Friday OT #1 - Cunning Linguists

[Mr Janny]

Kerouac. Reading On The Road while living here in Tulsa really changed the way I saw the world.

agreed. I read On the Road, Dharma Bums, and Desolation Angels in my early 20's, and they had a huge effect on me. I basically sold everything I owned and moved to the West Coast on a whim to do day labor in the California Central Valley. In retrospect it was a dumb, dumb move. But at the time I thought I was living like Sal Paradise.

It's hard to call his work influential to me, now, because I associate a lot of it with the naivety of youth.

 

[NorthCyd]

Both at the same time.

So you're into fan fiction?

 

[NorthCyd]

Roald Dahl is great. I used to read a ton when I was little, and have read both him and the first Harry Potter to our kindergartner. She loves both, both Dahl and Rowling are great at painting a mental picture.

I was thinking about reading Harry Potter to my daughter, but wasn't sure how age appropriate it is. They have an illustrated version I was thinking about picking up. She is almost 5. I've never read the books or seen the movies. I've heard they can be a bit scary for little kids, especially the later volumes.

 

[Cyclonepride]

I was thinking about reading Harry Potter to my daughter, but wasn't sure how age appropriate it is. They have an illustrated version I was thinking about picking up. She is almost 5. I've never read the books or seen the movies. I've heard they can be a bit scary for little kids, especially the later volumes.

If you're looking for a great series to read to younger kids, I'd highly recommend The Chronicles of Narnia.

 

[cyrocksmypants]

I was thinking about reading Harry Potter to my daughter, but wasn't sure how age appropriate it is. They have an illustrated version I was thinking about picking up. She is almost 5. I've never read the books or seen the movies. I've heard they can be a bit scary for little kids, especially the later volumes.

I loved the Harry Potter series, and the world Rowling created is pretty amazing. But she is not on my list of great writers.

 

[cyrocksmypants]

So you're into fan fiction?

Who wouldn't be?

 

[ImJustKCClone]

If you're looking for a great series to read to younger kids, I'd highly recommend The Chronicles of Narnia.

My sons made a "portal" in their closet.

 

[NorthCyd]

If you're looking for a great series to read to younger kids, I'd highly recommend The Chronicles of Narnia.

That's an idea. I read them as a kid. I was interested in Harry Potter cause I am curious to read them myself, honestly. So I thought it could be fun to read together.

 

[Angie]

I was thinking about reading Harry Potter to my daughter, but wasn't sure how age appropriate it is. They have an illustrated version I was thinking about picking up. She is almost 5. I've never read the books or seen the movies. I've heard they can be a bit scary for little kids, especially the later volumes.

That's the version we have, the illustrated version. I got it for Christmas - I believe a new one is to come out each year, until all of them are out. My daughter is just barely 5.5, and we started reading shortly after Christmas, and it is a good fit for her. However, we'll only be reading one a year - at this age, the only ones I'd feel comfortable reading are the first two. So, if we do one a year, and just wait for the illustrated ones, then I think she should age appropriately along with them. A friend sent this link to me: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/harry-potter-age-by-age-guide

The one thing I would tell you is that the illustrated version is actually just the original British version, not the Americanized version we usually get. So, there are some references to "Spotted **** dessert" and the like that may have you scrambling to come up with a replacement. "Revisions" means "studying," etc. Not hard to figure out, but does require some on-the-fly thinking.

My recommendation would be to wait until summer or so to start them!

 

[oldman]

agreed. I read On the Road, Dharma Bums, and Desolation Angels in my early 20's, and they had a huge effect on me. I basically sold everything I owned and moved to the West Coast on a whim to do day labor in the California Central Valley. In retrospect it was a dumb, dumb move. But at the time I thought I was living like Sal Paradise.

It's hard to call his work influential to me, now, because I associate a lot of it with the naivety of youth.

Did you know Neal Cassady was also in "The Electric Koolaid Acid Test?" by Tom Wolfe. It was about Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters.

 

[ISUcyclones11]

When I was in 1st/2nd grade I always used to read those Magic Tree House books by Mary Pope Osborne.

So I'll say that because I can't really think of any other authors that I have read multiple books of. Can it be songwriters? Because I'd otherwise say Hopsin because he has actual meaningful substance to his raps.

[video=youtube;hRVOOwFNp5U]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRVOOwFNp5U[/video]

I'd post Ill Mind 7 but it belongs in The Cave.

 

[Angie]

I loved the Harry Potter series, and the world Rowling created is pretty amazing. But she is not on my list of great writers.

No, she's definitely not - but she does a great job of drawing young readers in. The idea of being a witch or a wizard is fascinating to young kids, and she references older things that happened in the books so they have to be a little sharp. It's not Dante or anything, but it's good to whet their appetite.

 

[Cyclonepride]

That's an idea. I read them as a kid. I was interested in Harry Potter cause I am curious to read them myself, honestly. So I thought it could be fun to read together.

I've never read the book, but from the movies that I've seen, I'd imagine that some of them are pretty dark.

Chronicles of Narnia has a lot of Christian undertones to it, but I honestly didn't make the connection when I read it as a child (in case some see that as a positive or negative).

 

[Mr Janny]

Did you know Neal Cassady was also in "The Electric Koolaid Acid Test?" by Tom Wolfe. It was about Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters.

There's a written account, in Hunter S. Thompson's Hell's Angels, of an audio recording of HST and Allen Ginsberg leaving Ken Kesey's compound, getting pulled over, and arguing with a police officer. (The cops were staking out the place) I've never heard the audio recordings, but I'd imagine they're just bizarre.

 

[Colorado]

Edward Abbey is another one high on my list.

 

[SerenityNow]

Stephen King. Read "It" while a senior at ISU. Not embarrassed to admit I slept with my 9 iron while reading that.

My favorite of his isn't even horror...11/22/63.


Like cooler said above, Joe Posnaski is the best sports writer. Being from Cincinnati, I loved "The Machine".

 

[cloneswereall]

Roald Dahl is great. I used to read a ton when I was little, and have read both him and the first Harry Potter to our kindergartner. She loves both, both Dahl and Rowling are great at painting a mental picture.

Read "The Landlady" by Dahl and try to not have a frightening mental image of that kook the entire way throughout the story. Then the ending twists it a bit more.

 

[zumbro clones]

I have 3 boys and I read Tolkien's "The Hobbit" and "Lord of the Rings" to each of them. I also read the first in the Redwall series (by Brian Jacques) to them.

For myself, I especially like classic books. I'm reading "The Man in the Iron Mask" now.

For a change of pace, I just finished the first "Game of Thrones" book and just bought the second one.

 

[Angie]

Read "The Landlady" by Dahl and try to not have a frightening mental image of that kook the entire way throughout the story. Then the ending twists it a bit more.

Ooh, I don't think I've ever read that - adding it to my list!

 

[cloneswereall]

Ooh, I don't think I've ever read that - adding it to my list!

Just don't read it to your 6 year old. She wouldn't get it, and my HS students get creeped out by it.