Saturday, August 2, 2008

Reading aka Claire Torture


Claire is NOT a reader. She would rather do just about anything before addressing her assigned reading for the summer. Last summer it was the struggle to read "The Princess Bride" and not watch the movie. She loved it.

This summer it was the struggle to read "We All Fall Down".

This week, I took the computer away. The TV away. The Wii away. She had no choice but to read the book. I even advised her that the faster she got it over with the easier she would find the rest of the summer and perhaps we could tackle the other five books on the reading list. After all, this was the only book on the mandatory list. There are five more to get through this school year.

Save me.

Well, imagine my delight when I came downstairs and found, on my computer, this note:

We All Fall Down
- Eric Walters

Completed at 2:52AM
by Claire

Cried once - at the end

Amazing Book
I was up for
3+ hours reading
pages 35-195

Scribbly signature

I'm not happy that she was up at 3 in the morning. But I am thrilled that she found the book so engaging that she couldn't put it down! She is now happy to have her computer back. She's catching up on three days worth of MSNing.

Now to get her to read one of the following suggested course reading. The course is entitled:
"Dark Realms and Dystopian Worlds". The remaining books are:

The Giver, Lois Lowry
20000 Leagues Under the Sea, Jules Verne
Coraline, Neil Gaiman
Night, Elie Wiesel
Diary of a Young Girl, Anne Frank

Save me! Five more arguments. Five more accusations of being the meanest mother who ever lived.

The funny part? Cole has read them all. He inhaled them all within a week or two of the reading list coming out. He is going to be so prepared for Middle School ... well, unless they change the mandatory reading list!

4 comments:

Brynn said...

Must be an age thing. My 12 HATES to read too. UGH, drives me crazy. Hopefully it'll make you feel better knowing we have the same arguments at my house. I did the same thing & threatened so yesterday, he FINALLY finished the book HE picked out!

I'm glad Claire finished & actually enjoyed the book. Good for her!!!

Sherry said...

Sounds like my 12 year old....
Slowly, but surely. She will get through her list as well. LOL

Anonymous said...

Tell her "The Giver" is a great book and an easy read. (I read it as an adult - my friend the 10th grade English teacher loaned it to me.) :)

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