This is a response I gave someone who had questions about a couple of book series for young girls.
In my opinion there is no perfect book, except the Bible. If you look hard enough you will find something to take issue with in every book out there. That being said, my girls have read the Elsie books, the Anne of Green Gables series and the Mandie books. (Plus many others, those are just similar time periods and themes.) Each of the girls has a favorite for different reasons. You do have to be careful reading books because they can shape a child's thinking. For instance, recently I was reading a portion of Anne of Avonlea with Mary (9) and as I was scanning ahead I thought, "That sounds like something Hannah (17) would say." (Hannah read the whole series several times in middle school.) While I was thinking about that Mary had gotten to the same section of the page and stopped and said, "Hey! that sounds like Hannah." I don't know how much that book series shaped her thinking, but I know that it is very important to stay familiar with what children are reading and talk a lot about the characters, what they do and how they respond to sin.
I know there are some people with very strong opinions on each of these series and will not let their children read them. Those children will pass that opinion back to other children and there can almost be a sense of pride that some will not read certain books because those books aren't good enough. I feel like I need to repeat myself here and say the Bible is the only book you'll find that is good enough to read to children.
With very young children, it is easy to stay on top of the stories and point out things that may or may not be right. This practice may help them to be critical thinkers to see for themselves problems in a book later on. (I specifically remember Rachel bringing me a book I had assigned to her at age ten and telling me she was sure that I wouldn't want her to read something like that book.) This is not an advocacy for your children to read anything and everything, just be careful.
I'm sure this person didn't want a sermon from me but I have to say - read to your children a lot! but mostly read the Bible and trust what it says.
2 comments:
Lori,
Thank you for this! It was helpful to me when I read it and also when I shared it with my son (and daddy to three of my grandchildren). I appreciate you!
Yvonne
Oh, dear! I know I quiz you a lot on appropriate books!
I have wondered about the influence of the Anne books on MM. You just never know what bits they will take to heart. Like when my sweet grandmother complimented MM's freckles, and MM threw an "Anne fit!" Or when she instructed the younger Sunday Schoolers on how to act out "The Lady of Shalott" - at church! I suppose I cannot blame all the girl-drama on Anne. ;)
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