# S/O Why do parents regulate what their kids take out of the library? Do you?



## LynnS6 (Mar 30, 2005)

The coat thread made me think of this. Every time I've been at the library in the last 2 months, I've overheard parents arguing with their children about which books the kids could check out. It wasn't about the number of books (which I could understand), but the level of the book. "Those books are too easy for you. I don't want you to check them out." "Those books are like candy for you. I want you to choose something better." Really?

Why would parents want to restrict what their kids are reading? I read a lot of books that aren't at my reading level. Reading at my reading level is work . The 76 pages in "Linguistic complexity: Locality of syntactic dependency" took me 6-8 hours to get through. If I'm reading for pleasure, I don't need that. I'd much prefer Amelia Peabody.

Is it different for kids? My son spent all of 3rd grade reading the Boxcar children books. These books were 2 grade levels below his reading level and roughly the same plot in all 120 of them. By the end, he was going through them incredibly quickly. I did try to expand his repertoire a bit (mostly unsuccessfully), but I never said he couldn't check the books out. Ditto for dd now. She's reading a high level, but sometimes likes to read books that are far too easy. Yes, she reads the Rainbow Magic books in 15 minutes. She must be getting something out of them.

Am I wrong about this?


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## goinggreengirl (Nov 7, 2009)

I would never limit my child's reading as long as the books were age appropriate (as in won't give them nightmares). I read way above my age level as a child so I skipped reading a lot of the classics. When I was in middle school, I decided to go back and read some of the books I'd skipped because friends of mine had all read them and I hadn't. Any reading is good reading to me. I still love to read (and reread) some children's books.


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## nextcommercial (Nov 8, 2005)

I would limit what she took out. But, only because I have trouble locating the books later on... even with the receipt they send home. I'd spend three days looking for a book, not find it, take back what I could find, find it eventually, and end up owing $40 in late fees.

And, usually, I lost the receipt, so I never knew what book was missing anyway.


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## kittywitty (Jul 5, 2005)

I have before, but not for those reasons. Usually it's because I know it's a junk book with an offensive message (racism, anti-bf, etc.) the same as I would censor what my kids watch on tv.


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## philomom (Sep 12, 2004)

I have one kid that was a very gifted reader very early, (think 5 years old and reading adult level books). The only things I ever pulled off her stack were erotica. Apparently, some of them have pretty covers. Once my kids were ten or so, I let them read whatever they wished.


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## allisonrose (Oct 22, 2004)

My son is too young yet to really pick out books (nearly 2.5 y/o) but I figured your post would be the opposite: parents restricting children from checking out books that are too mature. I don't think I'd sweat a child reading "too easy" books. I've read the Harry Potter series several times and it's definitely easy reading for me. Shouldn't pleasure reading be just that: the person reading a book that they enjoy? Although I could understand a parent telling a child not use a book for a book report because it is too easy.

My own parents didn't restrict what I read although my reading went to the mature side. I remember my dad raising his eyebrows at a book titled something along the lines of "Sins of the Father" when I was rather young. It was a book from my aunt (she reads a lot and passed her books on once she was done - she gives them to the Senior Center these days since she reads large print books now) and about a family that was in the Witness Protection Program due to the dad's involvement in a criminal element.


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## nextcommercial (Nov 8, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *philomom*
> 
> I have one kid that was a very gifted reader very early, (think 5 years old and reading adult level books). The only things I ever pulled off her stack were erotica. Apparently, some of them have pretty covers. Once my kids were ten or so, I let them read whatever they wished.


I can get erotica at the library???


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## philomom (Sep 12, 2004)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *nextcommercial*
> 
> I can get erotica at the library???


Heck, yeah. I've sampled some of it myself.


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## Hedgehog Mtn (Jan 14, 2008)

There are a few reasons I have. We have limited reading time during some months and I need the kids to focus on the required reading to prevent them from getting behind (homeschooled). I've told even the older kids they can't read Harry Potter....while I personally don't mind it they have repeatedly read similar subject matter and ended up with nightmares. Even though they are old enough they dont seem to have the ability to make choices regarding what will scare them later.

Hmmmmmm I've occasionally made book decisions for them when I'm sick and tired of keeping track of their books and paying late fees.

Other than the above I have a number for each child of books they need to read per subject, I require a specific number of non-fiction but then they are allowed a set number that are whatever they want......with the above exceptions when they apply.


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## Owen'nZoe (Sep 7, 2005)

Like others, I've only pulled books that I was afraid would cause nightmares (my son is 6, and scares very easily). My son is not reading much ahead of his grade level, so the books he is drawn to tend to have appropriate subject matter, anyway, so I can only remember ever saying no to a book maybe twice, and my son always agreed when I explained why.

I think what you've witnessed, though, fits in with the current general trend of parents encouraging young children to only read 'serious' (usually chapter) books and forgo picture books. It's too bad, really.


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## mooshersmama (Jun 21, 2010)

Why does it have to be a right vs. wrong thing? Families are different. Maybe they are working with their kids on reading skills/comprehension. Maybe the kids have checked out those types of books in the past and never ended up reading them because they were too simple. Maybe they have those books or similar ones at home.


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## UnschoolnMa (Jun 14, 2004)

I would not limit for content. We just discussed any plot situations or messages that came up along the way.


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## crowcaw (Jan 16, 2009)

I would have said I don't do this but then thinking about it, I have. DDs are 5 and don't read. When we go to the library they pick books for themselves and I pick some for them. They're pretty indiscriminate and grab anything with a pretty cover. If it's truly a book meant for a baby I've suggested we not get it and said that it's for really little ones, only because I'm already hauling out a huge armful of books and don't want one more on the pile that I know is just going to sit on the coffee table until we return it. It's not that I think it's beneath them or I'm pushing them to literature, I just know they really aren't interested in it. If they protest or point out some attribute I've missed I'll get it too, but most times they don't care. I also screen the other way -- we get a lot of chapter books for me to read to them and they're often drawn to covers where I know the story or some element of it will scare them and say we'll save if for when they're older.


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## MusicianDad (Jun 24, 2008)

Well... I doubt I'd let DS take The Art of War out of the library, if only because he won't actually get anything from it right now. We don't let DD borrow porn either. But other than that, we don't really censor what is read, we only ask to know about it so conversations can take place.


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## AllyRae (Dec 10, 2003)

My kids can choose whatever they want from the children's area of the library. If they want something from the adult side of the library, I will reserve the right to regulate because they are *not* adults. So far, it hasn't been a problem--DS sometimes wants science related books from the adult side of the library (not like heavy quantum physics stuff, but sometimes he'll check out college text books on space or something because he loves the pictures...not because he likes reading textbooks. :lol: ). Anything with "adult" content (heavy swearing, violence, sex) is not brought home...as a parent of young children, I have the right to regulate that. It might be censoring, but IMO children shouldn't really be reading that type of stuff. But other than adult-only content, they can take out whatever they want.


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## Peony (Nov 27, 2003)

Well, none of mine really read yet. DD1 is reading a few words here and there (she is dyslexic) so maybe here some day. I don't have an issue with it. I was an avid reader as a child and loved many series that were well below my reading level, Babysitters Club, Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley Twins, Boxcar Children, I read them though age 9 and then moved on to adult books and never looked back. I won't really censor my children's books, except maybe erotica. I checked out many of those books as a pre-teen, my mom never knew what they were.


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## Storm Bride (Mar 2, 2005)

I do limit/control what they take out, but not the in way mentioned in the OP. I have limited space (which would increase greatly if I culled some of my paperbacks, which is one of my "when I can face it" projects) for library books here. The kids also like to take out DVDs. So, our rule for our trips to the library, which are every other week, is that each of them can take out up to three books, and two DVDs. At least one of the DVDs has to be non-fiction. The books can be whatever they want, and dd1 always (maybe not once or twice) chooses at least one non-fiction book about spiders. DS2's choices are all over the map. I also take out something to read for myself and/or ds1 (he started reading the Dresden Files books I was reading and hasn't finished them yet), and maybe one for the kids that I pick out for reading out loud. I don't like to have more than 12 or so books/DVDs out at once, so that's it. I'm not sure what I'll do about limits once dd2 starts picking stuff out!


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## cappuccinosmom (Dec 28, 2003)

I limit.

My oldest is a fluent reader. But he is 7. There are things in the library that are not appropriate, helpful, or good for him to read, including in the youth section. There are graphic novels available that will *never* cross my doorway. I might encourage him to look for something that's not baby-kindergarten level. So who knows, maybe you would hear me talking with him about that. If you did, it might be because there was a particular issue going on with him/us, rather than me being opposed to reading for pleasure. You never know.

I also do my best to persuade my kids that they really, really don't want that Dora book, but if they want to win that argument, I let them.


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## Smokering (Sep 5, 2007)

I "censor" DD's books, sure. She's nearly three, so I'm the one who has to read them. Usually I'll choose some books for her and let her choose some - but she usually just likes to pick ones with pretty covers, as fast as she can chuck them in the pram. So while she plays on the library rocking horse I flip through them to see if they're too wordy (she'd get bored), too easy ("This is a ball", "This is a rabbit" isn't really doing it for her any more), or otherwise likely to annoy me. Some of the books have spirituality elements that I don't jive with - "What Happened to Grandpa After He Died"-type books. If I don't believe Grandpas turn into angels or float away on the wind with dandelion petals, I don't see the need to read that to my two-year-old! I don't think she's ever noticed my discreet substitutions.

Recently a book slipped through my radar called something like "Misery Is a Spider In the Bathroom". Every page was "Misery Is...", but apart from being aimed at older kids (stuff about schoolwork and homework), it included such gems as "Misery is your mother telling you she's pregnant" (which I am!), "Misery is having to eat your vegetables", and so on. OK, it probably wouldn't scar DD for life, but I don't see why I should give her those sorts of ideas! So I quickly changed the text to "Oh look, she has a baby in her tummy!" and "Mm, she's having dinner", and returned it to the library.  There are PLENTY of books out there; I don't want to waste mental energy reading ones I find offensive or vapid or obnoxious.

When she gets older, I'll watch her and censor things when and if I find it appropriate. If she gets easily scared, like I did as a kid, I won't let her get out books that are scary; and yes, if she shows a preference for Sweet Valley High, I might well limit or forbid them, because I think they're vapid tripe. Censorship? Yes, I suppose, but I think part of my job as a parent is to encourage her to develop good taste. There are plenty of pleasurable, light, "fluffy" books that are actually well-written and aren't all about boys, lipstick, high school drama and queen bees. (Just like there's plenty of delicious food that isn't full of HFCS and artificial blue dye...) I'm a huge reader, have an English degree and have hundreds of books around the house, and go to the library frequently. So I don't think she'll grow up deprived of books. And hey, once she's 21 if she has an unmet need to read all the Mary-Kate and Ashley books, she can go nuts... so it's hardly a permanent deprivation.


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## sillygrl (Feb 10, 2008)

My parents never regulated what I read. And I'm a huge reader. There are some things my mom knew I was reading and now says she didn't realize what they were (think V.C. Andrews) and she probably would have discouraged me from reading them, but for the most part, she was just happy that I loved it so much.

My oldest struggles with reading and having confidence, so I don't really care what he brings home from the library, as long as there are words and he's interested, lol.

