After watching the fun but lightweight film Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightening Thief I was rather humbled by the fact my daughter knew so much more Greek mythology than I (I also laughed MUCHLY at the kind of erotic overtones of Pierece Brosnan playing a centaur, ladies you know what I’m saying?). I’d been prepared to put the film behind us but my brother’s lady J. suggested we look into the book series. I checked out the first from the library (same-day service, thank you Lisa!) and told my daughter I could read it to her. She immediately cracked it and stuck it in her face and didn’t look up until she’d finished it including not even letting me borrow it for one second to see if I’d like reading it, too.
See?
This was Phoenix, for the twelve hours after the book got into her little hands. When she woke the next morning she got right back to it until she finished it (note: she is simultaneously reading while removing a kitten from her neck):
I was a voracious reader myself as a girl; although I don’t remember getting my hrrdcore Book Nrrd chops until age 10. Phoenix outstrips me easily.
Phoenix sounds a lot like I was, when I was a kid. By the age of 5 I was non-stop reading books like the Goosebumps, and when I was around 7 or 8, I started carrying various mythology books around the schoolyard for recess. I can remember being 10 and in fifth grade, nose almost constantly stuck in a Greek mythology book, with little breaks for Egyptian and Norse. 😀
@Justin
Hi and thanks for your comment!
If you know any good Norse mythology books lay it on me – I’d love to pass them on to her.
Keep your eye out for other Rick Riordan books, that’s for sure. I believe his next series will delve into Egyptian/possibly Norse mythology.
But man, the “Percy Jackson” film was pure rubbish. Book = great. Original draft of script = great. Then development hell happened and the film, while okay, ended up being nowhere near as amazing as it could’ve been. (Man, I hate it when that happens.)
@Daniel
Point taken re: movie, but I tend to give movies a break and don’t expect them to be as good as a book. How can they? First of all they are using special effects and limited visual/music cues to combat with my imagination as I read. Secondly they are usually so brief (90 minute running time) and trying to cram in a whole book. Even the LOTR series ([cough! nerd!]) was a combined running time of four hundred thousand hours but they had to leave a lot out (sorry Christopher Lee!).
Thanks for the tip on Riordan!
I haven’t seen the movie yet, but Maeve loves the books. She took the same one to camp to re-read for the 4th time. If Phoenix likes mythology that much she might be ready for the series by Michael Scott which starts with a book called “The Alchemyst”. It’s usually in the teen lit section but I read it and loved it and eagerly await each new book in the series – right now there are 4. You might want to read it first, then let her read it if you think she’s ready (I don’t see why not). Also, Maeve highly recommends the series called “The Looking Glass Wars” which is a sort of Alice in Wonderland alternative. If she’s seen the latest Alice movie (love Johnny Depp as the Hatter!) and liked it, then she might like those. Oh, also the Garth Nix books – the Abhorsen trilogy is the best, imho. That one also has a female protagonist – it’s a little on the dark side and you might want to check it out first, though Maeve didn’t have a problem with it. I read it back when she was a baby and she read it this year.
I remember my nephew, a challenging boy who lived with us, suddenly discovered reading with The Iron – Ted Hughes.
Have you tried Puck of Pooks Hill and Rewards and Fairies by Rudyard Kipliing. I am betting Phoenix would love then – also try ‘The Dark is Rising’ sequence by Susan George – actually anything by her – such a talented writer. The Dark is rising is a retelling of the battle between the light and dark via Arthur and a modern day family in Cornwall.
Enjoy.
@Kelly–
My mythology-reading tastes tended to learn more towards the nonfiction section. I would devour any/all information I could from the research materials available at the Central Elementary School library, as well as from the Hoquiam Timberland Library. If I find some good fiction, I’ll let you know!
Additionally, some of the books I was into (on the fiction side) included Mercedes Lackey and Terry Brooks, both of whom I’m still a huge fan of. I’ve got a few of those lying around, so maybe we’ll have to talk via Twitter or something and figure out if you and/or her might be interested in those! 🙂
Wow-thank you all so much for weighing in with ideas (and Justin, for your Twitter thoughts too). I’m going to head to the library and open this blog post and order these for my girl. Why parent a child when you can just give her book-crack? 😉
So did you read it? Alej and I have been reading it on and off together (she’s not reading yet, so I’m reading it to her) but, yes, I did go ahead and power through it. It’s pretty fun and did reintroduce some of the Greek mythology I never really learned right; made it all a bit more accessible.
Reading like that is delicious. I was totally that kid…I had figured out at one point how to walk and read at the same time.
Has she read the Wrinkle in Time books? What about the Golden Compass books? Both “better written” than the Percy Jackson books and feature strong female central characters (I think the Percy books are great but at times the “kid’s voice” POV aspect of the writing felt a little…forced?). I also remember at a slightly older stage (like age 10-11) really getting into Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and the sequels. You might want to read them first and make sure they aren’t too heavy for Phoenix, though — they are set in the South in the 30s and there are a couple of pretty intense scenes. Since my kid is so much younger, it’s always a bit hard to gauge what might be too disturbing or need good discussion with older kids. What about Toni Morrison?
I was actually punished/yelled at/ridiculed more than once as a child for reading too much. And later as a high school student, for spending money on books! That I had earned working! Sheesh, you’d think I was buying weed or something, not the collected works of various white men. Love that you are supporting her.