My Boys Read

My boys read. And I adore that they do. Mercer Mayer, David Shannon and Dr. Suess are regularly read. So are Mo Willems and Mary Pope Osborne.

All fun and entertaining books. Give them a try if you have some that are adventuring into a love of reading.

But what about the ones that aren't as safe, yet still entertaining?

Junie B. Jones comes to mind. Read one of those and you will discover that the story is told from the point of view of Junie - who is less than grammatically correct. She is 6 after all.

Or what about Greg Heffley? He is quite rude and mean at times. Just like most middle schoolers.

Is it good if the authors accurately capture the best and worst of these characters?

Personally, I'd say yes. It makes it tougher for me as a parent to explain why Greg is mean to Rowley. Or why Junie's favorite phrases aren't always the best way to string words. Yet my kids love that the stories. Those flaws are real to them. It's how they sound, what their friends say and do.

If it means that my guys are reading, great. I'll do the leg work on the critical thinking skills instead of eliminating them from the options.