And as for the trashier stuff, I'm pretty well-read and enjoy many types of books, including sometimes the trashier bits, lol. I was a *huge* Babysitter's Club fan, and I would read one of those books along with something like Gone With the Wind. I just couldn't imagine discouraging a kid from reading stuff like that if they really enjoy it. I would probably have a problem if my 8 or 9 year old wanted to read Steven King or some porn or something. But if it's not that, then why not? Shoot, I read cereal boxes when I eat breakfast sometimes, lol.


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## Petie1104 (Oct 26, 2010)

DSS was 8 and struggling to get over his mental block of reading a chapter book. You know that block that says, "WOW THAT BOOK LOOKS TOO BIG!!" So rather than choosing to read it, which he was more than capable of, he would grab little golden books and Dr. Suess. Now, I had no trouble with him reading for pleasure, but I DID have trouble with him limiting himself to small children's books out of fear. So yes, I did push him and require him to pick out chapter books which, once I got him to start reading them, I couldn't get him to slow down.

DS is 9 now. At 5 he was reading reference books, we had a limited supply of the type of book he wanted. So we would go to the library. Problem was, he was obsessed with dinosaurs, he has been since before he was a year old. He would ONLY pick reference books about dinosaurs. So once again, when he got to be about 7 and had read these books through and refused to read anything that wasn't based on dinosaurs I DID force him to pick out a fiction book. Once he read one, he loved the series and now he is such an avid reader that I have trouble keeping enough books around for him to read.

DD is 7 and isn't reading well. She has trouble with it. She will pick out only books with pretty pretty pictures of princesses and ponies and then demand that they be read to her. Well, why am I going to read her a book full of facts and information about ponies if she isn't willing to at least attempt to read a book that is at her level? So yes, I demand that she picks out at least one book for HER to read. THEN I will allow her to pick out a book for me to read to her.

Every family situation is different and you never know what their reasons are for making those decisions. You may not agree with them, just as you may not agree with my reasons, but they are reasons, and well thought out reasons that I contemplated for a long time before implementing. Now, for dss who is 13 and ds who is 9, I let them go get whatever they want. For dd, we are still working on it. But, once they get past whatever trouble spot they are in, I no longer feel the need to control that area. Dss's issue lasted for about 2 months. Ds's issue, once I decided to deal with it, lasted about 2 weeks. DD has been having this issue for about a year now. Each one is different. I am actually hoping that with ds who is 4, won't have any issues and I won't have to control that issue at all.


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## treegardner (May 28, 2009)

DS is only 2, but in the future I can see having him choose more appropriate reading material if it's for school or something like that. I also agree with censoring certain books if you know your child is not ready for those concepts yet.


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## Smokering (Sep 5, 2007)

Quote: And as for the trashier stuff, I'm pretty well-read and enjoy many types of books, including sometimes the trashier bits, lol. I was a *huge* Babysitter's Club fan, and I would read one of those books along with something like Gone With the Wind.
'Cause Gone with the Wind isn't trashy?







I went through a huge GWTW phase in my teens as well, but I'd hardly call it a proof that my taste had survived Sweet Valley Twins intact. It's a total sex-obsessed melodramatic soap opera, never mind the racism (I reread it recently and was all "What, Ashley was in the KKK? How did I miss that?").

I read plenty of "lite" books in my youth as well, and I don't think it impaired my ability to read better books; but I'm also not sure that that's the point. I watched a lot of junk TV too, and while it didn't stop me watching arty foreign films at Uni, it did mean I'd wasted a chunk of my childhood watching junk TV. The question isn't necessarily whether trashy books will doom kids to having poor taste, but whether or not it will fill their minds with harmful/sexist/materialistic/gossipy/trite/ethnocentric/lookist junk, affect their behavior, attitudes or values, become addictive, be a good use of their time, and so on. And that probably depends on the child as much as the book.

That probably sounds like I'm a lot stricter than I am... In general, a lot of those evils can probably be mitigated by talking about the book with the child - which is what I plan to do with Gone with the Wind!


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## SubliminalDarkness (Sep 9, 2009)

I kind of do what you're talking about, but I'm not forceful about it. I tell him a book is easy for him and he'll be through it in an hour, and we only check out five books at a time and go to the library once a week. So, really, I encourage him to pick longer, more challenging books, because otherwise he'll be done in no time and complaining that he needs more books. We *could* go to the library more often, but I try and limit the number of errands and trips out of the house we take to save gas and money.

I don't think what I'm doing is wrong. He's smart, and I don't think he would continue to learn and develop as a reader if he's never being challenged by what he reads.

I don't let him borrow comic books for the same reason, but I have also gotten flak for that.


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## sapphire_chan (May 2, 2005)

Wait, people stop their kids getting too easy books?? Way to make it clear that reading is hard work that you never do just for fun. There's a reason libraries don't limit what you can get credit for in summer reading clubs--they know that reading more books results in more reading.

I've stopped my dd getting certain books, but it was when she was likely to tear books that weren't board books.


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## sapphire_chan (May 2, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *SubliminalDarkness*
> 
> I kind of do what you're talking about, but I'm not forceful about it. I tell him a book is easy for him and he'll be through it in an hour, and we only check out five books at a time and go to the library once a week. So, really, I encourage him to pick longer, more challenging books, because otherwise he'll be done in no time and complaining that he needs more books. We *could* go to the library more often, but I try and limit the number of errands and trips out of the house we take to save gas and money.
> 
> ...


But that has to do with other limitations than level/ability.

Mind you, if you have a regular problem, and he gets an allowance or has another way to earn money, it might be time to figure out a way for him to have the choice to get more books that he is totally responsible for.


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## SimonMom (May 19, 2004)

Sapphire, my 7 yo loves to read. Loves it. And yet he heads immediately to the easier series books that he can finish in 15 minutes. They are written to engage children. In my opinion, marketed to them much the way products are on TV. The illustrations and how they're written. I do not stop him from reading them, but I highly encourage him to pick out non series books, or to try new series. Or I'll pick out some for him. And yeah, he's in second grade reading at a 5th grade level, and reading things that were easy for him in 1st grade still. I've had the most success with reading him a chapter or two of a book, then he'll want to keep reading it on his own. He was reluctant to try out encyclopedia brown until I started reading it to him, now he goes and picks out several of them on his own.


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## One_Girl (Feb 8, 2008)

I encourage my dd to go for things at her level rather than way below it (mostly discouraging leveled readers), but I don't refuse to let her get something her heart is set on, and if it is a book I know she likes returning to again and again because it is hilarious I don't say anything about it. I think the picture books are really great, they are engaging and they cover many reading levels (some go up to 6th grade level) so I don't limit or discourage those at all. I remember being so sad when I moved to a level where the chapter books stopped having pictures.


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## SubliminalDarkness (Sep 9, 2009)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *sapphire_chan*
> 
> But that has to do with other limitations than level/ability.
> 
> Mind you, if you have a regular problem, and he gets an allowance or has another way to earn money, it might be time to figure out a way for him to have the choice to get more books that he is totally responsible for.


He has a little brother that gets simpler books, and he reads his. We also have a lot of books at home that he has free access to read whenever and however he wants. I am talking only about the five books he gets at the public library. He also gets two books a week from his school's library.


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## sapphire_chan (May 2, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Petie1104*
> 
> DSS was 8 and struggling to get over his mental block of reading a chapter book. You know that block that says, "WOW THAT BOOK LOOKS TOO BIG!!" So rather than choosing to read it, which he was more than capable of, he would grab little golden books and Dr. Suess. Now, I had no trouble with him reading for pleasure, but I DID have trouble with him limiting himself to small children's books out of fear. So yes, I did push him and require him to pick out chapter books which, once I got him to start reading them, I couldn't get him to slow down.
> 
> ...


Eh, but in your example, you still let them get the book they wanted, they just needed to get other books too.


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## sapphire_chan (May 2, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *mooshersmama*
> 
> Why does it have to be a right vs. wrong thing? Families are different. Maybe they are working with their kids on reading skills/comprehension. Maybe the kids have checked out those types of books in the past and never ended up reading them because they were too simple. Maybe they have those books or similar ones at home.


Could be, but that brings up a whole new question. Why wouldn't they tell their kids that instead of getting into a fight about books being "too easy" and "like candy"? Why not say "remember that book you checked out last week and thought it was boring? Those are the same type." Or "sweetie, we own that one, it's on your book case".

And keeping a kid from checking out a book because they have a similar one at home is a ridiculous idea. Unless similar is "different edition"? Even then it could be valid to get it if there are different pictures or if say it's a different translation.


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## cschick (Aug 28, 2007)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *nextcommercial*
> 
> Quote:
> 
> ...


Depends on what you consider erotica. Most public libraries I've used during my life have racks of paperback series romance (Harlequin and etc) somewhere in the library. A lot of the time, they're out front of the fiction area, since they are things like spinning racks rather than shelves. I always thought they were kind of dumb but I remember friends of mine going through those like popcorn at 12, 13 years of age.

They also seem to sell them off a lot on the "getting to end of life" shelves. That always annoyed me, that 90% of the 10 cent books were series romance.


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## CherryBomb (Feb 13, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Smokering*
> if she shows a preference for Sweet Valley High, I might well limit or forbid them, because I think they're vapid tripe. Censorship? Yes, I suppose, but I think part of my job as a parent is to encourage her to develop good taste. There are plenty of pleasurable, light, "fluffy" books that are actually well-written and aren't all about boys, lipstick, high school drama and queen bees. (Just like there's plenty of delicious food that isn't full of HFCS and artificial blue dye...) I'm a huge reader, have an English degree and have hundreds of books around the house, and go to the library frequently. So I don't think she'll grow up deprived of books. And hey, once she's 21 if she has an unmet need to read all the Mary-Kate and Ashley books, she can go nuts... so it's hardly a permanent deprivation.


ITA. I like my 9 year old check out crap (like Hannah Montana "books") occasionally, but generally I don't. I don't care if it's not right at her reading level, but I do care if it's total mindless crap.


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## HollyBearsMom (May 13, 2002)

I limit the amount he gets out since he is disorganized and often misplaces his library books. He has a library bag with an attached wallet for his library card. Each Saturday the idea is to grab the bag and go but with out fail he is searching high and low for a missing book.







So now we limit to 3-4 books.

As far as censorship goes it is not really an issue now. Like me, he gets hooked on a series and likes to read them in jags. Right now he is making his was thru the Goose Bumps series and is on the last of the Hardy Boys. In que is the Wizard of Oz series. He doesn't spend much time away from the children/young adult section. I can't imagine there are many books that would give me pause enough to "ban". I sure we would be able to talk about it.


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## JollyGG (Oct 1, 2008)

I've had this discussion with my son. It's about wanting him to have a bit more balance in his reading. It also has to do with a crisis of confidence we are working through. He doesn't realize exactly how much he can read and often rejects a book because it looks to hard then really really enjoys it once he starts it. That doesn't mean there can't be a lot of easy level books in between reading the occasional book closer to his reading level, but I'd like to see him explore a bit more literature open to him. He does need help picking out the books that are closer to his reading level because he is sensitive so that also discourages him a bit from the harder books. But I do think it's good for him to discover that he can read and enjoy something a bit more difficult. I'm not even asking him to read something hard for him, just harder than what he picked. Basically my 7 year old reads at a 7th grade level, he's in 3rd grade and picks lots of book at the 2nd grade reading level. That is fine. He can pick all of those he wants to take home and read. But I'd like to see at least one book more in the 4th, 5th grade reading level.


