Our recent bedtime stories

Demon Dentist by David Walliams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another brilliant book by David Walliams. Loved reading it to my daughter at bedtime.

Had us laughing at times and scared at others. Why does know one believe the children that the new dentist is a witch?

A bitter sweet comedy that runs you through a gamut of emotions. Some great characters and once again with Raj the newsagent.

The Lost Journals of Benjamin Tooth by Mackenzie Crook
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a book my daughter chose when trying to resolve the buy one get half price offer in Waterstones! It seemed an intriguing read based on the cover...

So I have been reading from the journal every night at bedtime. It starts off ordinarily enough if based in the 18th century so some of the language etc is obviously old fashioned. Benjamin seems like an ordinary boy of his time with a fascination for nature and a desire to become a famous naturalist.

Things however never do go to plan in a story and he meets the mysterious Farley Cupstart on Windvale Moor and his life completely changes... Benjamin grows to manhood without fulfilling all his dreams but maybe the mysterious creatures he saw on the moor can make his fortune?

My daughter and I agree that he starts off a likeable person but we grew to dislike him as the book went on. Maybe it's our modern revulsion at old fashioned ways of studying nature - ie kill it then study it!

Not sure I want to read more of the series but wonder if my daughter will?

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Revisiting this as a bed time story with my 7 year old. He loved the film so I thought it was time to read the books to him.

Perfect for fans of fantasy and an intriguing way to learn about Greek mythology. Fancy learning that your dad was really a Greek god?

Fighting monsters and solving a mystery against the clock to avert a major war in Olympus. It's a baptism of fire for Percy. Good job he has friends in the shape of Grover the satyr and Annabeth daughter of Athena.

A good mix of action and intrigue.

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Keeping kids reading

Regular visitors to my blog will know that I'm a book worm and passionate about reading. I have always hoped that my children will follow in my footsteps. They have grown up in homes full of books and were introduced at an early age to the library.

 

It is incredibly rare for my children to go to bed without me (or a grandparent) reading to them. In fact one of the worst punishments I can dish out is to not read to them as they get very upset. The choice of reading material has worked it's way from picture books and is now starting to become chapter books. We all like the suspense of waiting for the next night to see what happens next! Sometimes these are books new to all of us but also I am revisiting favourites from my own childhood with stories such as The Magicians Nephew and The Hobbit.

 

The children both enjoy reading to me too. This year my son at nearly 6 has really got into reading and has moved on a few levels already. He is so keen to read his new book each night that he reads it to me in the car on the way home! Partly this fuelled by a competitive streak as he wants to be at a higher level than his friends in class. He also enjoys picking out words in his bedtime stories or reading them from other sources. I really hope that he carries on being this enthusiastic.

 

My daughter is really turning out to be a chip off the old block when it comes to reading. She loves to read way after lights out in bed every night. The level of her reading has suddenly leapt up. At 8 she is devouring books by Roald Dahl and tonight I started her off on her first Discworld novel Wee Free Men. She is a pretty confident and competent reader though the vocabulary can stretch her a bit especially when reading aloud. Today she said she would rather read than play on her DS which is a good thing.

 

Long may both my children love reading and being read too. It will be such a shame when they are too old for a bedtime story. Though I guess we will all end up curled in our favourite chairs with our noses in our own books!

 

How have you encouraged your children to read and what tips could you offer to those with more reluctant readers?