Extreme Reading: Summer Challenge

Welcome, welcome. Let’s not talk about why you’ve been away so long and get right down to business.

The best part of Matt’s summer holiday homework was a project entitled ‘Extreme Reading’. The challenge was set for the children to be photographed reading in an unusual place or extreme situation. This excited me more than a little and my mind started running away with itself. As I was pondering how to get a shot of the boy reading out of a train window on the Forth Bridge, or wondering how close he could get to a bear at the zoo, something stirred in the cobwebbed recesses of my memory. Oh yes- I had an idea for a blog post on this very theme some years ago.

A post, with the unexciting title of Reading on Location, was sitting in my draft folder. Having read it, I fully understand why it hadn’t seen the light of day; but, whilst you’re here I may as well share one  anecdote about attempting to read somewhere other than in bed.

Four years ago I felt the need to share with you one of the pitfalls of reading on the beach. I remember the days of reading on a lounger in Lanzarote as the sun warmed my skin and the Vodka with Fanta warmed my liver but little did I know the peril that I was placing my book in. A lifetime later, but still in blissful ignorance, I found myself heading to Llandudno. I decided to take Oliver Jeffers’ How to Catch a Star because of the relevance of the ending. Dunna worry, I won’t ruin it for you. Matt did all the usual beach stuff: chased waves, sniffed seaweed, peed in the sand and when he finally sat down panting I decided we needed some quiet time. We read said book whilst the sun shone down and the seagulls circled above. It was a lovely moment  but instead of sitting and enjoying it I decided to grab my camera from my bag and capture it for you. However when I turned back the moment had gone. Matt was now digging in the sand. With a book shaped spade. I was fairly new to being surprised/disappointed by his (now their) behaviour so I was quite perturbed. The book was shaken and I was stirred. The poor book was put away and I declared to the gulls that their beach would take no more books from me. This recklessness ruined beach reading for me (like I have the time) and ruined this book for Matthew. He refused to read it again seeing as it continues to dispense sand: both annoying and fitting should you know the story. The moral of this delightful anecdote is that children’s books and beaches do not mix. Extreme read with caution, dear friends. Also, and more importantly, that what has been lying dormant in your draft pile for four years should probably stay there.

Let’s fast forward to the future and recognise that I am a tad more breezy about reading on location now. You’ll be thrilled to know that I am a much more flexible (blasé) and chilled (lazy) kind of parent now. It is also mainly because I have learned to only take B list books on location now. This Summer I kept books for the children in the car so we were ready for any extreme adventures that came our way. (Obviously I always have my own emergency paperback in the car door pocket/compartment/thing-that-really-should-have-its-own-name should a reading opportunity occur.) The problem was that I could not decide how to define ‘extreme’ so I went for various interpretations as you will now see (assuming you’re still with me and that you intend to stay committed).      

First and foremost, I decided that extreme meant daring. Surely kids on a crocodile nails daring? And, moreover, we latterly found a sign saying Do Not Climb on the sculptures. To be fair it did not say Do Not Read on them.

 

Crocodile Dudlee (I am howling in laughter at this pun, Do join in).

If we take extreme to mean fast, thrilling, and generating vast amounts of evil static, this photo could top your board.

 

What Dot would describe as Bear in a Nunnel

If you believe that extreme means reading at high altitude with a man’s hand supporting your bottom then you would have to go a long way to beat this one.

 

Thank you to the man with the hand.

How about extremely cool? Reading a book about Gerrard at the cinema whilst waiting for a film to start.

Totally chilled

And how about extremely risky? A toddler, a book, and a puddle? See, I told you I was much more relaxed in my approach to parenting and books now.

Not my house...yet.

Ultimately we decided that extreme means unusual, dangerous, and big. So, the entry for the school project was Matt on a machine at the other parent’s work.

 

Grab a book! That's a most hilarious joke if you're in the scrap trade.

Oh indeed it has been fun photographing the wee ones with books in random places but I am not sure we could call it a successful reading challenge. Surely the challenge is not about getting your child to hold a book for a photo but to actually read it. In this respect, I am pleased to report that we have achieved the improbable mission. Allow me to introduce two children who are spontaneously and simultaneously reading. If we take extreme to mean rare and fleeting then this is it. It might not be the most thrilling photo but it was worth capturing.

The secret is to take your children to a pub with no Wifi- I can fully recommend deepest, darkest Scotland.