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## Llyra (Jan 16, 2005)

I have a six year old, and twins almost four. My six year old is a fluent reader; the twins know the ABCs and like to be read to, or to "pretend" to read. The only restrictions I place on their reading is that I can only get 50 books at a time on my card, and there MUST be some slots left for me to take out my own books. So when DD2 presents me with a stack of 32 Berenstein Bears books, I make her put a few back, sure. But otherwise I don't restrict. My six year old will take out 400 page novels, and board books, on the same day, and I think that's fine. And the twins, who can't read at all, will still bring home big fat chapter books, that they will sit and happily page through, pretending they're "big" and reading "big people" books. I think that's awesome-- I want them to imitate the reading habit.

One thing I do do is to make suggestions-- I'll go, and bring home a stack of books I think might be just right for them at this time. Then I leave them around the house and let them discover the ones they're interested in. Otherwise, I don't get very involved in their reading choices, other than to be available to read out loud or to answer questions.

I haven't let DD1 get her own card yet. Between my 50 books, and DH's 50 books, there's enough for me to keep track of. Another 50 books is just too much. And when she loses books, which has happened twice, I require her to help scrape up the money to pay for them.

I think I'd feel differently if I was actually buying the books. Then I'd try and steer them toward more appropriate choices, books I know they'd get a lot of time out of, and that would be satisfying to reread. I don't have much money anymore to spend buying books, so when I do, it has to be a pretty special choice. But at the library-- next week we just bring them back and get more, so what's the big deal if a few are dramatically inappropriate?

As far as content-- I think if DD1 wanted to read things I thought were not so right for her, I might make some gentle suggestions towards better things. I might suggest to her that she allow me to read the book too, so that we can talk about it if we need to. But I don't think I'd outright forbid anything. Nobody ever censored my reading-- and I read some pretty sketchy stuff as a child-- and none of it did me any harm. It certainly exposed me to some things I wouldn't have encountered otherwise-- but it all fit into a balanced exposure to lots of other influences, and I turned out fine.


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## Marsupialmom (Sep 28, 2003)

You have never had an 11-12 year old try to check out Ann Rice or Richelle Meads Succubus Blues. LOL

I have with this child do 1 for 1 match. 1 Vampire book (easy reads for her) for something more challenge. I have only done this when she is lacking balance. Just like I would suggest eating something nutritious along with the junk. Everything in moderation.

Also, sometimes suggesting books is like encouraging your child to try that nutritious dish.


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## velochic (May 13, 2002)

I work in a library. I think it's great when parents help children with their book choices. It's also fun when they ask our help with their book selections. Just like with eating, if you eat the same thing over and over again, and never try anything that might challenge your taste buds, you'll never know if you like it or not. Kids can't know what all is available and if a child is reading at a 5th grade level, but is still reading the Rainbow Fairies for the 4th or 14th time, then I think it's wonderful of parents to gently guide their children to other literary prospects.

My dd is in 3rd grade and she never would have picked up A Wind in the Door (Madeline L'Engle) if I hadn't pointed it out to her. She loved that series (as did I at her age) but, as I said, wouldn't have picked it up because it has a plain cover and isn't all sparkly. She gravitates to the books that have pretty covers. There's a reason that there's the famous saying about books and covers. And with guidance she has broadened her literary horizons beyond even what I anticipated. She reads way beyond her grade level in English, but she does read some easier stuff occasionally. I will say that she is trilingual, so she reads *at* level in one of the languages and tends to like easier books in that one language. I never force her to read a particular level. She gets a great variety, but also great guidance from us and from the gals I work with.

I think series are great to teach continuity and repeating themes, but a kid is not likely to branch out on their own without some guidance. That's what librarians (and parents) are for. I don't see anything wrong with making suggestions.


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## mtiger (Sep 10, 2006)

A lot depends on how far below reading level we're talking. A 10yo wanting to check out, say, Goodnight Moon? I would discourage that. (unless there was a specific reason for it) My son was reading Homer at 10, but I'd have had no problem with his reading, say, Hardy Boys or something on that level.


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## sillygrl (Feb 10, 2008)

I don't see anything wrong with suggestions, either. But I can't imagine forbidding a book because it's too easy. Unless the books are being picked for specific reasons. But for pleasure? I dunno. I can respect other parents for wanting to do what they feel is best, though.


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## mamadebug (Dec 28, 2006)

I wouldn't censor because a book is too easy. DS can check out board books or chapter books - I don't care. Even if the text of a book is "too easy", I figure that if DS is choosing it he must like the pictures or it appeals to him in some way - so go for it.

I do censor for content. DS has anxiety, and some story plots would be really stressful for him. Certain themes can trigger his anxiety, and he can become a bit obsessive about it. So this summer when he was going through a period of anxiety about being separated from me and his dad (irrationally so), and it was impacting his sleep, his desire to go places, etc, I would censored any books that touched on this. It just wasn't worth reinforcing his fears. Now that he has worked through that, I would be much more willing to let him get a book that dealt with that theme. To me, it is one more instance of you never know what is going on in that family - there could be a really well thought out reason a parent is doing something.


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## HollyBearsMom (May 13, 2002)

I have been thinkng more and more about this . I love to read. I was an unpopular kid and could often been found with my nose in a book. Lots of Jane eyre type books and I loved Greek mythology. As an adult I am what my friends affectionately call a book slut. I read anything. Romance, best sellers, mysteries, autobiographies. I am in a high brow book club that runs the gamut of books I could read over and over and books that could have easily put down after the first couple of chapters. But I read them all.

Just recently I re-read all the John d McDonald "Travis McGee" books for pure pleasure.









I guess my point is that I want my son to have a life long love of learning. I want him to read for enjoyment, for pleasure. If that means he occassionly doesn't "challenge" himself than that's ok. When he is tired he often pull out his old Capt Underpants book, or our "special" books-the gorgeous Jaime Lee Curtis ones. Way below his level but comforting, kwim?

I just love seeing him sprawled out on his bed surrounded by books.







so while I encourage him to keep stretching himself I wont make him return a book that is deemed too easy/hard


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## VisionaryMom (Feb 20, 2007)

No, we don't censor. I wouldn't mind my children reading about something with sexual elements, though I wouldn't be a huge fan of them reading romance/erotica (yes, I know there's a difference). In general, however, I don't censor reading material.


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## mooshersmama (Jun 21, 2010)

I don't know why they don't say those things. I don't stand around at the library listening in on what other people are or aren't checking out and why.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *sapphire_chan*
> 
> Quote:
> 
> ...


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## loraxc (Aug 14, 2003)

I don't really regulate, but I do guide. I make suggestions, I advocate for things, and I do mention it when I think she's kind of stuck in a rut and could do with some variety. I have not hidden the fact that I think some of the stuff she reads is sort of like junk food, but I also will say, hey, I know those books are fun and relaxing, and it's fine to want that--just try something else too, okay? I have never forbidden her to get a book.


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## Ceinwen (Jul 1, 2004)

This is how I do it too...

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Smokering*
> 
> I "censor" DD's books, sure. She's nearly three, so I'm the one who has to read them. Usually I'll choose some books for her and let her choose some - but she usually just likes to pick ones with pretty covers, as fast as she can chuck them in the pram. So while she plays on the library rocking horse I flip through them to see if they're too wordy (she'd get bored), too easy ("This is a ball", "This is a rabbit" isn't really doing it for her any more), or otherwise likely to annoy me. Some of the books have spirituality elements that I don't jive with - "What Happened to Grandpa After He Died"-type books. If I don't believe Grandpas turn into angels or float away on the wind with dandelion petals, I don't see the need to read that to my two-year-old! I don't think she's ever noticed my discreet substitutions.
> 
> ...


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## ameliabedelia (Sep 24, 2002)

I do censor the books my younger (pre-reading) kids pick out. Some are too wordy, and I don't like reading picture books that take 20 minutes. I also limit certain books like Dora, just because if we check out Dora, that is ALL my 2-yo will want to hear, and I don't feel like reading Dora over and over again.

My oldest, I have only a few times censored her books and that was when she picked out a book that I felt was too "adult' for her. That has only been maybe once or twice, usually I let her read whatever.


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## MJB (Nov 28, 2009)

I do that. I'm not willing to carry home 20 books that will not be read or will last less than 10 minutes each. This is not a problem with my oldest, but my 5 yr. old is a fluent reader who likes to pick easy readers and easy picture books. I think picture books are great and there are plenty that are at a higher level. We do not need to check out Mr. Brown Can Moo. My son is not being challenged in kindergarten and I think he should try to challenge himself every once in a while. Plus, when he gets into a nice thick book, he enjoys it. I'm his parent and have the right and responsibility to guide him. We have plenty of easy readers at home and he reads board books to his baby sister every day.

No one would think twice about challenging a struggling reader in kindergarten or first grade. There are kids in his class working their butts off to learn the sight word list. It's only fair for the kids who picked up reading quicker to have to put a little effort forth sometimes. When my oldest was in K, the easiest readers were a real challenge for him. I made him try anyway. Why shouldn't my 5 yr. old also be challenged?


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## sapphire_chan (May 2, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *mooshersmama*
> 
> I don't know why they don't say those things. I don't stand around at the library listening in on what other people are or aren't checking out and why.
> 
> ...


It may depend on how much time you spend in libraries or maybe the time of day or maybe it doesn't happen at all libraries. When I was working in a library I'd encounter families having that argument fairly regularly. I also overheard it as a teen when I'd study at the library for a longer time. Haven't encountered it at my local library yet, but when I'm there the only kids are under 5s.

And the way the argument goes is the kid says "I want this book" and mom says "No! You can't have that book, it's too easy!! Go put it back and something harder." Kid whines. Mom continues "I don't care if you like it, it's too young for you, go get something else." Twice that I can remember the mom grabbed the book out of the kid's hand.

Really not at all the sort of thing people are describing doing with their kids.

Flat out banning a book the kid likes without any attempt at compromise, explanation. It's utterly baffling.


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## sapphire_chan (May 2, 2005)

For that matter, if the book is *that* easy, can't the kid just read it at the library?


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## chel (Jul 24, 2004)

we have/do tell dd1 that she can't check out book because they are "too easy"

dd has difficulties reading at her grade level. she has to turn in reading logs for school and the books must be at a certain level (atleast close to grade level)

it's gotten much better now, but around 4th grade was the worst. reading 2-3 grade levels below.

part of it was she was scared by the small print/ multi chapters/ reading an unknown series. once she got past that her reading exploded.


