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
9. Paws Off, Cheddarface! by Geronimo Stilton
10. History Detectives: Ancient Greece by Philip Ardagh
11. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
12. New X Men: Here Comes Tomorrow by Grant Morrison
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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
9. Night of the Ninjas by Mary Pope Osborne
10. Help! A Vampire’s Coming! by Abby Klein
11.Let the Good Times Roll with Pirate Pete and Pirate Joe by A.E. Cannon
12. Midnight on the Moon by Mary Pope Osborne
13. Harry Pottter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (listen)
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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
4. Big Egg by Molly Coxe
5. Hot Dog by Molly Coxe
6. Bunbun, The Middle One by Sharon Pierce McCullough
Listening (plus everything on the 1001 Children’s Books list below)
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
12. Teach Us, Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
13. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
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 (1)
2. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown (7)
3. Rosie’s Walk by Pat Hutchins (11)
4. Good Dog, Carl by Alexandra Day (24)
5. Elmer by David McGee (27)
6. Little Toot by Hardie Gramatky (55)
7. The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack (51)
8. We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen (28)
9. Eloise by Kay Thompson (64)
10. The Little House by by Virginia Lee Burton (59)
11. Each Peach Pear Plum by Janet and Allan Ahlberg (20)
12. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virgina Lee Burton (57)
13. In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak (82)
14. Bedtime for Frances by Russell Hoban (9)
15. Make Way For Ducklings by Robert McCloskey (3)
16. Curious George by H. A. Rey (58)
17. The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge by Hildegarde Swift and Lynd Ward (60)
18. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr (77)
19. The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss (66)
20. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss (70)
21. Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans (56)
22. Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
23. Crictor by Tomi Ungerer
24. Freight Train by Donald Crews
25. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
26. The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf
27. Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems
28. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
29. Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Kraus
30. The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch
31. The House That Jack Built by Diana Mayo (different version than they list, but pretty standard)
32. Stone Soup by Marcia Brown (again, a different author than the list, but a start story)
33. I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato by Lauren Child
34. You’re All My Favorite by Sam McBratney
35. The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
36. Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile by Bernard Waber
37. A Pocket for Corduroy by Don Freeman
38. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
39. The Boy Who Grew Flowers by Jen Wojtowicz
40. Math Curse by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith
41. Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner
42. Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
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.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (everyone)
And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson (everyone)
In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak (everyone)
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (D)
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