Following on from this, the absolute highlight of my summer was the fact that Matt read an entire book to himself on holiday. He didn’t read to be photographed, he was not being coerced into doing his homework, and he wasn’t trying to collect stickers from the library. He read and he read with a passion because he found a book that he liked. The such and such Storey Treehouse series amuse him like few other books. He loves them and I am glad he reads them on his own. Matt finding joy in a book when there was WIFI, a TV in his holiday bedroom, and Mum available for endless football, was pretty unique.   If we take extreme to mean impressive, uncharacteristic, and the pinnacle of all of your experiences to date, then this must be it. This development surpasses all of our reading objectives. The problem however is that although I did photograph this phenomena Matt has claimed editorial rights and won’t let it be published because I need to “respect his privatcy”. To be unable to provide photographic evidence is pretty vexing but maybe Matt has got the whole point. Reading is not something to be performed. It is not a gimic or a competition. It is not Instagram fodder. Reading is about building a personal connection to books. Matt is now the one selecting texts, creating relationships, and seeking opportunities to read. Surely, one of the most important and satisfying milestones in a child's reading journey is the point at which they read for the sake of reading. It has taken a while but I think we are finally at a place where Matt does read for the sheer pleasure of reading. My work here is done.

That's Not My Child...World Book Day Confessions

As is tradition I've dusted off my brain cells to chat all things book with you to celebrate World Book Day. 

The usual negotiations began weeks ago:

Moi: Matt, what would you like to dress up as for World Book Day? 

Him: I don't think I'll bother. 

Moi: What? You know I have a book blog, right? We're doing this. 

The first book given consideration was a Christmas present called Where Are You Matthew Lovatt? I ordered it from Wonderbly. It a lovely product- a Wally style book with personalised details. Matt was overjoyed with it. We have read it numerous times. He knows where he is on every page but there are other things to search for too. Matt  amused himself with the idea of going to school dressed as a book character version of himself. Then he realised that no one else would have seen said book so he deemed it an unfair option. 

His next suggestion was to be the child in When I Grow Up I want to Play for Liverpool. 

This would involve him wearing a football kit or non school uniform uniform as we call it. Quelle surprise. In a similar vein he suggested his Liverpool Football Club Annual so that he could dress as one of the players. My initial reaction to both ideas was no no no. This is not happening. Yes he does read them a lot but I am still clinging to the fact that the day is about celebrating literary characters. Here is an opportunity to focus on a different hobby. Let's take a break from football. Just for a few hours. I suggested he chose a character that reflected his interest in books, his knowledge of characters, or his literary role models. I presented the case for Bee Boy (see previous post) and Beetle Boy (see my as yet unwritten post). Both book collections are firm favourites in this house. The former option was rejected due to his dislike of wearing yellow and the latter was unacceptable based on the itchiness of a woolly jumper with a beetle attached. 

On we go.

After tenser negotiations than the PM has been facing lately we decided to come at the problem from a different direction- which costumes do we already have! My love of a lifehack grows stronger each day whilst my zest for the perfect WBD costume was ebbing rather than flowing.  

So, instead of searching the bookshelves we looked to the dressing up box (by dressing up box I mean random clothes shoved in wardrobes, under the bed, or the corner of the spare room). And lo! That's when we struck gold. Two brilliant costumes were already sitting waiting to be called to duty. Firstly, Matt has a skeleton onesie from Halloween just waiting to be cast as Big Skeleton from Funnybones. Secondly, Matt has a Santa outfit from our Christmas card photoshoot which he loved wearing. It wouldn't take any effort to costume him as Raymond Briggs' Father Christmas. Feeling rather smug with my original and simple solutions, I left the boss to mull it over. 

Meanwhile what to do with the tiddler? She does not officially need to dress up. But you know we have to. 

First of all I thought of Mog. She loves the books and the cuddly toy who resides with us. Similarly she is rather fond of Spot. She likes the books and loves their handpuppet. However, this tiny person has big opinions on clothing. She would either refuse to wear a furry onesie or we could find that she would refuse to ever take it off. Do you know she often sleeps in shoes? I needed an outfit for her that represents her budding relationship with literature whilst being toddler proof and something that would not further complicate our lives! Then it came to me. I wish I could claim that the invention was mine own but, by the powers of tracking, Mothercare planted the thought on my phone and in my brain. Why be a character when you can be a whole book?

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the publication of the That's Not My books so it seems perfect to dress Dot in one of the pyjama sets of the books. But which one? There are a few sets to choose from and oh so many books to represent. 

Matt had a pile of these books when he was the wee one and we both thought they were great. He loved the tactile pages and I liked introducing him to a range of adjectives. (He was my first child- I had time and energy to care about this stuff.) The books are a great size for toddlers: small, not too many pages, robust and chunky. They never really left our shelves and Dot has inherited quite a collection.

That's My Monkey. For real.