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## St. Margaret (May 19, 2006)

I agree, it seems silly and even harmful. Of course there will be the specific situations where it makes sense, etc etc, but hey I was an early and advanced reader, ended up acing multiple AP lit courses, majored in and taught English, and I often chose easy books, too. I tend to think a kid will pick what they like. Sometimes I want to read Middlemarch and sometimes the latest Jack Reacher (although really poorly written books that others enjoy drive me bonkers). I think kids really CAN need guidance choosing great reads-- a lot of the time I read old easy books just because I couldn't find anything else to read, or it was just there and I'd read anything, but often there'd be some little thing I was curious about, and what's the harm? I was also the kid reading Victor Hugo for fun in 7th grade. I'd find a new author and tackle everything by her, whether it was Agatha Christie or Madeline L'Engle, and I'd check out all kinds of other books. I figure if you just let a kid go wild they will read and read and get good and bad, and learn what good is and what they like that way. Gotta nurse...!


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## lookatreestar (Apr 14, 2008)

that is insane. my mom never told us what we could and couldn't check out. easy, all pictures, maps, board books. i do not care as long as my kids are reading. but then again i am one of those "book sluts" too







i read anything and everything i can get my hands on, drives dh nuts.


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## Mosaic (Jun 20, 2005)

I censor my daughter's books, but she's just 4 and *extremely* sensitive (as in, we never watch tv because she gets upset when someone in a commercial LEAVES THE SCREEN).

I come from a family of avid readers, and my mom censored me constantly as a youth; while only minorly annoying at the time, even if mom said there were a half-dozen books I couldn't read, there were still hundreds I could. Yes, she pushed me past the Babysitters Club books, because I read them and complained about them but still went back for more!







I think there's a difference between disallowing all "easier' books and encouraging your child to seek a balance between beach fluff and something that might make you think a bit.

She also kept me away from themes that were too mature for me, and I appreciated it in retrospect... I think I snuck one past her once and regretted it, as I had a vivid imagination and was(and am) quite sensitive to certain themes, especially in books where your mind can just run wild


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## MJB (Nov 28, 2009)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *sapphire_chan*
> 
> For that matter, if the book is *that* easy, can't the kid just read it at the library?


Yeah, I usually suggest that when my guy picks out something way too easy.


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## EviesMom (Nov 30, 2004)

I don't do that, but I'll screen stuff that's too hard. We allow some that are intended to be or that I know will end up being read aloud by mom, but I make sure there are kid-readable ones too. We limit DVDs, because they can only be out for a week and are $$$ (literally $2/day!) when past due. 2 DVDs at a time, 1 per child, and not every time we go! If it's "too easy" then I don't worry about it. Only reason I can see is if they needed to do a reading log for school, and even then, I'd just say "Sure, but it's too easy for the reading log, so you need another on grade level too for the log." I read plenty that was below my reading level and loved them as a kid; safer than reading things too mature/scary IMO.


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## EviesMom (Nov 30, 2004)

Also though, the "that's too easy/no picture book" thing is a common problem for the publishing industry right now: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/08/us/08picture.html

I find it very sad, and sometimes misguided, because reading "easy reader" chapter books--more words, less complexity--versus quality picture books-- complex messages and rich vocabulary-- does not boost kids love of reading nor their verbal skill. I understand why some parents do it, but I think of it as very much akin to teaching to the test versus understanding math conceptually.


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## sapphire_chan (May 2, 2005)

Quote:


> Sometimes, she said, he tries to go back to picture books.
> 
> "He would still read picture books now if we let him, because he doesn't want to work to read,"


Wow. They force him to read chapter books because they want him to know that reading is work.

And they'll actually be surprised when he's 15 and the only reading he does outside school work is the text messages on his phone.


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## Dar (Apr 12, 2002)

I still remember when my mom stopped letting me check books out from the children's section because the reading level was "too easy".  After that I used to grab books to check out really quick and then rush back to the children's section and read as fast as I could, until we had to go. It really sucked. I loved finally being able to read all of the wonderful children's books I'd missed when Rain was little - we still have a few shelves of children's books and we both still read them sometimes...

Oh, and I've been hearing about the Hunger Games books and I want to read them, too, even though they're "too easy" for me. Reading isn't a contest, IMO.


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## Llyra (Jan 16, 2005)

A few thoughts, with my professional hat on:

I too am a little worried by the idea that we need, as parents, to be pushing our children into reading more difficult and/or challenging books, and that reading has to be "work." There is absolutely nothing wrong with a child reading books that come easily and effortlessly-- this is a good, positive thing. It builds fluency. It contributes to the enjoyment of reading. It is what lifelong readers do. We read things that challenge us-- of course we do, sometimes, when there's something we want to learn, or a book that is important enough that we're willing to do the work. But we also spend many, many happy hours reading trashy romances and sci fi novels and fashion magazines and horror series and all of the other kinds of "mind candy" that are in print.

In fact, the research on lifelong readers, and on what practices best encourage a lifelong love of reading, are overwhelmingly in favor of allowing children to choose what they read, and in favor of the "junky" series books that so many parents and teachers are down on.

http://edina.k12.mn.us/concord/classrooms/media/parents/seriesbooks.pdf

for example was a very important study of these issues that many people will find comforting, if their child is seemingly "wasting" time reading books that seem mind-numbingly easy or trite. These books are the stuff on which a lifelong reader is built, in fact.
Quote:


> Feitelson and Goldstein (1986) found that light reading provides motivation for more reading. Students who read books in series (several books written about the same characters) developed reading fluency and the linguistic competence necessary to read higher quality material. They gained knowledge of the world, learned story structures, and became aware of literary devices by reading series books. Light reading became a stepping stone to further reading. Increased reading proficiency and fluency makes it possible for students to read more complex material. They often choose light reading for independent reading because they enjoy it, and they become more fluent readers in the process. Adults who encourage students to develop the reading habit through light reading can lead them to further reading. Students must take the first step of developing reading fluency before they can take the second step of becoming avid readers.


http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/slmrb/slmrcontents/volume32000/independent.cfm

I've never seen any research at all that requiring children to only choose challenging books is of benefit. I have seen loads of research suggesting that freely chosen voluntary choice is a huge factor in whether students read for pleasure, and whether they continue reading for pleasure once they reach the age where parents can no longer require that they do so. And I've seen plenty of research to support the idea that children and teens who read for pleasure consistently score higher on measures of achievement in verbal ability and vocabulary. And I've seen plenty of evidence that repeated reading of "easy" texts is highly supportive to the growth of fluency and enjoyment. And I've been working in this field since 1998, as a reading specialist.


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## velochic (May 13, 2002)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Dar*
> 
> Oh, and I've been hearing about the Hunger Games books and I want to read them, too, even though they're "too easy" for me. Reading isn't a contest, IMO.


I agree, reading is not a competition. In fact, my we are considering the Hunger Games books for our One Community book discussion (I work in a library) because it's just a WELL-WRITTEN book (series) no matter what its reading level might be. A good book is a good book at any age. I think much of what people here are saying they are "censoring" is the piss-poor books that are actually destructive rather than constructive. Reading level isn't the only issue. If your child keeps reading vacuous drivel, then some direction might be called for.


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## Dar (Apr 12, 2002)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *velochic*
> I think much of what people here are saying they are "censoring" is the piss-poor books that are actually destructive rather than constructive. Reading level isn't the only issue. If your child keeps reading vacuous drivel, then some direction might be called for.


What do you mean by direction? I read a good number of the Sweet Valley Teen books as a teen, after I left home. Rain read every single America Girl book when she was 6 and 7 (and she insisted on reading them in chronological order, even, which was a massive logistical PITA). There were always other books available, and I read other books to her, if she wanted to hear them, and she had books on tape... but when it came down to it, she read what she wanted to read, and a lot of it was poorly written stuff about fairies or whatever.

By odd coincidence, we've spent the last couple of weeks trying to put together her High School Reading List for college applications... I know we missed a lot of books, and we didn't put anything down that seemed like "vacuous drivel", but she wound up with three single-spaced pages that include most of the classics assigned in high school, plus a bunch I've seen on college syllabi. They're all books she chose to read, after she had her fill of American Girls and fairies and that sort of thing...


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## phathui5 (Jan 8, 2002)

I don't stop my children from checking out books that are too easy or hard for them to read. I do screen for content that I think is objectionable.


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## philomom (Sep 12, 2004)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *phathui5*
> 
> I don't stop my children from checking out books that are too easy or hard for them to read. I do screen for content that I think is objectionable.


Exactly. Like my five year and the erotica. She's 17 now and I wouldn't dream of censoring anything at this point. For me, its a "grow into" thing. My son was never a big library user but I would have pulled anything too gory off his pile if he had tried it when he was younger.


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## Llyra (Jan 16, 2005)

Quote:


> I think much of what people here are saying they are "censoring" is the piss-poor books that are actually destructive rather than constructive.


That's the thing, though. The research is telling us that the "drivel" ISN'T destructive. It's one positive element in a person's lifelong interaction with print. Overwhelmingly, we find that lifelong readers spend plenty of time reading drivel, and that the drivel develops skills and feeds enthusiasm, even when it makes "experts" and parents shudder. I'm not arguing against letting a few higher-quality books into the house, and gently guiding kids toward them. I am arguing against controlling tactics like forbidding certain books or browbeating kids into reading what we think they should read, for their pleasure reading, outside of the curriculum of their school or homeschool. I think we can take a cue from the unschoolers on this one-- kids aren't born lazy and shiftless. Given the freedom to make choices, if we limit addictive visual media, they can be trusted to gravitate towards what feeds their hearts and minds. I really believe this.


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## CatsCradle (May 7, 2007)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Llyra*
> 
> Quote:
> 
> ...


ITA.

As a book artist (someone who makes 'books' as an art form, it always cracks me up when people take positions on books. A blank book is a book in my opinion, something that says volumes without appearing to say anything at all.


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## madskye (Feb 20, 2006)

I am a voracious reader and I work in children's publishing now. As a child, I read romance novels almost exclusively from the age of 9 or 10 on. I had a very 1970's hands-off childhood, as far as intellectual matters. I WISH someone had stepped in and guided my reading a bit more. Not told me that I couldn't read what I wanted, but made suggestions of other, better books,that I would also enjoy. Because all I had was trashy novels and school assigned books that I think were way below my actual reading and comprehension level.

I agree--reading anything is great, and fostering just a plain love of reading is a wonderful thing...but I could have gotten so much more out of my reading with a little guidance. DD is five, she can take out any Disney or Barbie crap she wants from the library, but I'll always supplement that with some better titles.


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## Monda (Sep 26, 2002)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *phathui5*
> 
> I don't stop my children from checking out books that are too easy or hard for them to read. I do screen for content that I think is objectionable.


This is my style too.


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## velochic (May 13, 2002)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Dar*
> 
> Quote:
> 
> ...


I think "direction" is pretty self-explanatory. I don't know what you are asking.

"Have you read this author? No? I think you might like him. You want to give it a try?" Direction. Help. Suggestions.


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## Dar (Apr 12, 2002)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *velochic*
> 
> I think "direction" is pretty self-explanatory. I don't know what you are asking.
> 
> "Have you read this author? No? I think you might like him. You want to give it a try?" Direction. Help. Suggestions.


Ah. To me, direction implied... well, directing, I guess. I was wondering how directive you would be in the situation. I was actually picturing something like, "You can't check out any more fairy books for a month," or "The next book you check out has to be from the Newbery list." The kind of stuff the OP was about. Suggesting just seems to come with the territory of being a good parent - I've always felt free to make suggestions, whether my kid was reading War and Peace or well, schlock, but it was more about trying to share books I thought she would enjoy than about preventing her from reading American Girl books.


