Earlier this year, I committed myself to reading more with my kids. Now that my boy is 4, it is easier to find things I can read with both of them (my girl is 8). The first book we made it through was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. Of course both of them have seen the movie and that probably helped hold their attention a little bit. It was familiar, yet different enough to give them something new. They both claimed, very excitedly with lots of jumping up and down and shouting, that they LOVED THE BOOK.
Yes, my kids are jumpers. *sigh*
Given that I asked them their thoughts on the book a week later and the detail they remembered, I think that they did REALLY LOVE THE BOOK and we’re just putting on a show for me.
Yes, my kids are very much showpeople. *sigh*
Without further ado, here is what my kids thought of Charlie. Keep in mind, I led with the question, “What did you think of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
4YO Boy: Good. I remember the part where they went in the Glass Elevator. I liked that part. I liked the part when they moved the chocolate in the TV and made it tiny. I liked the part when they saw the chocolate waterfall. Really. Also liked the chewing gum and Violet turning into a blueberry. (Collapses into a fit of giggles).
8YO Girl: I loved it. I guess I liked the part where Violet got fat when she turned into a blueberry. All the kids got what they deserved because the kids were mean and Charlie was nice. He wanted to share his chocolate from his birthday with everyone else, but they wouldn’t let him. I liked that they got to move to the chocolate factory, all of them, and that the poor people sort of got more money and got more to eat and Charlie gets to stay there and work on it. And I am glad he found the dollar and found the golden ticket. I love that book!
As you can probably tell, the girl got a bit excited and started running on sentences. That last part, “I love that book!” was proclaimed VERY loudly. All in all, I think our first read was a rousing success! In fact, the girl took an AR test on the book last week and made a 99. *proud face*
Now we’ve moved on to another familiar story; Charlotte’s Web. Since they are begging for more every night, I think it’s going pretty well!