Her favourite is That's Not My Monkey. Matt loved That's Not My Tractor. My faves are That's Not My Piglet and That's Not My Snowman. This is purely based on how cute the pigs are and the stuff to touch in the snowman book! 

These popular classics deserve our recognition. However, I am afraid that I cannot discuss these books with you without an admission. It pains me to make this confession but I have been nothing but a fool.  A fool for about seven years (in this example. In general it has been many many more years). Please don't judge me too harshly. And I would appreciate it if you keep it between us but I have only very recently discovered the mouse!

I'm sorry if you feel let down and that this disclosure totally disappoints you. Let's hope we can mend our relationship by the end of this tome.

That's Not My Donkey but that is the mouse in question

Do not get me wrong- I saw the mouse. I have not lost the ability to scan a page and identify a cute rodent. But I didn't see it consistently in every reading of every page in every book. It was only when reading them with Dot that a light came on and I realised we were meant to look for the mouse. Like the Farmyard Tales where you search for the duck. (I still don't know how to do this without interrupting the story). In all the years of reading them with Matt we never searched for the mouse. Poor first born. And poor reader because further apologies are necessary as it is about to get worse. That was only part one of my confession.

Very recently, today in fact, (at the time of writing probably not at the time of reading), Matt twisted the plot even more. He explained to me that you are not supposed to hunt for the mouse. It is meant to be there because the MY belongs to him. Huh? He showed me that (spoiler alert) when he finds his donkey or panda etc the mouse is cheering. 

That's a happy mouse

In Matt's words, the mouse is the narrowrater. My eloquent response to the mouse being an explicit part of the book was Shut The Front Door!

I'm just going to pause a moment here in case this is shocking news to you too. However, if you are a smartypants and already knew this please read on and do comment below to feel superior.

For many years I had never even questioned who was searching for the animals or vehicles. The time for existential thinking is not when reading with toddlers. I think I egotistically thought it was me, the reader, - especially since That's Not My Baby has a mirror at the back and shows that my baby is in fact my baby (sorry about another spoiler). Surely I cannot be the only one to have missed this. I am wondering how many more things we miss when we read with brain fog? What else have I got wrong? Is there actually such a thing as a Gruffalo?

At least wee Dot gets the full That's Not My... experience. Lucky second child. In many ways Dot's experience of reading is very different from that which I had with Matt. Seeing as we are in confession mode I need to tell you that Dot's book etiquette leaves a lot to be desired. Matt chewed corners and sure he didn't always restock his shelves in alphabetical order but we definitely cuddled up with a book from when he was a baby. Number 2 child does things differently. Now do not get too alarmed- she does love books. But she is the reader. Mum reads, Matt reads, Dot reads. So when she brings me a book she is leading the interaction. She reads the words (in Dot speak) she points and grunts (for most things not just pig books) and, now this is important for anyone who may get to to share a book with her, she turns the pages. Not you. Put your hand away. This is ok. I am totally fine with not reading every page and missing essential parts of the book. I am obviously lying. It is extremely frustrating but I am coming to terms with the fact that it shows she has independent reading skills and likes to take ownership of her own literacy. 

Hmmm. Dot has definitely developed her own ideas about how books work. It is not one I am particularly happy to share but I guess this is a safe space. Whilst Dot has exceeded all our hopes in terms the joy she brings into our lives, this funny, charismatic, and engaging wee mite is also, I am ashamed to say, a flap ripper.

That's Not My Daughter...her hands are too destructive

In two short years she has ruined 2 Postman Bear books, Dear Zoo, Dear Santa (surely this has dire consequences), and many other titles. I am sure it is just another wonderful phase that we have to get through, but until then no flaps please were rippish. And meanwhile we are more than happy to get our tactile reading fix through the mouse books. These books have survived for seven years in our house and all but one (poor dinosaurs) are still going strong.

So, Happy Anniversary and World Book Day to Usborne's Touch-feely books! 

Book and PJ twinning. We went for the Unicorn set because she likes yellow.
Ooh maybe she'll be Bee Boy in a few years time...

Back to the main man, Matt had settled on Father Christmas because he really did enjoy having a beard in December. So, we were all set but then school announced their WBD plans. There was to be a break from tradition. School invited children to come in in their pjs and dressing gowns with their favourite bedtime story. I love this idea. Obvs I love the costumes but this focuses on the books not the imaginative abilities or sewing skills of the parents! Plus and most importantly it fits in with Dot's costume. I love it when a plan comes together. It's just a shame it fits with Matt's plans not mine.