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## velochic (May 13, 2002)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Dar*
> 
> Quote:
> 
> ...


Direction isn't a command, though. This past summer my 8 yo dd really wanted to read The Red Badge of Courage. I tried to *direct* her away from it because I thought that it was too mature for her. She still wanted to, so I *directed* her toward making it a read aloud book for the two of us to explore together. And it was a good thing because she didn't understand what the red badge of courage was and we had to talk a lot about it. Helping our children explore literature, I think, anyway, is a part of our jobs as parents. That also includes, "You read the fairy books 5 times last year and it takes you 10 minutes to read them because you know them so well... let's pick out something new."


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## Starflower (Sep 25, 2004)

I only had time to read the first page of this thread. Interesting.

DD is 7 and very sensitive and has anxiety. She also reads at a very high level for her age so we do discuss content of books before checking them out sometimes, but I don't think I've ever actually told her she couldn't read something. She tends to self-censor for scary content. (Some of the kids' lit is very intense stuff. She seems to be able to handle it in fantasy, but dislikes many "real-life" type stories.) DD regularly comes home from the library with 3-4 novels plus some picture books which are far below her reading level. She loves the funny illustrations and they often have interesting parts of speech such as rhyming or alliteration which she enjoys. DD also likes to pick out picture books to read to the other kids at the parents' night out. There are also days where she reads the same Garfield collection over and over.

DH is an avid sci-fi reader and he doesn't let DD read his books, but most of them have content which is inappropriate for DD's age. If he had some he thought she'd enjoy at this age, he'd share them with her.


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## oaktreemama (Oct 12, 2010)

Quote:


> That's the thing, though. The research is telling us that the "drivel" ISN'T destructive. It's one positive element in a person's lifelong interaction with print. Overwhelmingly, we find that lifelong readers spend plenty of time reading drivel, and that the drivel develops skills and feeds enthusiasm, even when it makes "experts" and parents shudder. I'm not arguing against letting a few higher-quality books into the house, and gently guiding kids toward them. I am arguing against controlling tactics like forbidding certain books or browbeating kids into reading what we think they should read, for their pleasure reading, outside of the curriculum of their school or homeschool. I think we can take a cue from the unschoolers on this one-- kids aren't born lazy and shiftless. Given the freedom to make choices, if we limit addictive visual media, they can be trusted to gravitate towards what feeds their hearts and minds. I really believe this.


Love this. I read tons of "junk" as a kid, and read tons of "junk" now. I read biographies and history and anthropology and parenting and Stephen King and Elmore Leonard and John Sanford. Reading is fun for me and it is fun because I choose to read a wide range of things. Some are very hard and take me a month to read. Some are easy and I read them for ten minutes before I fall asleep. Some I read over and over again-even though I probably know them so well I could remember them word for word without the book in front of me.

Right now my son checks out only books about heavy construction equipment and butterflies. If I never read another book about construction equipment that would be fine with me. But, it is his passion currently so I am fine with reading these books to him-we have checked out the same equipment book four times in the past few months.

I worked in a bookstore in college and oh we were such snobs about the women "only" reading romance novels like Danielle Steele or Sandra Brown. Now I realize I am thrilled when I see people reading for pleasure-regardless of what kinds of books give them that enjoyment. A house full of romance novels is still a house full of books.


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## Marcee (Jan 23, 2007)

I don't really limit one way or the other. But I do suggest books that I think they might enjoy.


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## LynnS6 (Mar 30, 2005)

I understand limiting the number of books (or DVDs) because of library fines. I understand asking children to choose some harder books alongside some easier ones. I certainly understand homeschoolers wanting kids to get a range of types of books. But I guess I still don't understand telling a child not to get a book out because it's too easy. One of my favorite books in 2-3rd grade (when I was reading 3-4 grade levels above that) was: One Fish Two Fish, Red Fish Blue Fish. I'd use it to pretend I was teaching other kids how to read!

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *sapphire_chan*
> 
> It may depend on how much time you spend in libraries or maybe the time of day or maybe it doesn't happen at all libraries. When I was working in a library I'd encounter families having that argument fairly regularly. I also overheard it as a teen when I'd study at the library for a longer time. Haven't encountered it at my local library yet, but when I'm there the only kids are under 5s.
> 
> ...


Yes, that's exactly what I've witnessed. And while I don't normally stand around watching parents & kids argue about books, when they're standing in front of the bookshelf you're trying to read and having this argument, it's hard to miss. I'm spending a lot of time in the Juvenile series section right now trying to find appropriate books to suggest for dd and ds. When I've had to avoid three such arguments in about as many weeks, I started to wonder.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Llyra*
> Quote:
> 
> 
> ...


Thank you -- I'm really glad to hear that there is such research out there. This has really helped me be more comfortable with not having pushed ds when he was in his Boxcar Children phase, or now when he's busy reading "The World According to Humphrey" series, which are definitely below his reading level. They're funny little books and he's really enjoying the humor and seeing the world through a hamster's eyes. I'm actually sorry that we've now read all 6 that have been published.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Dar*
> Quote:
> 
> 
> ...


I give my kids lots of direction and suggestions. Ds was remarkably resistant to suggestions and tends to get into ruts. I'm OK with that for now. For one thing, he's in school and being exposed to a range of books/genres there. He's read a real range for his book club at school. For the other, I really want my kids to enjoy reading and enjoy books. We've found a number of cute sets of books lately (Mr. Pin, the penguin detective; Humphrey the classroom hamster). It's more important to me that he enjoy it than he be made to work all the time. If we were homeschooling (bad idea all around, given the personalities in our family), then I'd require some reading at his reading level. Since school does that (yes, he gets reading enrichment at his level), I'm not going to worry.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *MJB*
> No one would think twice about challenging a struggling reader in kindergarten or first grade. There are kids in his class working their butts off to learn the sight word list. It's only fair for the kids who picked up reading quicker to have to put a little effort forth sometimes. When my oldest was in K, the easiest readers were a real challenge for him. I made him try anyway. Why shouldn't my 5 yr. old also be challenged?


Yes, sometimes he should be challenged, but should every book he read be a challenge? That's what I'm picking up from the arguments I'm overhearing. Admittedly, I didn't inquire into the circumstances and I'm making assumptions without knowing the whole story. Ds DOES tend to choose things that are too easy for him, and I was wondering if I should be more firm with him.Thanks to this thread, I've been able to think about it and come to the conclusion that no, I don't need to be more firm with him.


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## wondermama (May 10, 2005)

I do kind of a combo plan. I'm a Waldorf mom, and there is a *great* Waldorf student reading list (published as a book) with awesome suggestions for quality literature, organized by age/grade -- at the same time, I am aware that my dd has an, ahem, "earthy" sense of humor and loves Calvin and Hobbes, Garfield, etc., and I see how this nourishes that side of her. So, every other trip to the library, I go myself (without dd), armed with my Waldorf list, and get her a huge pile of books, plus some fluff (Nancy Drew, etc.) that I know she'll like. Then, when we return them, she gets to pick out whatever she wants. She's never complained about this, and enjoys the books I check out for her (even though she would never pick them out herself just by looking at them). It works for us.

I want to second what a pp said, that I was really left to my own devices as a child/teen in terms of reading -- and I really wish someone had been there to guide me to some of the more nourishing fare out there. It is only now, as an adult, through that Waldorf reading list, that I feel I am really getting a taste of what's out there, and what I could have been nourished by in childhood.


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## AtYourCervices (Feb 22, 2009)

I definitely suggest some books and will grab them in addition to what the children pick out.

We went to the library a couple weeks ago and my 4 y/o DD wanted to look at the "Holiday" section of books. I thought she might be interested in reading stories about Christmas. Nope. She wanted to get all the books on Halloween. So, we grabbed about half a dozen of them, and got some odd looks when we checked them out.









I recently purchased a calendar that depicts a classic piece of literature for every month. The plan is for each month 10 y/o DD will read that book. This month is Call of the Wild. DH has the original version and I bought the abridged version. I figured 10 y/o DD would get the option of reading either version but DH disagrees and wants her to read the "real" version. So, I'll be reading the shorter version to 4 y/o DD.


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## Alyantavid (Sep 10, 2004)

I don't really limit what they get unless it's really inappropriate.


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## JayGee (Oct 5, 2002)

I've had to set limits on the number of books they could take out (seriously, we took out 50 books at a time last summer and finding them all at due time was awful!) As for subject and reading level, DS is in 3rd and reads at about a 6/7th grade level. Some of the things he picks are too mature for him subject wise (I really don't want to have to explain abortion to my 9 yo son). I don't care if it's "drivel" or not, as long as they're reading. Although I do shudder when DD2 picks out yet another Disney Princess story. Yuck.


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## eepster (Sep 20, 2006)

I do limit (censor) DS's book selections. First, for practicality in regards to number. Secondly, in terms of age appropriate content and scariness.

Though I see no need to make restrictions on too easy books in our families current situation, I can imagine reasons why other families might feel a need. For instance: They may have been there specifically to get a book for a school book report. The parent may feel that the teacher would reject the too easy book, necessitating another trip to the library.

About the research showing that kids who read drivel for pleasure grow up to be adults who read drivel for pleasure... Does it do anything to show causation as opposed to simple correlation? Also, is there any research that shows that reading large amounts of drivel as an adult is of any value beyond the momentary enjoyment of the drive?. I read a lot of drivel, and an occasional useful book/magazines/news here and there. My eldest sister reads tons of drivel, and almost never anything particularly useful. My middle sister read a little drivel and occasional useful books/etc. My Dh reads practically no drivel, and a little useful books/etc. Guess which ones of us have the higher paying jobs?


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## Llyra (Jan 16, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *eepster*
> 
> I do limit (censor) DS's book selections. First, for practicality in regards to number. Secondly, in terms of age appropriate content and scariness.
> 
> ...


The research doesn't show that at all. It tells us that children who read what we seem to be calling "drivel" and enjoy it, grow up to be people who read for pleasure. Not that they grow up to continue to read drivel. But that they continue to read regularly and avidly for enjoyment-- which most adults in America no longer do.

What the research tells us:
1. Children who are allowed free choice in their pleasure reading are more likely to still be reading for pleasure as teenagers.
2. Teenagers who regularly read for pleasure score higher on measures of verbal ability and vocabulary.
3. "Lifelong readers," which we define as individuals who read often, and eagerly, for multiple purposes, throughout their lifespans, frequently report that a great deal of their reading is not particularly intellectually edifying-- series books, for example, or romances.
4. Adults who are lifelong readers raise children who are lifelong readers, and lifelong readers don't confine themselves to edifying classics-- they read a wide variety of whatever catches their interest, for both learning ("useful books") and for enjoyment ("drivel.")

We also know that reading is about more than getting a good job or going to a good college, and that "reading to learn" is only one kind of reading. Reading for relaxation is the key ingredient in the lifelong habit of reading. It is a habit that can bring a lifetime of joy and pleasure and learning into a person's life. We know that being overly controlling with children's reading choices often leads to them abandoning the habit of joyful pleasure reading. And we know that any reading at all contributes to one's skill as a reader-- the ability to read more easily and quickly, which is called fluency-- and that skillful readers tend to read MORE, which in turn builds further skill which further contributes to the enjoyment of reading. This hand-in-hand relationship of enjoyment and fluency seems to be what creates a lifelong reader.


