So I’m facing a little dilemma here, and a little unsure about what to do. My younger son discovered the Harry Potter books in the fall, and devoured the first 2 very quickly. Then came Christmas, and his birthday, and although he was still only on book 3, we decided to buy him all 7 books.
He excitedly finished The Prisoner of Azkaban, and got stuck into Book 4, The Goblet of Fire. Now, I find him literally ‘stuck’. For the last few weeks, he’s been rather unenthusiastic about his bedtime reading. Oftentimes when I’d go into the boys’ room, I’d find older brother reading, and younger one messing around. Coloring, playing with various gadgets, cuddling the dog. Anything but reading.
When I’d ask him why, he’d vaguely answer “I’m just tired tonight, Mummy”. I don’t normally force the issue. But after a few weeks, I finally asked him last night if he was having trouble with his Harry Potter. I could see he felt bad saying so, but he admitted he had lost interest a bit, and just wasn’t that into it anymore. He stared guiltily at the 3 remaining books in the series, sitting waiting on his bookshelf.
My husband and I have a very strong ‘work ethic’, and have been teaching our kids that you finish what you start. But should that apply to finishing books, too? I wonder.
How many times have I started a book, only to decide after a few pages that it wasn’t for me. Do I force myself to finish? Rarely, unless I have a particular reason for doing so.
The last thing I want to […]
ieve in the power of a book. I actually remember the first book I ever ‘read’: sitting on my father’s lap, and feeling his pride (and my own) as I read Dr. Seuss’s Hop On Pop. Cup, pup, pup in cup. I suppose much of it was from memory but I’ll never forget that feeling of reading on my own for the first time. Once I started, I never really stopped.
As a very awkward pre-teen, I dove into Judy Blume and read her books from cover to cover in single sittings. Are you there God, it’s me, Margaret? Otherwise known as Sheila the Great. Tales of a fourth grade nothing. Blubber. Deenie. I remember them all, and how they helped me through some difficult times. I even remember secretly trying to ‘increase my bust’ with the classic Blume chant: I must, I must, I must increase my bust. I was a very late bloomer, and was convinced this would help! But alas…
a young Mayax, befriending the wolves. How I would survive in the wilderness, become one of them. I read the book over and over. And when I recently found the book, along with many other favorites, in a box at my mother’s house, I immediately picked it up and wanted to read it again. How I could relate to 
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