Kids and reading #blogvember

Never too soon to start long form books

Never too soon to start long form books

My son can’t read … yet. He can recognise letters and his own name. He knows when you *cough* skip over sections or pages of familiar books. He has been read to since the day he was born. His bedroom hosts the philosophy, poetry and reference sections of our library. When he was tiny, he did delight in making me furious by pulling the ones on the bottom shelf off, one at a time. Mostly he understands that books need to be treated with respect. I have never told him he can’t read a book. I will read him any book, any time. I have made myself a rule, which is often exploited, that I would never refuse him a book or reading time.

Today I read an article in the New York Times about reading books to kids. Or to be clear about what it is actually about, censoring books on the fly while reading to kids. The piece describes Lynn Messina’s attempts to read Harry Potter to her five year old. She has caved in to her child’s persistent requests for her to read Harry Potter aloud. However, rather that just read it, as it is written, she censors as she goes. As she does, of course, she warps the plot. At first I think it must be a spoof, a troll, a joke. But no, it is real and earnest. Eventually, after making it through the first book, she decides not to continue with book two. This woman is a writer. She changes stupid to silly, she changes kill to hurt. I wonder why she bothered at all?

I have written before about the wildness of childhood, and in particularly of the role of Sendak’s books in helping children to make sense of the world that is much more huge than they imagine. There are so many great books, I cannot imagine censoring one book, because the child wanted it. If the child wants it, let them read, or read it to them. Children are much more capable of dealing with the world than we ever give them credit for. More able to comprehend and their hearts are pure, motives simple. Unlike ours.