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## sapphire_chan (May 2, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *eepster*  For instance: They may have been there specifically to get a book for a school book report. The parent may feel that the teacher would reject the too easy book, necessitating another trip to the library.


And if the parent doesn't just say "you need a different book for your book report", that's a different reason to be confused.

As for the reading habits of your friends and relations, wouldn't the people with the high-paying jobs have to work harder? Spend more time on reading in their field and staying up to date?

Dh is in a position of responsibility, but not a particularly high-level/high-stress sort of job and he reads at least three times as many industry books and articles as I do parenting books and articles. I read at least 50 times as much for fun (ranging from drivel to classic drivel to research studies) and he spends 50 times as much time playing video games. It's all about how people use downtime and what lets them process the day best.


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## eepster (Sep 20, 2006)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *sapphire_chan*
> 
> As for the reading habits of your friends and relations, wouldn't the people with the high-paying jobs have to work harder? Spend more time on reading in their field and staying up to date?
> 
> Dh is in a position of responsibility, but not a particularly high-level/high-stress sort of job and he reads at least three times as many industry books and articles as I do parenting books and articles. I read at least 50 times as much for fun (ranging from drivel to classic drivel to research studies) and he spends 50 times as much time playing video games. *It's all about how people use downtime and what lets them process the day best.*


bold mine

That's kind of my point. Some people enjoy reading for pleasure, some people don't. Some people prefer to play video games.

Growing up to be a person who enjoys reading for pleasure is being held up as a higher goal than growing up to be a person who enjoys playing video games for pleasure. Is it really an important goal though, or is it simply a personality difference. Do people who read for pleasure get more out of life than those that play video games for pleasure? Are people who read for pleasure better than those who choose other pastimes?

When guiding children about what books to choose, should our sole goal be to raise them to become adults who enjoy reading? Or, should we simply make sure they acquire the skills necessary to read for knowledge well enough to function in their chosen profession, and leave pleasure reading up to their own desire?

Both Dh and I read well enough to read for information when we need to. I happen to also read for pleasure. I just don't think it makes me better than Dh, just different.


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## sapphire_chan (May 2, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *eepster*
> 
> Quote:
> 
> ...


Oooohhh I get it now.

I think rather than "reading for pleasure" the significant finding is that they read more without being specifically enjoined to do so. More voluntary reading. So that, in general, a person who had the chance to choose many books as a child will end up being an adult who reads more than an adult in a given category, such as reading more work-related material and material that might not be strictly in their area and thus have a broader knowledge of things.

I need to read the study and find out how they defined "reading for pleasure".


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## Hoopin' Mama (Sep 9, 2004)

Ds is only 6. I offer suggestions.

I have been surprised at his book selection when he goes to the library at school. He is picking things that I traded in or stopped reading years ago. Like Eric Carle books and Knuffle Bunny. I am realizing though that these things that we used to read in board book form actually contain the words he is currently learning.

A part of me also wonders if he is drawn to these books because of memory, although he claims he doesn't remember them from his toddler years.

I will mention though that I am an avid reader and as a child I read things like the entire Peanuts series and any Looney Tunes comic book I could get my hands on. I eventually moved on and now I read a wide spectrum of genres. It makes me think that a love for reading can be best fostered if the child is allowed to enjoy it, regardless of (age appropriate) content.

That said, I have been known to adamantly refuse to read Iron Man as a bedtime book. I will not put myself through that pain. Dh will read it to him though and he is free to look at it anytime he would like.


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## OkiMom (Nov 21, 2007)

Mine don't read yet but I also don't let them pick all the books out of the library for me to read. I can just imagine what I would come home from because they would look at the cover and think its pretty so want to take it home. They can each pick 1 then I get 8-10 that I choose since I'm able to find things they might not originally want to check out but I figured they would like. Half the time they don't want me to reread the books to them that they pick but will ask for me to read the books I pick for them several times in the week-2 weeks we have them. Several of the books we've added to our book collection recently (if the kids really love a book it sometimes appears on their bookcases since I will buy it used off of Amazon) have been things the kids didn't want to check out but I did anyway and when I read it to them they loved it.

When they are older it will probably be they can check out x number they want but they have to read their school books first. Most likely Ill limit it to 2-4 books each depending on how many kids we have, how long we will have the books, personality of the child involved (is it going to turn into an issue? my oldest is very strong willed and I could see me fighting with her to get her school work done), and the length of the book (if I know she will finish it in a couple of hours it would be easier to say yes to then if I think its going to be a time eater). I do plan on keeping an eye on what they like when they start to read and incorporate their interests into the school plans. That way they can read some of the books they want to without it being an interference. Or maybe do an open part of the lesson plan to include self motivated reading.


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## hildare (Jul 6, 2009)

i've only read some of this thread but have to put forth my opinion.

i'm a librarian, and have worked as a children's librarian. in that position, i witnessed how children were crushed when they were only "allowed" to check out books that were on their AR levels. I feel that we're doing children a disservice when we limit their choices in that way. It's fine to suggest how to pick books that they might enjoy (we did the 5 finger rule for harder books. a kid picks out a book, and looks at a page. if there are 5 words on that page he/she cannot understand or read, it's probably better to either only take the book to have someone help read out loud at home, such as for a bedtime story, or else pick something a little easier and find that book later on when the words can be understood. they can even keep a log of books to read in the future, and write down the title).

for the books that are "too easy" (and want to see something scary? it absolutely broke my heart when i saw this story in the times: editing post because Elvie'smom already posted that article!  ) many of the picture books have wonderful art, and for some books, that is the point. what is the potential harm in kids looking at pictures/art? it isn't always about the words. sometimes books with few words can have deep meaning, or allow a kid to feel successful in a time of learning so many new things, or remind the child of a loved memory or a storyline that preceeds imaginative dreaming. That is where writers come from, as well as artists and musicians.. those 'easy' books are just not something i would discourage.

for the harder or age inappropriate books, i don't know that kids understand things like that in the way that an adult would. i remember as a child, being a huge reader, just skipping over the stuff that i didn't 'get.' i could read at age 4, and my parents NEVER censored my reading.  i was allowed to pick anything from the library. if it was good, i read it. if it didn't apply to me, i returned it and got something different next time.

for the kids who would just bring home enormous stacks that they couldn't get through, what about getting a specific large capacity book bag/tote. they can take that to the library and fill it with whatever, but make the child responsible for carrying it and keeping up with the books, allowing natural consequences -- if you lose that book, you can't get more till you find it. if you can't carry the bag, you probably have too many books.

kids are already under pressure, if they are in public schools, to read crap other people pick for them. i really and truly believe in allowing kids autonomy with the reading choices.


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## ollyoxenfree (Jun 11, 2009)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *hildare*
> 
> for the books that are "too easy" (and want to see something scary? it absolutely broke my heart when i saw this story in the times: editing post because Elvie'smom already posted that article!  ) many of the picture books have wonderful art, and for some books, that is the point. what is the potential harm in kids looking at pictures/art? it isn't always about the words. sometimes books with few words can have deep meaning, or allow a kid to feel successful in a time of learning so many new things, or remind the child of a loved memory or a storyline that preceeds imaginative dreaming. That is where writers come from, as well as artists and musicians.. those 'easy' books are just not something i would discourage.


That article is heart-breaking. I have my own collection of picture books that I add to every once in awhile if I admire the writing and the artwork. Occasionally, I even buy a picture book for my dc and they are teenagers. Sometimes I'll find a beautiful edition from a beloved author that we don't own or something that seems relevant to an occasion in their lives.

What strikes me as funny is that avid readers will read almost anything available, and "easy" or "hard" is almost irrelevant. If the morning newspaper didn't get delivered, they will read the back of the cereal box at breakfast. On the bus, they read the ads. In waiting rooms without magazines they pick up the information pamphlets.

It seems to me that parents may be skipping some steps while trying to develop their children's reading skills. They want to develop fluent readers with critical analytical literary skills. That's a lot easier to do if the child first learns to love reading and continues to think of it as an enjoyable activity. That usually happens when they are given freedom to read and explore books on their own.

When my kids were young and we visited the library, I know I usually made suggestions or picked a few books for them myself. They always chose their own, from pretty much any section of the library they wanted. The children's section usually kept them satisfied, unless they had a particular interest that needed a trip into the reference or non-fiction area. I recall exhausting the "trains and locomotives" books in the transportation section before DS had his 4th birthday.


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## LynnS6 (Mar 30, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *eepster*
> 
> That's kind of my point. Some people enjoy reading for pleasure, some people don't. Some people prefer to play video games.
> 
> Growing up to be a person who enjoys reading for pleasure is being held up as a higher goal than growing up to be a person who enjoys playing video games for pleasure. Is it really an important goal though, or is it simply a personality difference. Do people who read for pleasure get more out of life than those that play video games for pleasure? Are people who read for pleasure better than those who choose other pastimes?


It's not about being 'better' but it is about giving my kids the option to read for pleasure. We know that reading begets reading. If a child doesn't read, they won't have the skills to read for pleasure. Thus, they can't choose to read for pleasure. If my child (when they grow up) has the skills to read for pleasure and chooses to play video games, fine with me. But if a child watches TV or plays video games because reading is too difficult (because they didn't get enough practice), then that's sad.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *eepster*
> 
> When guiding children about what books to choose, should our sole goal be to raise them to become adults who enjoy reading? Or, should we simply make sure they acquire the skills necessary to read for knowledge well enough to function in their chosen profession, and leave pleasure reading up to their own desire?


But here's the deal: Reading is a skill and you need a basic level of fluency and vocabulary to be able to function in your profession. At 6 or 10, I don't know what my kids professions are going to be, so I need to make sure that they have excellent reading skills. The best way to get reading skills is to read. And read. And read some more .It's a vicious circle. People who read get better at it, people who don't, fall further behind. The harder reading is, the less likely a child is to do it and so they're less likely to gain the skills they need for any profession. My goal is not to raise someone who reads for pleasure (though that would be nice), but someone who is not afraid of reading.


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## mamaofthree (Jun 5, 2002)

i do occationally set limits in what my middle son picks out. he isn't a strong reader yet, but will pick out very complex books that everyone else is suppose to read to him, and no one really wants to (like quantum physics or something like that. lol) . so i will just set them down before we leave, OR have him make a choice before we go. we have a book limit (25 books and videos total) so i might say: " you need to choose 3 of these books.." and let him pick which ones he wants to keep. it is usually because in the end the books do not interest him all that much and then i just have to keep track of 25 books and no one is reading them. lol

i also monitor the scariness factor of the books as the little boys will pick out stuff that can be pretty scary.

and that article is VERY sad. we have a HUGE bookshelf in our house devoted to nothing but picture books. we love them. all the kids do (even my teenagers! lol) they are just so lovely to look at and the stories are not shallow meaningless drivel. usually they have really great messages.

as for reading for pleasure vs computer gaming for pleasure... i do think there is a difference. i don't know many people who have issues in getting some sort of computer time in every single day, and goofing off on the computer where it be gaming or watching movies or whatever... but there is an issue with kids NOT reading in favor of gaming because reading is more challenging and they don't want to do it. not that i expect them to read for pleasure, but i do want them to know how to read and be able to read well enough to get into whatever profession they want. i mean even people who design games have to read, so it is a pretty important skill. and i want them to enjoy it and it not a be horrible chore. so far so good. they do watch TV and play games on the computer BUT they all enjoy reading or being read to.

h


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## eepster (Sep 20, 2006)

I'm kind of hoping the article about picture books is based on poorly gathered statistics. They are basing it on sales figures for the "picture book" section in large chain book stores. I only very very rarely buy $20 books from the part of the children's section labeled "picture books." I do buy plenty book that I think of as picture books though, from the bargain table, the rotating wracks of "leveled readers," Costco, etc.

