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    Joined: Feb 2011
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    I think I'd go to the non-fiction and biography section of the library and see what might appeal to her.

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    Sorry, that should be Moffats, by Estes.

    ITA with intparent. All the books she mentioned were personal favorites of mine, especially Katie John, Betsy-Tacy, Emily of New Moon... all great great books that are life affirming, funny, historical and not scary at all. Also, thinking it over, I remembered Hitty her first hundred years, Cornelia Meigs books, Caddie Woodlawn, Lois Lenski books... The Penrod books by Booth Tarkington, and of course Pippi Longstocking.

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    In a lot of ways, the things you're describing - sensitivity and the desire for repetition and inane series books - are very much age and developmentally appropriate.

    We dealt with it in a few ways: I announced when DD was 5 that I needed to enjoy the books I was reading as well, and so book selection had to be done jointly.

    *Certain books were ok for her to read over and over (and over and over) as "in your head only" books. The @#$%$ fairy books ended up being what gave DD an incredible reading stamina and launched her into a greater love of books. But in her head only.

    *I matched DD up with a children's librarian and had the two of them find books. I found that taking the mom-kid dynamic out of book selection stretched DD quite a bit more.

    *I "hot housed" a few literary terms & concepts, introducing foreshadowing, climax, and other parts of story telling to have DD anticipate the path of the story. I first used this in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, where I otherwise feared her reaction to the story.

    *I read the first few chapters of a book to DD when she's otherwise trapped: soaking in the bathtub, waiting in the doctor's office, etc. I don't spent a huge amount of time talking about or selling the book. I just start reading. She'd either be hooked after the first few chapters, or she wouldn't be hooked. There are tons of books in the world, and there isn't much point in continuing on one that doesn't grab you after you've given it a try.

    *We've had good luck with the American Girl series: they are decently accurate history, generally featuring a 10-ish year old girl with some sort of talent, with very tame plots. Avoid the Addie series, which was not tame. We moved from there to Dear America and Princess Diaries (similar quality. really.), though we used the librarian to sort through the appropriate Dear America books for sensitivities.

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    Hi giftodd
    We have a fraidy cat who is slowly growing out of it. For DS now 5 but started at 4, was that with big dramatic things, scary and sometimes just super interesting, he couldn't turn his mind off, so together we came up with some "procedures" first no scary before bed, so new or books with potential are for Saturday morning. Second he started reading the end of the book, drives me crazy, but allows him to know it all works out in the end. Third, never stop the age appropriate books, so right now we are reading "the title of this book is secret" by psuedomous Bosch and at the same time picture books about making friends and gardening. I picked up the Bosch book but we hadn't read it and he was hysterical out of the blue in pre-k during music class because he was so scared by the hyperbole - the information is so secret I can't tell yo more, etc, so we came home and I said should I take it back or should we just try the first chapter, he hemmed and hawed but wanting to know won out and it was much less scary then he thought it would be. The book that eats people by Jon scienza had to be removed, it was just too scary.

    But i would say he has gotten better over time, but he really knows his limits and I
    respect them. I am with CollinsMum about not pushing, but I don't translate that too reading the same stuff over and over - I just went broad, helps that DS loves non
    fiction - really nice easy with only mild mysteries - the Ron Roy books, the a to z, capital mysteries, calendar mysteries. DS loved them and were very nice, no bullying good friendships, and mild to non existent scary. IMHO I wouldn't let her opt out of reading new things, but I would have no problem getting plenty of saccharin or science and slip in some thing a teensy bit harder, we have a library book bin, I would just leave it in there, let her express interest in it.

    Good luck!

    DeHe

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    Thank you all so much for your ideas, they're fantastic! I will head to the library with her after school today and see if we can't tackle this together with some picture books, the librarian and changing things up a bit smile I do love reading to her, it is absolutely one of my favourite things to do with her. Wonderful to have some new book ideas and strategies. Thanks again.


    "If children have interest, then education will follow" - Arthur C Clarke
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    Agreeing with all the great advice (and making notes of book recommendations for us too). DS5 also gets very worried during "scary" parts of books and movies, but not to the extreme.

    You may have already tried these, but I often have to remind him of our guidelines, which seems to help calm him down:
    If I know something scary is coming up I forewarn him.
    If he gets overwhelmed we can pause or take a time out to discuss.
    It's just pretend.
    He can sit on my lap or cuddle at any time.

    We have also taken complete breaks from reading for a month or so when we can't agree on what should be read. We just let him read to himself during that time.

    We've also just instituted a rule that bedtime books read by Mom must be more complex and above DS's reading level. Or "with small print" as he says. I cannot read another A to Z Mystery. Not will not -- Can Not. Magic Treehouse has been banned for a while.

    DS likes non-fiction a lot. That might be something good to fill in for the time being.

    And I'm also not averse to a little trickery, such as reading a book to myself in front of him and chuckling, or loudly telling DH how so-and-so said this was such a great book. (my opinion matters little already)

    Good luck.

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    Originally Posted by radwild
    We've also just instituted a rule that bedtime books read by Mom must be more complex and above DS's reading level. Or "with small print" as he says. I cannot read another A to Z Mystery. Not will not -- Can Not. Magic Treehouse has been banned for a while

    LOL, my technique was outsourcing!! That was DHs purview. I am a voracious fiction reader but I find like doing the non fiction especially the science, space was never my thing so I am learning a ton, and enjoyingi it. Although I have enjoyed the books beyond the a to z's, although it was DS who actually banned MT, those had a very short window here!!


    DeHe

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    We read from 2 books every night. One my son picks out and one DH or I pick out.

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    Giftodd Offline OP
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    Well, we got a whole bunch of picture books and a couple of chapter books chose by dd and have been working our way through them. She's really enjoying it despite the books we have chosen not all having 'safe' themes (in the context of dd's very narrowly defined version of safe - I never push anything that is 'scary'). I think the benefit of picture books is that she can flip to the end and without reading the end of the book can see that everyone is alive and well in the end!

    She's taken this moment to give up on her own reading and take a maths book to bed. A regular cycle in our house. Funny little thing.


    "If children have interest, then education will follow" - Arthur C Clarke
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