For there are no prizes for guessing which pyjamas he chose. And, in keeping with this, the bedtime book he chose to take was...his LFC annual! So despite my earlier declaration it looks very much like this is happening. I feel defeated. (Although that goes with being a Villa fan.) 

That's Not My Son...his team is too red!

I guess we'll notch this world book day up once again as a victory for child led parenting, a triumph for independence of spirit, and a big tick for expression of identity. It's another milestone and revelation for me too. Matt is growing up. 7 is a long way from 6. He is just not happy wearing a rat's tail anymore and he doesn't aspire to be a crocodile like last year. He only agreed to be Father Christmas so he could wear red (and a beard). World Book Day has been such a great shared experience in the past; a joint enterprise where we show the world what we read but I guess Matt has other priorities now. He is the one who has to dress up and show his book to his classmates. He wants to use very opportunity to show the world who he is. Matt isn't interested in proving he is well read or that he recognises a character of moral fibre. He cares about his hobby and the expression of his personality.  This identity that he is forging for himself is so precious and if LFC PJs and the LFC annual reinforce that then so be it. Aslong as it is just for this year and only because school moved the goalposts. Next year maybe we can find our way back to the bookshelf? And he'll be Frodo, right? Actually I could just work on Dot- she's perfect for a hobbit. Or maybe I need to accept that both of their book choices are different to mine and I'll just have to dress as Frodo myself.

That's Not My Favourite World Book Day outfit or conclusion but...

These are my children...

And, they are just right.

And look! There may be Liverpool livery everywhere but they are reading actual books. Books that are not just about football and books that exist without tears or ripped flaps. And this happens everyday at home even if it is not represented during our World Book Day. I'll take that as my parenting win.

P.S. As a thank you for sticking with me and in tribute to the That's Not My...series please go back through the photos and find our mouse. You're most welcome.

Heroes, Adventures, and Happy Endings

This beautiful early Summer means that we are spending all of our time outdoors. I know you are probably picturing me lying on a lounger reading a riveting book and sipping Gin whilst my two children play a harmonious game of croquet on the lawn. Yeah that's how I pictured parenting two little people but it looks like we're wrong. Most weekends and every minute after school is spent playing football with Matt. Garden football but total football. The second child occasionally joins in but is mainly left to fend for herself. Don't fret though- She is quite content pottering around eating moss, pointing at birds, and delivering the occasional throw-in. It is best she steers clear of the pitch though as it is not a friendly knock about between mother and son. It is shin padded, studded, and brutal. One on One full on football. I'm getting pretty good in goal and I have the bruises to prove it. I've come off better than the dad, though. All he had to do was throw the ball back but he managed to break his toe. He's on the bench for the foreseeable.It really isn't a game for faint hearted. Should have asked wee Dot to return it instead.

On the subject of the beautiful game I need to make a declaration. Let's get one thing clear from the whistle - there are only two members of this household who are Liverpool fans. I'm not one of them. You see, Matt and Dot are being raised as part of a blended family. We are raising them with mixed football heritage. Quite early on we decided to let Matt pick his team but it seems he chose the wrong one. However, I fully support my son’s choice to support Liverpool as long as wee Dot gives me her football soul. This does unfortunately mean that my son very publicly wears his colours. Yes long gone is his farmer style and drifting away is his desire to dress like Dave Grohl. He has new heroes to emulate now. The Liver livery is all he wants to put on. So please be aware that he does own other clothes but he will probably look the same on all future posts!

My beautiful drainpipe and a big lad who lives with me

So, once again I have found that reading was slipping down the list of his favourite things to do. How do we find literary heroes to compete with Mohamed Salah? How do we find books as exciting as scoring a goal with his left foot?

Finding books to satisfy the pair of us has long been the gist of this blog but I feel it acutely now he is six, a competent reader, and a reluctant sit downer. It makes him a difficult punter. School books are a necessity but not to be used for relaxation or entertainment purposes. His picture books are sometimes over familiar. And for a short while he preferred to read on the kindle or watch something on the tablet. Taking matters in hand I decided to make up stories to satisfy his needs. I created an elaborate tale about him joining LFC Juniors which typically culminated in the final cup match. The stuff of dreams. But, in a tiny voice, he tapped me to ask 'Do I win, Mama?' Here's the thing. We are ready for more challenging books but not necessarily for more challenging stories. He wants books that he can read himself but that may also require the adult too. He still needs to avoid scenes containing mild peril, sadness or disappointment. This boy still needs a story to give him a happy ending.  How do you bridge the gap between picture books and chapter books? Well, I'm glad I asked because we have discovered some great books to share with you. 