For example, we don't have the hard cover version of If You Giver a Mouse a Cookie from the picture book section. Instead, we have a large compilation that has IYGaMaC bound together with 3 other titles by the same author-illustrator-team, along with music and cookie recipes etc. It cost $7 off the bargain table, instead of $20 from the "picture book" shelf.

The books on the leveled reader wracks are often the exact same words and illustrations as the ones on the "picture book" shelf, but happen to be $3.99 instead of $20. The differences are they are paper back instead of hard cover; they have a number printed on the cover and a general info about reading level on the back cover; they are a handy size for taking to restaurants. One does need to look at them carefully before choosing, since sometimes they have been abridged or altered (the leveled reader version of Snowman is very very different from the picture book version.)

So I wonder if the decline in buying "picture books" has more to do with what is reported as "picture books" on marketing reports than an actual decline in children being exposed to illustrated books.


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## Owen'nZoe (Sep 7, 2005)

Very good article, but that is a great point! I love picture books. My kids have access to tons of them, but I only ever buy them a beautiful new, hardcover one at Christmas, because they are so $$$. The rest are off the remainder shelves, from used book stores, from yard sales or from the library.

I also understood the point the bookseller was making, but the article made it sound like she felt there is something wrong with getting Stuart Little for a preschooler. I wish the article would have focused a little bit more on balance instead of making it sound like picture books are 'better'.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *eepster*
> 
> I'm kind of hoping the article about picture books is based on poorly gathered statistics. They are basing it on sales figures for the "picture book" section in large chain book stores. I only very very rarely buy $20 books from the part of the children's section labeled "picture books." I do buy plenty book that I think of as picture books though, from the bargain table, the rotating wracks of "leveled readers," Costco, etc.
> 
> ...


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## MJB (Nov 28, 2009)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *eepster*
> 
> Quote:
> 
> ...


I think there is actually a difference between reading and playing video games. Yes, I want my kids to grow up to be people who enjoy reading because I think reading is a really worthwhile thing to do. I don't have the same opinion of video games (and trust me, no work is needed to get my kids to like them). People gain something from a good book. I don't think you gain much, if anything, from playing NBA Jam for hours. I'm not anti-TV or anti-video games (we have both) but I do think some pastimes are better than others.


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## SpiderMum (Sep 13, 2008)

I wouldn't limit expect for inappropriate content....like porn or erotica for a young child. At this point we don't have much of an issue because she's too young to pick books out, but I don't pick books for her that are full of characters, have a bad message, or are full of school related things (which I think sets up an unschooled child for a lot of confusion).


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## leighi123 (Nov 14, 2007)

Ds is allowed to choose whatever he wants, and I usually add a couple books that I see that look good, and I also get some related to our current homeschool theme or something else relevant. If we are in a hurry, I randomly grab some off the shelf! The only think I dont allow are tv character books, which at the library are hard to find anyway so its not a big deal. He has chosen some really random books but still reads them (one of his favorites is a high school biology text book...)

Ds usually reads ALL of the books we end up with, he really enjoys them all.

I think he should choose whatever he wants, and I get to choose some too. If he reads what I choose, great, if not then oh well, they are library books so its no loss to me!


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## myk (Nov 24, 2006)

i figure i'm a pretty good judge of what is appropriate for my daughter, emotionally.. i won't let her take out subjects that would disturb her. but i certainly don't care if she takes out books that are "below" her. she wants a board book? um, ok.. if that's what you want. she'll take it out the same day she takes out a chapter book. she just turned 6, and she's a voracious reader. i see no reason to discourage her as long as the rest of her life is also balanced (during the summer my mom had to limit her reading to 2 hours per day so that she would still play outside.. but that's a different topic entirely). she reads books i can't stand, but she loves them so i grin and bear it. there's nothing wrong with the books, i just don't like them, so that's my problem not hers!


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## revolting (Sep 10, 2010)

My daughter is almost four. I don't let her pick out her books yet. When I've tried to have her pick out books, she just grabs books off the shelves without looking. These are not things she would like to read. So, instead, I ask her what she would like books about and she picks a few topics and I get the books.


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## AudraR (Dec 4, 2010)

I don't limit the number, but the library does  We often take around 10 home at a time, and often times a few of them have already come home with us many times before. If they are reading, I am happy. When I purchase a *new* book, I like to use Little One Books online because they've already separated the books by each year of age, up to age 5, so it's easy to determine a book's appropriateness.


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## waiting2bemommy (Dec 2, 2007)

I don't limit books unless they are wildly inappropriate. And apparently my version of inappropriate is not like other people's version.

I had someone recently come to me with a book in one hand and my ds in the other "I thought you'd want to know that your son was looking at this book and -gasp- showing it to his friend." It was an old 1970's textbook on natural childbirth, complete with full page, full color pictures of naked women. God forbid we know what a REAL vagina looks like. Now I don't know why he picked that book, because it wasn't on his bookshelf, and it is probably the ugliest cover on any of MY childbirth/breastfeeding books. but I really am fine with it.

Now, I DO restrict him from taking out books OR movies that have scary pictures or a lot of suspense, because that makes him very anxious. He can't read much yet, but if he sees a book with a word he knows in the title he thinks that means he can read the whole book and insists on bringing it home. lol we have acquired some very....unusual books that way.


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## straighthaircurly (Dec 17, 2005)

I have never told DS not to check out a book. However, I have pointed out to him if a book seems ridiculously simple (2 words to a page kind of book when he flies through chapter books) and is unlikely to hold his attention for long. I just mention that the book won't take him very long so he might want to read it while we are at the library rather than use up one of the seven books I allow him to check out each visit (more books than that and they start to get lost in the house). But I recognize that some days he is just in the mood for books with cool pictures since most of what he is reading these days doesn't have pictures.


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## happysmileylady (Feb 6, 2009)

AR was mentioned by a previous poster and that's totally what I was thinking. There are kids who will "sandbag" their AR stuff so that they get the higher scores without much work. When I was a kid, we had a program at my elementary school called Book It. It had different levels with different prizes and you tracked your reading based on the amount you read...either by number of books or number of pages when you were reading chapter books. You had to read 15 books to move up to the next level. I was in 4th grade and several of my friends were reading 15 "books" in a night because they were reading board books. I can totally see a parent who has a kid doing that type of thing requiring that the kid get at least one book at reading level, if not several.

In addition, if the mom or the library has a limit of how many books they can check out at once, I can certainly understand a mom wanting her kid to pick out one or more books that will take more than 10 minutes for the kid to read.

Unless you are seeing the kids, and books and seeing the moms and kids regularly, I wouldn't really assume anything. You never know if they have been working on branching out or if the kids have been trying to "cheat" reading programs or whatever.


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## SuburbanHippie (Aug 29, 2008)

I do place limits for my oldest child. He's 11 and reads above his reading level. If he had it his way, he would only read anime cartoon books. These have about 5 sentences per page and he's done reading each in about 20 minutes. 5 books will last him an hour. Then he wants me to drive him back to the library again. No way.

I started allowing him to get 2 of the anime books and 3 other chapter novels. This has worked out quite well for us. I'm not driving to the library every day and he's expanding his world by choosing books he wouldn't normally pick. Since then he's started to pick up more adult/fantasy (not erotica fantasy- like dragons/creatures etc fantasy) books and he's starting to slightly pull away from the anime.


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## Parker'smommy (Sep 12, 2002)

I've discouraged the reading of too large of books for my ds. And it's because he just can't focus on a 500 page book right now . For example, he got "Dragon Rider". And he enthusiastically read the first 3 chapters with gusto! And then he lost interest....for 3 months. And then he wants to start reading it again, but he's forgotten some of what he read, and so he has to reread, and then....he loses interest again. It just is too difficult. I told him to put it away, and maybe next year, he can try again. So, when we go to the library, I ask him to get smaller books with less pages so that he can actually read an entire story, front to back.


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## Lisa1970 (Jan 18, 2009)

I would a little bit, maybe. But there are great benefits to reading ability that involves reading books that are at a lower reading level. Besides..who assigns the reading levels anyway? I read lots of things that are below my level. It is not much fun to read when you have to work hard the whole time to push yourself to "learn" more. Reading for fun is fine.

The only time I would regulate it is if they picked a book on topic matter that I did not want them to have. Not sure what that topic matter is, as they have never picked a book on that. But, I would limit that. Oh..I know...maybe a Family Guy comic book or something..if they make those.


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## Delicate (Jan 22, 2011)

No way.

I don't care if it's at their "level." THEY are obviously getting something from it, and I value what my kids value and I respect them and their interests, even if I don't personally understand it. I think it's horribly disrespectful to another person to tell them that they can't read something they want to because it's "not hard enough" for them. Reading should be for joy, not for prestige of the "level" of it. I don't want to ruin that for them. No one dictates that I read at a certain level just because I'm at a certain capability. For chrissake, my degree is in literature, and I still get great enjoyment out of novels I could not only write myself, but could write better. That doesn't mean they're not enjoyable and that I don't get something out of them. Why would children be any different?

I don't believe in censorship either, so go crazy. If it's that bad, they'd probably lose interest anyway, and if not, we'll just read it together and talk about it.

I ask my daughters to not take out too many books at once. We're pretty disorganized and inevitably if one of us (I'm guilty of it as much as they are) take out too amny, we lose track very quickly. But it happens, and we always do find them eventually. $1.77 in library fees is peanuts.


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## mama1803 (Mar 4, 2008)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Delicate*
> 
> No way.
> 
> I don't care if it's at their "level." THEY are obviously getting something from it, and I value what my kids value and I respect them and their interests, even if I don't personally understand it. I think it's horribly disrespectful to another person to tell them that they can't read something they want to because it's "not hard enough" for them. Reading should be for joy, not for prestige of the "level" of it. I don't want to ruin that for them. No one dictates that I read at a certain level just because I'm at a certain capability. For chrissake, my degree is in literature, and I still get great enjoyment out of novels I could not only write myself, but could write better. That doesn't mean they're not enjoyable and that I don't get something out of them. Why would children be any different?


 ITA.


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## SuburbanHippie (Aug 29, 2008)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Delicate*
> 
> No way.
> 
> I don't care if it's at their "level." THEY are obviously getting something from it, and I value what my kids value and I respect them and their interests, even if I don't personally understand it. I think it's horribly disrespectful to another person to tell them that they can't read something they want to because it's "not hard enough" for them. Reading should be for joy, not for prestige of the "level" of it.


