So maybe if I get ambitious I’ll try to figure out how to make a fancy banner for each of our homemade reading challenges. Never could find anything good for the kids, but they liked the idea. So I told them of some of the ones I’d found and we talked and discussed and thought and finally modified for age and interest and personality. Now this being the first time we’ve tried anything like this, and a year being a very long time at their ages, I’m not going to guarantee we’ll get these done. But they know the lists will be online and we’ll print a blank one for the wall and go from there.
D’s Reading Challenge
A combination of quantity, trying new genres (any new genres!) and reading more than listening.
24 books
At least 6 something other than fantasy
Not more than 8 as audiobooks
1. Pokemon Back and White by Hidenori Kusaka
2. Justice Society of America by Marc Guggenheim
3. Guyku: A Year of Haiku for Boys by Bob Racza and Peter H. Reynolds
4. Avatar: The Last Airbender 1 by Michael Dante DiMartino
5. Avatar: The Last Airbender 2 by Michael Dante DiMartino
6. Avatar: The Last Airbender 3 by Michael Dante DiMartino
7. The Fantastic Four: Favorite Son by Fred Van Lente
8. New X-Men: Childhood’s End by Craig Kyle and Chris Yost
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C’s Reading Challenge
A combination of reading more to himself and listening to longer chapter books in audiobook or read-aloud.
24 books
12 shorter read to himself
12 longer audiobooks or parent read
1. The Knight at Dawn by Mary Pope Osborne
2. A Poor Excuse for a Dragon by Geoffrey Hayes
3. Caravan: Choose Your Own Adventure by R.A. Montgomery (again and again and again)
4. Star Wars: Star Pilot by Laura Buller
5. Pirates Past Noon by Mary Pope Osborne
6. Guyku: A Year of Haiku for Boys by Bob Racza and Peter H. Reynolds
7. Bionicle: Journey of Takanuva by Greg Farshtey
8. Lego Space Adventures: Mars Alien Attack! by Allison Lasieur
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B’s Reading Challenge
Just plain working on her reading. Because listening is fun!
104 books
52 read to herself
52 audiobooks or parent read
Reading
1. Jack and Jill and Big Dog Bill by Martha Weston
2. Biscuit and the Baby by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
3. The Van by Holly Keller
Listening
1. Skippyjon Jones in the Doghouse by Judy Schachner
2. Limelight Larry by Leigh Hodgkinson
3. Agent Amelia: Ghost Diamond by Michael Broad
4. Agent Amelia: Zombie Cows by Michael Broad
5. Agent Amelia: Hypno Hounds by Michael Broad
6. Agent Amelia: Spooky Ballet by Michael Broad
7. Eloise by Kay Thompson
8. How Much is a Million? by David M. Schwartz
9. Nina, Nina Star Ballerina by Jane O’Connor
10. Amelia Bedelia and the Baby by Peggy Parish
11. The Smallest Cow in the World by Katherine Paterson
Family Challenge
Two ideas for challenges for all of us to embrace.
I found a challenge called 1001 Books To Read Before You Die based on a book by the same name. There is corresponding children’s book, “1001 Children’s Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up“, I thought we could use as a family to see just how many we can read during the year.
1. The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper
2. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
3. Rosie’s Walk by Pat Hutchins
4. Good Dog, Carl by Alexandra Day
5. Elmer by David McGee
6. Little Toot by Hardie Gramatky
7. The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack
8. We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen
9. Eloise by Kay Thompson
10. The Little House by by Virginia Lee Burton
11. Each Peach Pear Plum by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
12. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virgina Lee Burton
13. In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
I also found a reading challenge to read banned and challenged books. Every year during banned book week we look up the list and see what we’ve read, but we’ve never tried to actually read things off the list. I think this year we’re going to make an effort to see if we can cross any off.
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