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Hi girls! You've held my hand through the decision-making process (and put me right in check - thank you!!) for my children, namely my oldest. So here is where my nervousness comes in:
We have been taking a break, thanks to obsene morning, er, all day and night sickness with this pregnancy, and then I was struck with this mystery funk in my leg, which left me really unable to walk or do anything for about a month. So this has been a longer break than I anticipated. During this time, MG (11.5yo) has been doing her thing, which is reading ALOT. Ok, like, all day. She is a fantasy fan, so Redwall, the Inheritance books, the Warriors books (cats I think, though there are bears in a series, too), the first 3 Harry Potters (as far as I have let her go), Sisters Grimm, a Christian series with the main characters Billy and Bonnie-oh! Dragons in the Midst or something, and more. She reads them over and over and over... I have encouraged her to read other kinds of books,related to books she USED to enjoy: the LIttle House books, Narnia, American Girls, etc. But, understandably, once you get the taste of high-impact writing, it's hard to go back. I get that.
She does liek the Black Stallion books, and will honestly READ anything!
I had a list made of all sorts of classcics, mostly from the AO list from Years 5 down, as well as from an previously owned Christopherus Language Arts book (a Waldorf curriculum), and from recom's from friends. I made a notebook with these in it, and a few sheets for her to record what she checks out at the library. As well, I requested that she choose a few over the course of the summer and do a book review of them - also in the notebook. FIne.
Remember how I said I stink at follow-through? Ahem...
So, if we are going strictly by skill in narration for this girl, she rocks it. She will fill the air with fine details of what she is reading, randomly ask questions of us related to those books (though we have no clue what she is talking about!), makes lists and categories of characters and all sorts of things!
With her fantasy books.
WIth any other book I have her read, the narrations are much less lively, while still thorough. She doesn't have that spark in her voice, you know? I hate the idea of making classics, great books a chore, but at the same time, I want her to work into a healthy balance of fantasy, historical fiction, realistic fiction, etc.
I see (read: hope) where DITHOR can help me with that, but I think more is needed. I think maybe i should *try* to read the books beforehand (but pat of HOD over Ao was NOT doing that, because in both curriculums there are So.Many.Books! I needed someone I could trust with the reading, and HOD won out big time with that!)

ANy ideas on how to work this, or should I just celebrate what she is doing, press on through the rest, and am I just overreacting?

Hi Sally, first, congratulations on the little one on the way I am also pregnant, due Nov 8, and totally sympathize with you about the sickness making it really hard to keep up on school! I pray that lets up for you soon. About your dd, she sounds a lot like my youngest, a reading superstar But I would recommend DITHOR for sure. In her free reading she can devour toms of books, but there is something to be said for slowly savoring a book, and doing all the thinking and skills that come in DITHOR. HOD has great book recommendations at many grade levels, and my dd has never been bored with them, even though, like your daughter, she is a huge fantasy fan.
The book projects at the end of each genre study have been her favorite part, and really help to cement what she has learned over the 15 days of reading.
Anyway, like I keep telling myself, cut yourself some slack, momma, your body is very busy growing a baby

Thank you, Lourdes! I'm officially in the 2nd trimester but Pregnancy #5 is throwing me for a loop! There has to be one, right?
ANyhoo, my bookworm, will sit and read an entire book in one sitting, unless the bathroom or the dinner table call, and generally I don't fight that...which I am learning wasn't the best strategy.
One of the wonderful things of AO was that they break to books up into weekly bites, which I KNOW drove her nuts. But, like you said, to tak in a book slowly is a gift in so many ways. I think HOD does this, as best I can tell, right? Maybe a little faster than one chapter a day, but still slower track than how she pleasure-reads. I just wonder how to bring the life of reading these non-fantasy books to her and get teh exhuberance of narration I get voluntarily on all her fantasy books?

Everybody certainly has a favorite genre or two, and we all get revved up about our favorites when we talk about them. For your dd, it sounds like the fantasy genre is her favorite. For my ds, he started out by loving "Little House on the Prairie" way back. He read it over and over and over again. He wanted it on audio too. I was concerned he would never branch out into other genres! Well, fast forward 5 years, and wa-lah! DITHOR has helped him learn to love all types of genres, and his bookshelf in his room is lined with a pretty good balance of genres.

DITHOR utilizes a Charlotte Mason approach where dc learn to savor a book rather than rush through it. It incorporates discussions, important reading skills instruction, fun kickoffs, neat projects, Godly character traits instruction, etc. It takes a great reader and makes them better! At first my ds bulked at getting out of his comfort zone and trying different genres, but before he knew it, he'd been won over by HOD's awesome book choices, and he found himself enjoying more genres than he'd ever been willing to try. He wanted to read too fast at first, dying to get to the next part and race to the end of a book, but DITHOR's pacing encouraged him to slow down and really be able to enjoy a book, to acually sit with a book long enough to really have time for character and plot development to actually sink in and occur.

I credit DITHOR with my ds's newfound love of a great balance of genres! I also credit DITHOR with his ability to truly discuss a variety of books with solid skills intact in regard to story elements, plot development, and moral discernment. I would start DITHOR today with your dd and get her on her way to branching out, trying new genres, diving into deeper discussions, and learning new and exciting things! I think if you do, your update over time will be the same as mine - a more balanced reader with a newfound love for a variety of books and an arsenol of ways to discuss and enjoy them! HTH!

In Christ,
Julie

Thank you! Thank you! I love it all!