“Sounds okay,” I said and I kind of closed my eyes.”
― William Goldman, The Princess Bride
There are very few books and movies that I love equally. I often read a book with the movie I would like to see in my mind, except I’m not a filmmaker nor do I imagine any filmmakers are interested in the very specific details I hoped to see. I usually wish that instead of being turned into a 2-hour movie, that they could simply make the 12 hour extremely detailed version I pictured in my mind while reading. I would guess that most filmmakers don’t think viewers would sit there for 12 hours watching that movie…I totally would.
There is however one exception, the book and movie I love…The Princess Bride. I love this book. I love this movie. It would be inconceivable to love one and not the other. The story has something for everyone…romance, fencing, a giant (played by Andre the Giant in the movie), rodents of unusual size, and so much more….in both the book AND the movie. Obviously, they aren’t exactly the same, but they are similar enough and yet distinct enough that they are both amazing.
In 2017, my mom gave me the coolest gift ever…a signed copy of The Princess Bride. She knew it was my favorite and when she met William Goldman, she knew a signed book would be the most amazing gift ever (and it definitely was).
Last night (in 2018), William Goldman passed away at the age of 87. Today, I will revisit some amazing characters in my beloved copy of “The Princess Bride,” and I will watch the movie again this weekend. If you haven’t read the book or seen the movie, please join me. This epic fairy tale should be enjoyed in both book and movie.
I often wish I could go back in time and tell myself not to worry. So many hours spent worrying about things that ended up being totally fine. Yes, some things merited that worry, but many didn’t. How does this tie into reading? I think as parents, we worry about our children reading. Are they reading enough? Are they reading the right books? Are they reading at their appropriate level? Why are they rereading the same book instead of different books? Why do they only read certain subjects?
Looking back at my childhood reading, I don’t recall ever being told to pick a different book. If a book was beyond my reading level at the time, I either put it away to read later or, if I loved the book, persevered slowly trying to understand. Sometimes I read books well below my reading level. I often reread books because I enjoyed revisiting those stories. I remember reading Stephen King as a tween and as long as it wasn’t giving me nightmares, no one stopped me. I believe that this is what made me a reader.
Reading at the appropriate reading level is important. Teachers will recommend books and obviously all school reading should follow what the teacher recommends. If a child picks up a book below their reading level for some at home recreational reading…it’s ok (as long as they are doing their appropriate school reading too). They are choosing to read in their free time. I obviously embody this when writing this column. I enjoy so many of the books I read to write about here. I also read much more complex books that would be deemed an “appropriate” reading level. Neither are better, they are all great books in their own ways, and I grow as a reader from all of them.
In school, rereading a book might not be what a teacher wants a student to do when they are working on specific reading skills. At home, if a child picks up a book they already read and wants to reread it in their free time…it’s ok. There is often a comfort that comes from rewatching shows or movies. The same can be the case for rereading favorite books. For those who are easily stressed, reading a book where they know what will happen next makes it more enjoyable. Also, when rereading a book, readers may pick up on things they previously missed. I love to reread “Harry Potter” in the fall because I enjoy the vivid holidays in the books. I have reread “Charlotte’s Web” so many times and I continue to find more things that I love about that book. My favorite book to reread “A Time to Keep: the Tasha Tudor Book of Holidays.” Broken down into months, I might reread the whole book or simply skip to the current month and enjoy those few pages.
If we feel like we aren’t good at something, someone pointing out what we are doing wrong, might make us shut down or give up. Obviously, I mean this within reason. If a child is attempting a dangerous sport and something is pointed out for safety reasons, that wouldn’t apply here. I also don’t mean this in terms of homework…the student who does a math problem wrong needs to be shown what is wrong and how to correct it. I’m thinking of the child who picks up a picture book to read in their free time because they like seeing the story while reading the words. While it might not be the book they are supposed to read for homework (and as long as they are reading that too), it’s ok.
If you are still concerned because your child does all of these things, there are some great books you can recommend that may help and won’t discourage your reader. If your child loves to reread a particular book, look for other similar books. If your child loves picture books and you want them reading more advanced stories, there are some incredible advanced picture books that cover more complicated topics, have more words per page, etc. Maybe introduce them to graphic novels that combine word and pictures in a different way.
