Read-Aloud Thursday: Parrots, Hamsters, Goblins, and American History

I’ve wanted to participate in Read Aloud Thursday for awhile now. It’s an opportunity to share the books your family is experiencing together. I have an 11-year-old and a 9-year-old, and as usual the reading we’ve been doing is all over the map. The one kind of book that’s lacking is — Valentine’s Day books! That’s really lame, considering that my husband and I got engaged on Valentine’s Day fifteen years ago… Yet here we are, still doing life together, rearing our two amazing daughters and growing old together. :-) You might say we’re writing our own Valentine story, right?

So without further ado, here are some of the books the girls and I have explored lately. Alex the Parrot tells the story of an African gray parrot famous for his intelligence. His owner Irene Pepperberg worked extensively to test and document the scope of his learning for 30 years. There’s a Nova segment on him here. Both girls loved it, though we didn’t see the ending coming — Alex’s premature death from heart failure. For bird lovers or anyone interested in animal intelligence, this beautifully illustrated book provides a detailed look at a well-known, well-loved example. When he died, his loss was mourned by a whole community of scientists and other admirers.

Winter According to Humphrey is the latest in Betty Birney’s series of books about this lovable classroom hamster. When we first came upon this series we owned hamsters; all four have passed on, yet we still have a soft spot in our hearts for these spunky little rodents. We aren’t quite finished with this book, but it bears the usual trademarks of Humphrey’s compassion for his human caretakers in Room 26, and his efforts to provide solutions for their problems and needs in family and school life. In this story he learns to play the piano! We love Humphrey.

The most challenging read of the week is Christina Rossetti’s “Goblin Market,” a narrative poem that was included in my 6th grader’s history reading list. Both girls felt it to be good and interesting, but “hard to explain.” Others would agree; Google it and you’ll find plenty of discussion, some of it unsettling when considering how to approach the poem with elementary-aged kids. There is lots of biblical imagery and thematic material, and also some sensual imagery that I felt strange reading aloud. Basically I tried to use their questions to model how a reader might tease out an understanding.

I’m interested in how captivated children are by a poem like this. It’s complex for them by just about every measure — syntax, vocabulary, form, allusions, meaning. It explores darkness and danger without simplifying it, and it struck me as having an odd blend of ambiguity and moralism. Yet kids are not intimidated by their own confusion in the way adults sometimes are.

On a much lighter poetic note, we’ve also enjoyed some animal poetry (my review here) and excerpts from Alice in Wonderland, also on Older Daughter’s reading list. My younger daughter has a reading list too, and she’s been reading Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Prior to this I had been letting her get lost in various short books about Star Wars and princesses (I love that combination!), but after doing some rereading in The Well-Trained Mind I decided it was time to reassert a more directive role.

We’ve been focusing on the American Revolution and the writing of the Constitution in history, and I decided we’d hang out in this period a little longer than originally scheduled so that we could read around and get a richer feel for it than we’d be able to if we simply dashed through it in a week. Inspired by Laura and Carrie in Little Town on the Prairie, we are working on memorizing the beginning of the Declaration of Independence. And equally inspired (and assisted) by Schoolhouse Rock we are brushing up on the Preamble to the Constitution.

Here are a few other books we’ve used, together or separately. Further suggestions are welcome!

• Joining the Boston Tea Party
• The Liberty Tree
• Can’t You Make Them Behave, King George?
• Ben and Me

On deck:

• George Washington: Hero, Soldier, President
• The Black Regiment
• Benjamin Franklin

So there’s a glimpse into our reading week. To see what others are reading, or to share your own list, head over to Read Aloud Thursday at Hope Is the Word. Happy Valentine’s Day!