So what if your child decided they only wanted to read board books? You wouldn't try to guide him towards books geared toward his age group? Really?


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## seagull (Jun 29, 2005)

I have to admit that I do limit and reject some of the choices from my 5 and 3 year old. We go to several libraries, but one of them has an entire display of pop lit for toy brands. I can't tell you what I have endured by reading Little Pony, Barbie, Thomas, Dora, and Princess stories. I only let them get one book each off of those shelves because I cannot stand the quality of writing and the commercialization. Plus, they are flimsy paperbacks that seem to always be losing pages.


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## quaz (May 24, 2005)

While I have not told my daughter she can not read something, I have strongly suggested other material.

I had a child that went on a reading strike for over a year, where she went from reading chapter books, to only picture books. Yes, I know that many picture books are at a higher reading level than chapter books. Yes, I know that she was getting something from the picture books. I also know, though, there was some reason for a long continued book strike. Because of that I continued to give her chapter book suggestions, and ideas. My fear was that she was purposefully lowballing what she could read because she was fearful of standing out and being different. It would have been different if it was a few months, but we are talking about over a year.

I think what helped confirm my concern... this happened at the beginning of K, and ended several weeks into summer break.

Tammy

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *SuburbanHippie*
> 
> Quote:
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## Delicate (Jan 22, 2011)

Really. It's not about the books or the level. It's about respect.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *SuburbanHippie*
> 
> Quote:
> 
> ...


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## Smithie (Dec 4, 2003)

I'm a voracious reader who's likely to raise three little voracious readers. I'm not a censorship fan and I couldn't care less if they read books at a lower "level," but I read SO MUCH NIHILISTIC CRAP aimed at the YA market, from the time I was 10 years old or so, that I've decided I need to read every. single. book. in that genre that that comes into this house, so I'll know when to start conversations about incest, devil worship, etc. After my mom got a load of some of the YA stuff, she turned me loose on adult romance novels, because the only problematic content there is sex between two attractive consenting adults. Which is actually not problematic.


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## Tigerchild (Dec 2, 2001)

I generally let my kids check out whatever they want so long as it's developmentally appropriate (I don't limit them to the kids' section, they all LOVE non-fic and artist books, but I would redirect them from erotica and stuff like the twilight series at this point--though a book about vampire mythology or the human atlas, go for it babe).

The only thing in the "appropriate" category that I don't allow them to check out are books we already have. I feel like if they do that they may be denying other kids who don't already have that book a chance to enjoy it. Otherwise, yes, they could check out all board books and i don't care. at the school library, they are limited to 2 "just right" and 1 "for fun" books, so they already have some structure there and in the classroom. I see no reason why they have to be limited in their free time as well.

As time goes on I envision this as a good foil for censorship that inherently exists in the school library system. For example our elementary school does not have the Twilight series (not that I am complaining about that), but they DO have the Hunger Games trilogy. Now, I agree that the Collins books are superior in ideas and writing, but come on--there are kids brutally torturing and killing other children, child prostitution, ect. in those books, yet Twilight can't be in there because of romance (however laced with domestic violence it may be) and teen marriage and all that other stuff? Yeah, right. The nice thing about the public library (at least in my area) is that they have both. i would talk with my kids about the disturbing themes in both, but at least they have access to all.

Like Smithie, I am a lightening quick, voracious reader. if my kids wanted to check out a book I hadn't read before, I'd just read it first. it would take maybe half a day tops. If i didn't have that natural inclination though--i have to remind myself that it is logical for other people to be more cautious.

I still don't get why anyone gives a care what other people's kids check out at the library though. So what if someone limits/redirects their kids (or doesn't)? You don't know the reason, unless you ask. If you're not brave enough to ask them personally (because each parent is likely to be different), then as far as I'm concerned you should probably myob.


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## *LoveBugMama* (Aug 2, 2003)

This is an interesting topic.









I`m Norwegian, living in Norway. And it seems like we here don`t have as much of a focus on reading at "the right level" as some other countries, from what I have read in this thread. (and the links provided.) At my sons school they just want them to read.







All the kids are expected to have a book available every day, so they can read when they have a little freetime, when they eat etc. But no one seems to care what they read, as long as they read. Luckily.

I would not regulate what my son reads, or takes out from the library. He chooses freely, and always has. He had a periode (over a year) when he was around 4 where he was pretty obsessed with pregnancy and birth. He took out a lot of books about birth in that periode.







Some with graphic pictures of women giving birth, complete with blood and full frontal nudity. And that was totally ok with me. He learned soo much from that periode!

Now he is almost 10, and he isn`t very interested in reading, sadly. (But he is a pretty descent reader.) But he still likes picturebooks and books geared towards children younger than him. And I would absolutely never say he couldn`t borrow those books. I always let him take what he wants, and then I find some *I* think he would like. And we also always pick out some about the ocean, dinosaurs, tornadoes or something else he finds fascinating.

I believe reading is important. I think it helps build a great vocabulary, it teaches us about the power of the written word, it helps with the imagination etc. And I believe that reading should be *fun. *


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## loraxc (Aug 14, 2003)

Quote:


> if my kids wanted to check out a book I hadn't read before, I'd just read it first.


Gosh, really? Wait, how old are your kids? See, I'm a super-fast reader too--and so is my DD! She routinely checks out 15+ chapter books at a time and is capable of reading several in a day. No way could I vet them all (not and get my own reading done!) I do try to quickly assess them, though I can only recall taking one away (it was a YA book about child abuse/runaways that was in with a bunch of kids' books someone gave us). In that case it was obvious from the back of the book.
Quote:


> After my mom got a load of some of the YA stuff, she turned me loose on adult romance novels, because the only problematic content there is sex between two attractive consenting adults. Which is actually not problematic.


I really see your point here! Interesting.


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## Tigerchild (Dec 2, 2001)

Yes, really. I read 2-3 adult (meaning not YA or kids' books, not porn/romancenovels) a day on a regular basis (unless I have a big project or something). I don't watch TV, and I've cut my online time back significantly, and I often have chunks of the day where I have 30-40 minutes of time available to me. I don't really understand the snark about this--I did say that I didn't expect most people to have my mad reading skillz. That is why I don't have to worry much about it. None of my kids seems to have inherited that ability, and they're all much older than I was when I started setting goals at various bases (military brat here) to read all of the books in the library (that I was allowed to check out--at least when I was growing up there were age restrictions on some titles or they were not allowed to be checked out by civilians) by the time we transferred (usually every 12-18 months).

So yep, golly gee, that would sure work for me.  It's why I have empathy for people who could not do that. Easy for me to say I'd just read the book first--because I'm capable of doing that without making my child wait for longer than a day. Other people have more difficult choices to make, and I do not envy them.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *loraxc*
> 
> Quote:
> 
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## loraxc (Aug 14, 2003)

Tigerchild, my tone wasn't meant to be snarky, if you read it that way. I have a precious half hour or so a day for uninterrupted reading, and I couldn't bear to spend it reading some of the dreck DD checks out....I want to read my own stuff! I couldn't possibly sacrifice it to, I dunno, Kaya and the Lone Dog: A Friendship Story, (currently being read by DD) or even Ramona Forever, which I did not pre-vet to my downfall, as it contains a sad pet death.


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## Lisa1970 (Jan 18, 2009)

I might suggest some other books, but otherwise, no. There is an academic benefit to reading books below grade level. But regardless, what is wrong with reading for fun only? I mean, what I read is mostly just about what I want to read, not about what will get me ahead academically. I think it turns a child off to reading to be under constant pressure of only reading books at certain levels.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *SuburbanHippie*
> 
> So what if your child decided they only wanted to read board books? You wouldn't try to guide him towards books geared toward his age group? Really?


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## CBEmomma (Oct 24, 2010)

Nope. ds1 is allowed to take any childrens book that interests him. When he's older and into reading more then we'll expand to other areas of interest.


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## Honey693 (May 5, 2008)

DD2 is only 2.5, but I don't see myself limiting books unless she grabs erotica off the shelf. The only time I do now is when she wants to renew Carl the Dog for the 3rd time. I can't read that book for 9 weeks straight and they're incredibly popular so I feel bad for other kids who want to check it out.


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## trianglekitty (Feb 22, 2011)

I typically just lurk here, but this thread hits home with me and I felt the need to share.

My mother took me to the library twice a week, and never restricted what I picked out. I read some pretty heavy books when I was a kid and yes, I did have nightmares, but I don't really see nightmares as a bad thing. It is the mind's way of working through scary concepts. When I was eight or so I read David Gerrold's War of the Chtorr series. On the surface the series is about giant alien worms eating people, but there's a lot about taking responsibility for your life and what responsibility really means. Those books more or less set my moral code for the rest of my life and I'm so glad I read them when I did.

When I was about 10 I read a book called Ashes to Ashes in which children are killed in various terrible ways. This book stuck me for life...I had frequent dreams about it into my adulthood. I could never remember the title or the author, only what the cover looked like. I spent well over a decade trying to find this sucker again, to the point I went back to the town where I grew up and searched through every single shelf in the library. I had people tell me the book never existed and I was clearly suffering from repressed memories of abuse. Someone on a book forum finally tracked down the title for me, and she only remembered it because she too had read it as a child and been haunted by it.

Not sure what the moral of the story is, but even after that book got stuck in my brain and basically tortured me half my life, I'm still glad my mom let me read any book I got my hands on, and I'd do the same with my own kids. If a book haunts you, it means there was something in that meant something to you. I want my kids to have a book or two that really gets stuck with them, even if that book is a little dark.


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## khhh (Feb 11, 2011)

My mom always monitored what I read. It wasn't a problem until lower school!


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## urbangoddess2 (Feb 17, 2011)

My kids are pretty good with choosing their own books without my help, but I would provide guidance if they chose a book at the wrong comprehension level or with inappropriate content (although the chances of that are pretty slim since the children's section is divided into comprehension levels corresponding to the comprehension levels from the schools exams). If I do voice my opinion, it's usually to suggest my SD read a book to help her with problems I'm having trouble helping her with (language barrier mostly)--she's a pre-teen, gah!


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## zebra15 (Oct 2, 2009)

Nope, DS10 is free to check out what ever he wants. I think the library cards have a limit of 35 or 50 items depending on which library system we are at. He can read whatever he chooses. Right now he wants 'thick' chapter books and is on the cusp of YA fiction. Don't worry, he still loves Eric Carle and Dr. Seuss too along with adult non fiction!

This child can easily read 500 pages a day. I dont censor.


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## QueenOfTheMeadow (Mar 25, 2005)

My 7 year old I censor as far as how many books he gets to take out. I used to let him take out 10 or so at a time, but we never got to all of them or we would misplace them and get fines until we found them. Now, it's 5 books at a time and we talk about whether he wants books to read on his own or books he wants ds and I to read to him.

My 9 yer old, I let him take out what he wants. I cringe sometimes, because he has recently taken out all sorts of children's books about WWI and WWII. It just makes me a bit nervous, but I've looked at them and they are non-fiction and informational, and as much as I'd love to stop him from learning about war, it's his interest. sigh.

My 11 year old, I can have no issues with. He take out what he wants and is very responsible with his books. He doesn't usually take out more than he can read in two weeks, and if he does, he makes sure to reniew it on line.


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