Children's Classics: Books for middle readers

 

Okay, here is one of the Tuesday memes hosted by 5 Minutes For Books.  This month we are to discuss our favorite classic book for middle readers (about 8-12 yo.)  I am going to share my experiences with my two older boys and their favorite books.  I don't  have my kiddos use "readers" for their schooling.  I pick classic and award winning books for them to read every year.  There are so many great books out there, why waste the little time you have to expose them to them by using "readers?"  Anyway, both of my boys listed Tom Sawyer as their favorite with My Side Of The Mountain in a close second.  Here are some suggested questions from the site to get us started.

Would you recommend the book? To whom?

I would definitely recommend the books, especially for boys.  It can be hard to find good classics, or any books to interest older boys, but these two definitely do that.  The stories are good and the writing style is not too hard for them to work through.

If you wouldn't recommend it, why do you think it's been so popular?

Has your child recently discovered a classic author? What is his or her perspective on the differences in classic and contemporary children's writing?

Ds2, my 13yo enjoyed Tom Sawyer so much he read many other Twain books on his own.  Last year he read A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck for school,  and asked if there were any more books by this author as he enjoyed it so much...and the main character was a girl, which surprised me lol.  Ds2 said while the writing styles may differ in classic and contemporary writing, it is the story that keeps him interested in both.  The adventures of children his age  interest him whether written recently or not.

Have you recently shared a childhood favorite with your own child? How did you each respond to it?

I was in to Trixie Belden when I was young, so no, my sons have no interest in that lol.