Eager to be read to; or, how to convince two hyperactive kids to stop and listen for once

[rockinlibrarian]

I've felt a bit of a fraud for a long while. I'm a children's librarian, you know. Part of my job description is "Encourage parents to read to their children because this will improve literacy, empathy, family dynamics, and their entire childhood!" There's a poster on the Youth Services office door of a Mafia-looking baby demanding "Read to me 20

Comments

[elouise82]

Magic by the Lake! And then The Time Garden! And THEN Seven-Day Magic, and then you can skip the Well-Wishers books because the kids never figure out if it really is magic and I HATED that as a kid. Oh, and The Enchanted Castle (Nesbit) is a great one to read after you've finished the Eager books, because he references it in Half Magic. And while you're on a Nesbit kick, you've got the three Five Children and It books (Phoenix and the Carpet is my favorite), and Wet Magic (which I adore, even if parts of it make me grind my teeth nowadays, but all Nesbit's books do that), and The Book of Dragons, which is a collection of short stories and so maybe easier to read than her chapter books.

*deep breath* I love Edward Eager, is what I'm saying here. And I've got to read Half Magic to MY kids this winter now.

(I realize you probably know all these books without me rattling them off, since you are both a librarian and a lifelong reader, BUT I have to share anyway. Because yay, books.)

[rockinlibrarian]

I hadn't read Half Magic since childhood (and I'm not sure I've ever read any of the sequels/companion books), and I was thrilled how well it holds up. It's REALLY FUN to read aloud, lots of drama and screaming silliness, and even with the obviously past setting with a rare and exciting motorcar and nickel bus fares and children going off to the cinema by themselves on a whim, it doesn't come across as dated. The very few not-quite-PC moments were easy to avoid with a quick change in wording or address directly with a quick discussion of irony.

So yes, we're definitely continuing onward.

[vovat]

The only Eager I've read is Half Magic, but I definitely second Book of Dragons. I don't recall it having as many embarrassing-in-hindsight bits as her other work, and it's funny.

[grrlpup]

I read Half Magic as an adult and liked it! But then, I'm pretty sure I ponder Wish Management strategies at least once a week. If we lived somewhere a little more magical I'd want to be a Wish Lawyer.

Dahl does seem like a good follow-up: Magic Finger has curses instead of wishes, and the entirety of James and the Giant Peach is an "after the magic plan went wrong" story.

Happy that your kids found the right book! :)

[rockinlibrarian]

I love the idea of a wish lawyer! Has that been done in a book? It feels like something either Diana Wynne Jones or Terry Pratchett SHOULD have done at least.

I've been wanting to start them on Dahl for awhile, so now that I know what they're into, I might actually go through with it!

[colliemommie]

I love Half Magic! It probably holds the record for most lifetime rereads, with Knight's Castle a close second.

[rockinlibrarian]

I'm glad Knight's Castle gets your vote of approval since we're about to start it! Like I said in another comment, I'm not sure I even read any of the others, and before I looked it up the other night I thought Seven Day Magic and Magic By the Lake were the only other ones, or at least those were the only other names I'd be able to give you. But I found a list that said "Read Knight's Castle next!" so that's what we're doing!