[LMB] OT: reading aloud to kids (was: ISO Calibrated Book Recommendations)

[Beth Mitcham]

On 9/1/07, Laura Gallagher <celticdragonfly at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> It was just the weird experience of taking a book I'd enjoyed reading
> to myself, and trying reading it out loud to Karl to get him
> interested - and finding that this book, read out loud, felt
> embarrassing and dragging and not nearly as good as I remembered
> feeling about it when I read it to myself.

I know the feeling.  Sometimes it's because in my mind I hear
everything just right, but I can't reproduce it on paper.  I mean,
there is singing and poetry in the Susan Cooper books, and I just
don't do those well.  And in my head they sound wonderful.  Some books
I love reading out loud, and some books I just want everyone around me
to read.

Eleanor Estes is great to read out loud (especially _The Witch
Family_, even with the Spelling Bee).  I have problems reading Tolkien
out loud -- it comes out dry and dull. I think most of the people who
have problems with him are hearing it wrong.

Beth Mitcham, whose son really enjoyed the Bujold on tapes we heard in the car