Graphic Novels: The Hobbit
I'm not really going to review The Hobbit. We know the story.
I checked out a graphic novel version of The Hobbit last month from the library. I like getting books like this because... I'll be honest here... they seem like such COOL books. All the smart people in school read books like this when we were kids and people reference it as adults. But I never read it. I wasn't much of a reader when I was a kid and I don't know why. I love to read now. I've spent a lot of time in recent years trying to make up for things I didn't read when I was in high school and college. But I'm particularly keen to share these books with my kids.
Now, my kids are 4 and 6. I'll admit, there are plenty of picture books out there that they still love to read. But I've noticed there are a lot of interesting books out there in graphic novel format. We started last year with volumes of comic books. Classics like Spiderman, Batman and Superman caught Rowan's eye and I read nothing but for about 9 months (leading to my first pair of glasses). We've read some of Captain Underpants. We read a bunch of the Warriors series about cat clans. Those were really interesting. If it was in graphic novel format and in full-color, he was game to read it. How cool is that? The boy just wants pictures. Then I noticed there was a copy of The Little Prince on the shelf. We started... but nobody but me was interested. So we put it away (for now). Then we found the graphic novel of The Hobbit!
We were having a great time with it, but then Rowan, who is 6, lost interest. Got a bit bored (this is from a boy who finds Little House books especially compelling... you just never know), But little Amelia kept asking about Bilbo, so we kept on reading after lunch while big brother is at school. I see now why she is the one who is keen. Amelia is a little darker, with a fantabulous imagination and memory that baffles me. She can hold all these characters and their little wierdnesses in her mind and spin them all day long. Tolkien is perfect for her.
Sure, I could wait until my kids are older to introduce them to titles like this. But after we started reading the Laura Ingalls Wilder series together, I sorta got excited about reading books that ALL of us would enjoy together. There is something really magical about that. We can talk about them in the car, at meals. I can bring up scenes from the books to help explain something that's going on in real life. Also, because of all the pictures, they can pick up the books in between our reading times and look through the book and piece through what we've read... just using the pictures. They could never do that at this age with the original text. Similarly, the pictures can help carry the story when the dialogue gets a little out of reach.
My friend Kate in Bath tells me about her family growing up. She said as a young girl, her mum used to read aloud the first chapter of some classics to her until she was hooked. Then she would take over on her own. I really like that idea. Will probably be calling her or her mum to get a list of books they liked together.
It really is my hope that Amelia and Rowan will both grow up reading a lot of great books. Maybe not the same books I think are great, but I at least want to get them some exposure to some great literature. And I hope taking this walk together will be one step towards that. I often advise new parents that even though their own diet is rubbish, now that they have a baby, they can start improving their own diet. Step by step, along with their baby. I feel like I'm doing the same with literature. Being a parent is great that way.
If you have young kids and haven't stumbled upon the world of graphic novels, I'd really encourage you to have a look. In La Center, we have a little library. But it's part of a larger network and our staff is SOOOO good, and they often take a lot of time to help me find great books for me to read, and for my kids. Maybe your librarian can give you some ideas too.
p.s... any other great ideas for reading you'd like to send my way?
I checked out a graphic novel version of The Hobbit last month from the library. I like getting books like this because... I'll be honest here... they seem like such COOL books. All the smart people in school read books like this when we were kids and people reference it as adults. But I never read it. I wasn't much of a reader when I was a kid and I don't know why. I love to read now. I've spent a lot of time in recent years trying to make up for things I didn't read when I was in high school and college. But I'm particularly keen to share these books with my kids.
Now, my kids are 4 and 6. I'll admit, there are plenty of picture books out there that they still love to read. But I've noticed there are a lot of interesting books out there in graphic novel format. We started last year with volumes of comic books. Classics like Spiderman, Batman and Superman caught Rowan's eye and I read nothing but for about 9 months (leading to my first pair of glasses). We've read some of Captain Underpants. We read a bunch of the Warriors series about cat clans. Those were really interesting. If it was in graphic novel format and in full-color, he was game to read it. How cool is that? The boy just wants pictures. Then I noticed there was a copy of The Little Prince on the shelf. We started... but nobody but me was interested. So we put it away (for now). Then we found the graphic novel of The Hobbit!
We were having a great time with it, but then Rowan, who is 6, lost interest. Got a bit bored (this is from a boy who finds Little House books especially compelling... you just never know), But little Amelia kept asking about Bilbo, so we kept on reading after lunch while big brother is at school. I see now why she is the one who is keen. Amelia is a little darker, with a fantabulous imagination and memory that baffles me. She can hold all these characters and their little wierdnesses in her mind and spin them all day long. Tolkien is perfect for her.
Sure, I could wait until my kids are older to introduce them to titles like this. But after we started reading the Laura Ingalls Wilder series together, I sorta got excited about reading books that ALL of us would enjoy together. There is something really magical about that. We can talk about them in the car, at meals. I can bring up scenes from the books to help explain something that's going on in real life. Also, because of all the pictures, they can pick up the books in between our reading times and look through the book and piece through what we've read... just using the pictures. They could never do that at this age with the original text. Similarly, the pictures can help carry the story when the dialogue gets a little out of reach.
My friend Kate in Bath tells me about her family growing up. She said as a young girl, her mum used to read aloud the first chapter of some classics to her until she was hooked. Then she would take over on her own. I really like that idea. Will probably be calling her or her mum to get a list of books they liked together.
It really is my hope that Amelia and Rowan will both grow up reading a lot of great books. Maybe not the same books I think are great, but I at least want to get them some exposure to some great literature. And I hope taking this walk together will be one step towards that. I often advise new parents that even though their own diet is rubbish, now that they have a baby, they can start improving their own diet. Step by step, along with their baby. I feel like I'm doing the same with literature. Being a parent is great that way.
If you have young kids and haven't stumbled upon the world of graphic novels, I'd really encourage you to have a look. In La Center, we have a little library. But it's part of a larger network and our staff is SOOOO good, and they often take a lot of time to help me find great books for me to read, and for my kids. Maybe your librarian can give you some ideas too.
p.s... any other great ideas for reading you'd like to send my way?
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