From: Kris Adams Wendt <kwendt>
Date: Wed, 13 Sep 2000 10:59:02 -0500

Florence McElligott wrote: Yes, children still read Hardy boys and Nancy Drew. Only from donations in my library. I tell kids they are like marshmallows. A steady diet is not filling, but an occasional one is okay.

When faced with parents and colleagues concerned about children reading a steady diet of Hardys, Drews or Bobbseys, I always talked about the time my little sister went through a stage when she stubbornly refused to eat anything except peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. My parents had the choice of either letting her starve or waiting it out, knowing she would move on to other tastes. The value of the PBJ (or marshmallow) series books was in the way they contributed to a well developed reading habit. Kids used to hauling home and devouring a stack at a time will still be hungry after the series are exhausted. And that's when the crafty, well versed librarian or teacher (or parent) can say "gotcha!" and gently nudge their awakened appetites into a more literary diet.

We have a similar golden opportunity to provide an extended banquet for the children who are gobbling up the Potter series.

By the way, Preston, you're not alone. Last month I overheard my mother telling my third grade niece (an above average reader who is the daughter of the aforementioned former PBJ addict) how her Auntie Kris read "The Song of Hiawatha" from grandma's college English textbook during the summer between second and third grade. As I recall, it had been raining for several days, I had already consumed all my father's Hardys, Drews and Bobbseys from the cottage attic and we couldn't go to town on the only day the small public library was open that week. ("Gotcha!" again.) "Beowulf" was probably in that text, too!

Have been thoroughly enjoying this month's discussion!

Kris Adams Wendt Children's Librarian/Associate Director Rhinelander District Library Rhinelander, WI 54501 kwendt at wvls.lib.wi.us
Received on Wed 13 Sep 2000 10:59:02 AM CDT