LotR:FotR

[byronhaverford]

The kids want to see the movies, but I insisted that they read the books first.  In our case, this means that I read a chapter to them before bedtime.  I think it helps a lot (especially for the 8-year-old) to have different voices for the characters, otherwise they tend to muddle together

Comments

[byronhaverford]

We got through The Hobbit last year. They liked it a lot, so we decided to continue. (I'm thinking that the Silmarillion is still a few years off, though.)

[koredono]

Re: Silmarillion - Depends on which of your kids' ages you're aiming for; I read The Silmarillion when it first came out in PB ('78? So I would have been 13?) and *devoured* it, because I liked knowing the backstory to all of the things hinted at in LotR, and seeing how it all fit together. I re-read it every few years (more often than I re-read LotR), to the point where I've gone through a couple copies.

But I'm a geeky history nerd like that, I guess, and clearly always have been.

[alaricmacconnal]

Nice! I remember first seeing the animated Hobbit film after I had read the book. Some of the music is cool.

Many Pennsics ago we read the Hobbit during the evening. It was great when Tofi rapped the "valley song" from the visit to Rivendell :-)

[koredono]

I have the soundtrack to the animated Hobbit (and Return of the King as well, both by Rankin-Bass) on vinyl, put out by Disneyland Records; I got them 2 / $1 at a flea market at Ann's church a few years ago. :)

[thecommanderdia]

My mother read the Hobbit to me at bedtime...I think I was around 5? I look forward to reading The Hobbit to Abigail, but I am not sure when the most appropriate age to begin would be.

Any suggestions?

[byronhaverford]

I had the restriction of waiting until the youngest was of age. 8 seems to be a good tipping point.

[thecommanderdia]

Was that for the Hobbit or for the LOTR?

[byronhaverford]

Both.