How do you find these books you can recommend to your reader? Stop by your local library or independent bookstore. The librarians and booksellers have read so much and always have incredible suggestions. Many online book retailers also have sections of suggested books based on a specific title. Include your child in finding these books. A great way would be “I know you love this book, let’s find more like it.” Feeling validated about the books they love, will help grow their confidence as a reader.
I truly believe I read as much as I do is because I never felt bad about the books I chose. I never felt like I could only read certain books or others were for smaller children or older children. As long as the topic was appropriate, I was given the green light in the library to pick up whatever books I chose and enjoy the stories. I read books I might not have otherwise, if my reading list had been entirely curated for me.
As you all know from reading here, I love when my world and the world inside the books I’m reading overlaps. I love walking through the spaces that appear on the pages. It’s a special vortex where I can almost step into the book and the story jumps off the page and surrounds me.
I love local stories and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is one of my favorites. Of course, autumn calls for a trip down to Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow to walk through the pages and visit that tiny space where the book comes to life and I’m standing in the story looking around. While I love this trip any time of year, autumn is extra special there because the location and season match. My previous reviews of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and related stories can be found here: The Legend,The Hollow Trilogy, and The Horseman.
I saw the site of the Van Tassel house, visited the Old Dutch Church and wandered through the cemetery, of course stopping at Washington Irving’s headstone. I read each signpost that indicated the ties the legend has to that very spot. As I wandered through Tarrytown, I visited a wonderful bookshop and picked up a copy of Serena Valentino’s “Raising the Horseman.”
In “Raising the Horseman” we met the many times great granddaughter of Katrina Van Tassel, who continues her legacy by also being a Katrina (goes by Kat) whose family is preparing for the 200th anniversary of the Horseman’s legendary haunting of Sleepy Hollow. Kat doesn’t believe in ghosts and finds it frustrating that her entire town seems to be obsessed with them. She wants to explore the world and feels frustrated that her parents keep talking about her family obligation to continue the family’s legacy in Sleepy Hollow. Kat meets a new friend, Isabella Crowe, who unbeknown to Kat also has ties to the legend. Kat is given the 1st Katrina’s diary to read and as she does, the legend seems to come to life around her.
I wish I could tell you more, but I don’t want to give away any of the surprises in this book. The story involves surprises, ghosts, and even the Headless Horseman himself. I loved how a 200-year-old Legend could still be believable in a modern-day story. My only complaint is that this book wasn’t longer. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down. The story moves back and forth between Katrina’s diary and Kat’s story 200 years later. While this might sound confusing, it isn’t. Katrina’s story brings a new perspective to the Legend, and we see a new side of Katrina along with Kat (who previously knew the same Legend story as the reader).
This is an incredible YA book for both YA and adult readers. I highly recommend this story. I also highly recommend visiting Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow before/after (or even during) your read to walk through the book. While there, stop by Transom Books and get a coffee at Coffee Labs (I can provide restaurant recommendations too for anyone looking to make an entire day of it).
This weekend is the New York City Marathon. Athletes from all over the world will push themselves to run that incredible distance through the streets of New York. I’m in awe of these athletes.
It’s hard for me to imagine that not too long ago, women were told they couldn’t run. There were no women runners in these long-distance races. It was believed women couldn’t or shouldn’t run. As we look forward to seeing incredible runners this weekend, this week’s amazing true story picture book, is a look at the woman who paved the way.
“Her Fearless Run” by Kim Chafee and illustrated by Ellen Rooney is the story of Kathrine Switzer and her historic Boston Marathon run. Kathrine grew up running when no other girl did. She loved the way it felt to run. When she was a student at Syracuse University, the coach saw her run and invited her to train with the team (they did not permit women to race but she could train with the team). As she trained, she increased her mileage and when running 10 miles, wanted to train to run a marathon. As much as her coach believed in her, he doubted she could do it because women don’t run marathons.
Hearing doubt pushed Kathrine to want it even more and she continued increasing her mileage and training with the plans to run the Boston Marathon. She checked the rules, and it didn’t specifically say a woman could not enter so she did. She listed her initials instead of her first name so one realized a woman was running until the race started. While some cheered her on, others (including race officials) tried to stop her. This only fueled her more. She was determined to make it to that finish line because it wasn’t just about it. She wanted to prove women could run a marathon.
While I hope no girl will ever hear that they can’t do something simply because they are a girl, I hope if any girl does hear those words, she can channel her own “Kathrine Switzer” determination and prove the world wrong.
