... or is it Anne with an 'e'? Anyway... Michael's class finished reading "Where the Red Fern Grows" today. When he told me they were reading it I cringed. It is a terrific book, engaging, beautifully written, but SAD!
During dinner Michael said "You know what I hate about books?" and then I saw the tears brimming, ready to spill out onto his cheeks.... and I knew. He hates how so many stories have loss and death. He sat on my lap (he is almost 11... more like I sat under him.) and we both cried. (I'm a wimp, when one of my kids is crying over sadness, I almost always join in... sympathy tears.) He saved his tears at school for home when it was safe and we could talk. Old Dan and Little Ann(e).... how sad that one died and the other was so sad it died too! What a heartbreaking book, and yet, aren't we so glad we form attachments and fall in love and feel sad when we loose someone/something we love? It is important to bond, to love and to loose.
I think he'll read Alvor this weekend, he loves it and NOBODY DIES! :) (Only wish we could read Alvor II.....)
6 years ago
9 comments:
How much do you wish it???? I know where Alvor 2 is hiding.... in my computer.
I've been feeling the same way, I have too much life to live to spend emotional energy on people that don't even exist. I like a fun ride, a thrill, some love and humor, but I'm getting sick of mourning people who have never really lived.
I never understood why kids have to read that book in school. I read it, my oldest read it. Great book, but oh so sad :-(
Maybe it's because we all -- even men and boys, need a good cry now and then. Maybe it's because we need to feel that huge lump in our throat and hole in our heart just to validate how deeply we are capable of feeling. One thing's for certain: Home with your family is a safe place where the people you love can feel your pain and you're secure enough to let it happen. Give that boy a big hug for me. Love you all!
I agree with all 3 of you! Laura, we are praying for publishing!
Alexis, I also wondered why in school? Why not in a happy safe home where crying over fictional characters is cool? I remember my big brother reading it!
Mom, you are right, the ability to deeply love and feel is so important-- I hope the other kids in his class came home and cried to their mommies too! :)
I love what karren said. It is touching to watch an 11 year old (or 13 year old) boy cry. Ike fights it as much as he can and acts like there is something caught in his eye. So sweet. Red Fern is a great book. We watched the movie last year, it's not as good as the book.
Yep! I second all that's been said! Bonds with our heart-throb-sweeties, with family, with friends, even with beloved pets put our hearts in...the danger zone- out where they can be injured! But it's all so worthwhile! And sometimes a good cry is healthy, right?
P.S. About 30 minutes ago- before I even saw this post- my kids were chatting about when will Alvor 2 be out! They can't wait to read it! Good for you Laura! You're awesome!!! -Amy
I love that book! I read it as a child, and then for fun in college. It made me cry too. Brad's teacher is reading "Little House on the Prairie" with their class and Brad has surprised me by loving it! (But not as much as Harry Potter though!) I love seeing my kids with their nose in a book. BY the way, I think the dog's name is spelled just Ann. Anne Shirley is spelled "Anne with an E." :)
You are so right... Joseph's class is finishing the same book this week and it is hard to hold off the tears at school. Still, "read aloud" is his favorite part of the day. :)He absolutely loves to read and I'm so glad he still likes to be read to. We all loved "Alvor" and can't wait for #2! Our at home "read aloud" right now is "The Aliance" by Gerald Lund. It brings out lots of emotion. Nothing beats a good book and a tender heart.
YAY!! Alvor II!! Way to go Laura.
Admittedly "Where the Red Fern Grows" is not for the under 12 reading list, due to difficulty level alone, and would likely not be enjoyed reading by most kids under age 16, but reading it aloud *to* young children (not *by* them)may have some real merit. There are wonderful themes for discussion and for thought.
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I read it to my first 3 kids when they were all under the age of 12, and cried with them as I read it. Perhaps that book, among many others, e.g. "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry," is one of the reasons why they are all so tender-hearted, kind and thoughtful.
Reading about a child experiencing death, difficulties, and loss *can* prepare children in a gentle way, and teach coping mechanisms for some inevitable pain in their own lives. Vicarious learning has merit.
But it would take an especially wise, insightful teacher of that age child to successfully handle this story. I'm certain that there are many children in that class who have already suffered the loss of a much loved dog, or even of a family member. I wonder how the book affected them?
I cannot imagine a teacher crying *with* her students as she/he read it to the class. Are parents notified of especially emotional, or tragic stories being read to their children?
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