The first book that fulfilled our criteria was a gift from our friend Hannah. The Rabbit and Bear books published by Hodder have proven perfect reading fodder. This is mainly because, based on my experience, six year olds need to talk about poo. The first book really provides a great space to speak of such things. We even learnt new poo facts. The book is disgusting, it is factual, and it is brilliant. There is a lot of non-poo content too if you're that way inclined. The books follow the relationships and adventures of the two main animal characters in the woods. Rabbit is an imperfect character that gets things wrong and has tantrums but is guided and accepted by caring Bear. We learn gentle lessons about friendship and nature but it isn't cute or twee. They are pitched at the just the right level for my boy. The books have a great feel to them both emotionally and aesthetically. The illustrations are attractive and because of the books' smaller size but larger text amounts they feel very different from picture books. They are books that Matt could read himself but I enjoy them too so we read them together. We are hoping that there will be many more of these books to come.  

The next book I need to preach about appeared to me in the library and I have felt enlightened ever since. Allow me to share the revelation. It all began when I took Dot to the library for enrichment purposes (so that she could rearrange and lick a different range of books than we have at home.)

Of course she is reading one we already have at home

I was trying to find where to put back a book that Dot had sunk her teeth into (you decide if this is literal or not) when my eyes were attracted to a lovely black and yellow book. I did not know it then but I had chanced upon a beeaut of a book. For Bee Boy ticks all of the boxes. The illustrations, font, and layout are really inviting. But above all it delivers the hero Matt was seeking. Someone who has fears but is clever, kind and brave. This story of a boy who can enter his bee hive is both entertaining and educational story. There is some peril and some sad situations but they are handled well and because of the  tone of the book it was easily coped with. We talked about the characters, the storyline, and the nature facts frequently whilst reading it. I really could not wait until bedtime to read more. We have also carried this story in our heads for a while since finishing it such is its reach. In fact I said to Matt 'I don't think I have enjoyed reading a book as much as this for quite a while.' He said 'I have never enjoyed one as much as this. Can we buy our own copy?' Do you need anymore convincing than this? We are eagerly awaiting the sequel. Do join us and don't bee left out.

That trip to the library was also a huge success for we found another important book. Whilst we we were sitting on the tiny tiny chairs I spotted something that made me exclaim ‘ohmyword’ outloud. Does this make me middle class? I should probably declare that I was wearing boat shoes. From M&S. I think I’m there. Anyway, stop distracting me. There sitting on the shelf was a book I didn’t know even existed. Its publication in 2017 had totally passed me by. For here, in my hands, was a special edition of You Choose. This is beyond exciting. You may remember our close relationship to the imagine book from this blog post. Oh thank you Pippa and Nick. For the book and for helping me out. You see at least once a week I try to do a small treasure hunt for Matt. It gets him reading, distracts him from the football, and most of all it serves to remind him that I was thinking about him whilst he was at school. He loves them. However on that particular day I had little treasure inspiration. And then I had ample. A book treasure hunt with this You Choose In Space potentially providing the perfect treasure prize. Yay.

So I left a trail of clues and hid five library books around the house...

I love bottom related clues. This is what being six is all about.
(There is a distinct lack of football kit here because he has his school gardening clothes on.)

I was so excited but then last minutes nerves began to set in in case a bookish treasure hunt would be disappointing compared to hunts where Lego blind bags or football socks were the prizes. I need not have worried.  

Super excited blurry boy

Matt was beyond happy to discover this book as the ultimate treasure. I was thrilled that I had got it right. We can still agree on what is fun.  'I can't wait to read this at bedtime', he squealed.

So we did.

This book does not disappoint. We loved our voyage of discovery. The format was so familiar and it was great to recognise some of the characters. Matt also liked the new characters who guide you through the book. This was precisely the adventure he had been seeking. This book, like the others, really does spark conversation and triggers the imagination. The book gave us the chance to talk, dream, and coexist in a space far away from school, football, and other distractions. It dawned on me that Matt could read this book by himself quite easily but he stills considers the reading of such a book as a joint venture. That is just perfect as far as I'm concerned.

Maybe this is what being six is all about. Yes you can read on your own. But no you don't have to. Playing football is about developing abilities and reading is an essential skill but this is not why we do either of them together. We do it to connect, to share our time, and to create space to reinforce our relationship. To just be together. The Dad may have introduced YNWA into Matt's life but I'm giving him You'll Never Read Alone. Until he wants to. And maybe not for a while then.

So, good luck in the final, LFC. Go write yourselves into history and give my son the happy ending he is seeking. And if you can do it without going to penalties I would be really grateful as he doesn't cope well with late nights. Also Come on Villa and all the best to Shrewsbury Town. It's over to you and give us our happily ever afters.