Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Recommended Resources Snicket, Lemony.

Has any one read Lemony Snicket books?

I picket up The Miserable Mill and was trying to decide my opinion. I found the book to be very compelling to find out what happens next and well written. But I question, is this something I want to encourage for my DS9 who is a bit negative now? School has been hard not being challenged enough. He is very very sensitive.

Sometimes other peoples problems can make one take a new perspective. Then we realize, it's not so bad. What do you think of this in relation to the books?

I would be curious to understand the merits of the books for others.

Is there anything scarey in this series. DS would not go near Harry Potter or Goose bumps. I do leave him somewhat responsible to read appropriate. I'm just curious what others would comment. Thank you inadvance.

Well, I myself have not read them. My DS10 loved them. He is very sensitive. He did okay with the first few Harry Potter books, but could not deal with the whole series, so stopped after about book 3 or 4. Not sure how helpful that is. He said this series has some sad things, but he loved the vocabulary and the very interesting way that the author used the words so he dealt with the sad parts okay. Maybe you should wait a bit and then try again? My DS is pretty good about judging what he is ready for - he tried them last year and said he didn't like them, then all of the sudden got interested this year.

DS5, DS7 and I love these books - it's so refreshing to find chidren's books that revel in the use of language (am I the only parent on earth who can't stand Magic Treehouse?).

The stories do have a lot of violence, malice and murder but, like the language, it's so fabulously stylised that we haven't found it disturbing. I stopped Harry Potter after The Goblet of Fire, because those books do get a lot darker - and it's serious darkness, not camped-up fun darkness.

And if you like reading aloud, ASOUE is a treasure trove.

Anne4 - Thanks for your comment. He has not tried the books yet.

I think it's amazing your son appreciates the vocabulary and the way words are used. Is this appreciation something you helped him develop or did it come about naturally?

When DS9 was reading a lot of books, he mentioned he liked more details in books. This was a surprizing comment.

Not sure if this helps. I also have a sensitive 7yo at home, so no Harry Potter or even Lemony Snicket yet, not even any mysteries because he's worried about the suspense. He's liking the Wizard of Oz series - nothing very objectionable in there so far.

My DS9 read all 13 Lemony Snicket books in about 3 weeks - he couldn't put them down! He finished them before the x-mas break and let me tell you they were so helpful in that he used them for his"web log" at school where they have to summarize chapters each week and make inferences. And my son HATES to write. However, if your son is sensitive maybe you could read the books at the same time so you can talk about them. Sometimes it helps to talk about the characters and the situations so they don't seem so depressing but instead fascinating. Good luck!

I usually lurk to poach book suggestions (so thank you to all who have made book suggestions), but my kids just read the Lemony Snicket books, so I feel ready to comment.

DS8 has read all the Harry Potter books and loved them. However, we found that the books promoted negativity in him and definitely increased acting out. He started calling all of us blithering idiots and made several of his characters in play "mean" or "evil". Now, when he is angry or in a bad mood, he looks for a Harry Potter book. We got rid of them.

DD6.5 started reading the Harry Potter books, but said they were "too scary" and "not that interesting". She is very sensitive and has nightmares if she reads scary things.

Last week, we were snowed in and the kids read every single Lemony Snicket book. We saw no nightmares or acting out.

Other than the fact that they are funny, the thing I particularly like about the books is that they walk though the thinking on how to combat the villains without becoming villainous.

DD says the she wishes Lemony Snicket would write happier books, though.