My daughter usually has a wish list of things she'd like us to get for her, posted on her door. Around this time of year, she updates it about once a week. Today, I took it and made notes about what she asked for. Here's an extract --
Manga -- Magical Miracle book 4 and up $10
Manga -- Meru Puri $9.00
Manga -- Calling you $10
Manga -- Tokyopop -- Glass Wings
Manga -- Girl Got Game, Book 1 $10
Pride and Prejudice
boscovs gift card
Borders/Barnes and Noble gift card
forever 21 gift card
Monty Python Holy Grail
When I was talking with her guidance counselor, looking for a little assistance on how to handle her slump in grades, I said that I didn't want him to think that I was one of those parents who thinks that if their kid doesn't do well in middle school, she'll never get into Harvard Med. He laughed. He didn't realize: I am that kind of parent. Subdued, but its there. I just didn't want him to realize it.
So when I see her wanting five different Mangas, a couple of which are aimed at kids much younger than she is -- well, I shudder. I know, when I was a kid, the idea that you might actually want comic books as gifts was abhorrent to parents. I am a little more relaxed about it than that.
But Manga won't get her into Harvard Med, or the Wharton School, or the London School of Economics. Its a short trip from there to 'Want fries with that?' Okay, I'm kidding. Somewhat. But I do think that she ought to be challenged, stimulated intellectually, have a broad awareness of a lot of things. And Manga -- well, its okay. But its not usually listed on a CV.
4 comments:
I can see how you would be concerned, but I say at least she is reading something.
Most kids by the time they hit middle school lose all interest in reading in any form. Some of the best advice I ever got was to read and keep reading, it doesn't matter if it considered crap. I found that after awhile I became a quicker reader and I was becoming increasingly interested in reading more substantial novels.
From what I remember from some of your other posts it appears to me your daughter has been interested in books that show she is intellectually curios.
I say try not to worry too much, not yet at least ; )
I agree. Though I did spend some time looking to see if Principles of Neurochemistry, or Torts: A New Perspective, were available in manga format. You know, just in case....
I agree. As long as she wants to read, encourage her.
You have to entertain what you like to do in order to do the things you must do. (I say this after refusing to read anything nursing related in my free time -- and dedicated many summer vacations to the art of Stephen King. Can I wade through Shakespeare? Hell yeah; I don't have his complete works for shelf fodder... but you've also got to encourage her to read the things she likes to read, too.)
I do. I think that she likes to read partially because she always sees me and my wife reading. When I was a kid, my mother would complain that my father read the paper at the dinner table, and that I would pick up the habit as a result. I don't know that thats the reason, but I certainly did. As for my daughter, my wife commented the other day that she wants her to make a sweep through the house today, just to retrieve the dozen or so books she has in various stages of being read.
I'm not really, really ambitious for my daughter's reading future (which is to say, her adult/professional future). But I am, a little. I want her to be able to compete.
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