview.blogspot.com

Bella's Rose Cottage said...

Summer reading sound fun, the love of books is a great gift! What a great deal on your beautiful new Limoges teacup!!
Hugs,
Bella

Danielle's Sweets said...

I'm excited to see what you end up picking for a story. My son is 5 and I try to read to him as much as possible (weather he's interested or not...: ) I'm hoping as he gets older he will like it more. He does think it's funny when I do silly voices. As this age, that's all I can hope for! xo

Anonymous said...

The book by Gary Paulsen,Hatchet, is great but not until he is in 5th grade or so. How about the Boxcar Children, There are many to choose from.

susan hemann said...

My sons favorite book was Maniac McGee.
I think every boy should read the classics Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn, Treasure Island. Does he like to do art work related to a book he is reading?

The Charm of Home said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Laurie said...

Beautiful teacup and such a bargain! Whenever I find a Limoges at an antique store I snatch it up ~ if it's not too expensive!
Reading is such an adventure. How about Peter Pan ~ the novel not the little Disney book!
Hugs))

Sandi@ Rose Chintz Cottage said...

Ah, yes, I remember those days, Sherry. Your post brought a smile to my face with a bit of nostalgia too for my three boys are all grown up now and on their own.
Your new Limoges teacup is a beauty; great find at four dollars! Thank you for sharing and coming to tea.

Blessings,
Sandi

Judith @ Lavender Cottage said...

A great price for the Limoges teacup, it's pretty.
With 2 girls, we did a lot of reading too but girly books.

Veronica Roth said...

Hello Sherry, I remember reading the hobbit to my son Jonathan. He is dyslexic and has great memory retention capacity so reading to him was the best way. The hobbit was the book that started his love of reading and catapulted him past his dyslexia. Thank you for the memory. I hope you have a nice weekend with lots of tea. :)

Tea in Texas said...

My you are fortunate to have a young son and the adventure of reading! I taught second grade and fifth grade many years ago. The one story my fifth graders loved was "Where The Red Fern Grows" which I read aloud each day. We then saw the movie and they were all so excited. The ending is very sad but wonderful because of the boy and the dogs.

Pam

Terri said...

Hello Sherry,
Oh I miss those days! I think all the stories you have mentioned are great choices. They are such loved classics.
Your newest cup is a real beauty! What a fabulous find for $4! Yay for you!
Your images are really lovely!
Hugs,
Terri

Micupoftea said...

I started reading to my daughter as a toddler and never stopped! For years we cuddled together each night and spent an hour reading before bed. I wasn't as fortunate to have a parent that valued reading so I missed many fabulous childhood authors and stories growing up. However, it's never too late to be a child when you are between the covers of a wonderful book, so my daughter and I discovered them together! She is twenty now and we still read to each other almost every evening. You named a few good possibilities to your summer reading list, and I would suggest a few more:
The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankenweiler and The View From Saturday by E.L.Konigsburg. Books by Lloyd Alexander= The Gawgon and The Boy, Time Cat, The Arkadians, The Remarkable Journey Of Prince Jen. Of course C.S. Lewis's The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe, or The Dawn Treader (our Fav). Have fun!

Diane | An Extraordinary Day said...

Your posts, the blue and white, the spring flowers, the features....you are overflowing with beautiful eye candy on the blog today! Yummy!!
Sherry...I am soooo very blessed and humbled that you would choose to feature my book page flowering branches. Thank you!!
Wishing you an extraordinary weekend ahead!

Anonymous said...

All of those books that you mentioned are wonderful. My son also liked Johnny Tremain.

Kimberly said...

We just started Old Yeller after our Tea Time Luncheon. :)