illustrated books for good readers

[southbucks3]

Hello

Update:

All four Pullman gothic books read..scarecrow, rat, firework, clockwork. All loved, hitch with exceptionally tough vocab in rat, but solved with help from this forum,coloured post it notes, and mum backing off a bit.

Treasure island...lucky to find a big colour plate 1930's version in charity shop. Very well received in general, but the very old fashioned dialect can be confusing, then again my ds2 is struggling with an adventure book at the moment that is set in Columbia, because it is full of strange dialect.

A great thought provoking book, good for discussion and comprehension was "the forgotten coat" the vocab is not going to bend their brain, that is not the intention, as it is written in style of a youngsters journal and memories. Frank Cottrell Boyce manages to stir up a zillion thoughts and conversation starters with this book though, and the illustrations are Polaroid photos that get scrutinised for a good long time.

Dark woods...we have had to shelve for a year or two...they look fab, but they are simply look a bit too long and big boy for his master yet...that is fine, I do the same myself with mighty tomes that dh whizzes through.

In his bed to doze off he has read all the wimpey kids books, several animal books, and shhh Molly Molly Mandy, which he adores but don't tell anyone. he also reads BBC wildlife magazine, which comes his way third hand, through the village. . Oh to be 9 again...so simple.

The reading aloud is obviously working, because he can completely first past the post cloze quite quickly and normally with only two wrong. plus, we have always enjoyed it, just have not been as diligent as recent months.

[kenyancowgirl]

southbucks3: slightly off the illustrated books topic (although it does have fabulous pictures in) but more akin to the crisp packet fireworks conversation (I can't remember what that thread was called....!) A beautiful book for boys - if you haven't already got it - and so interesting is "Why does a ball bounce? And 100 other questions from the world of science" by Adam Hart-Davis - just superbly fascinating and fantastic photos all taken by Adam too.

[southbucks3]

Just for the other parents who posted and pm'd me about this thread.

Two other success stories.

1. Frank Cottrell Boyce...the unforgotten coat...very very moving, simple text, but thought and discussion provoking.

2. Animal farm, illustrated by Ralph Steadman...absolutely amazing pictures, lots of heavy picture scrutinizing, and quite a few tears when the horse got knackered but the two little ones (9 and 10) really did seem to understand the whole principle, without having to understand or be taught about communism. Luckily the big one (13) is studying animal farm at gs next month, and he has been told by the first shift of readers of is really boring, hopefully this copy will help convince him otherwise.

I am actually enjoying sharing illustrated books with him, as it is a new thing for me. I have realised it is absolutely not about lack of imagination, but more a need to see if his imaginings are a match for the illustrators, and he will often contradict, or criticise, if he thinks something is not quite right! The pictures definitely add a new dimension to reading, and I think the animal farm book really brought me up to scratch with this idea.
I am now wishing more adult books had illustrations peppered throughout.

[Yamin151]

Not read all previous posts, but has anyone mentioned books illustrated by chris riddle? Wonderful illustrations and great books for able readers.

[Oblique]

Lots of illustrations in the Miles Kelly Myths and Legends book.

[southbucks3]

Lots of illustrations in the Miles Kelly Myths and Legends book.

Do you know...many of the myths and legends books do, very intricate, dramatic illustrations too, I think that is what first got him into picture books again after a year out reading beastquest and Mr majeka. He had an obsession with Norse mythology for a while, and the pictures were more informative than the text in those books...very scary too!

[wildwest]

SB, do you mean The UNforgotten coat?

I am not very familiar with children's books and hence checking.....

[southbucks3]

Yes that is it...sorry...I will correct on my original post.

[copella]

Hi I skimmed through previous post so not sure of anyone mentioned A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. A great and moving book, which my sons enjoyed and they are not great book readers.

[southbucks3]

Ds1 read it...but so so very sad, I am afraid we donated it to school afterwards?

Why are so many books for children about one parent dying or being dead, my kids get In a pickle about it sometimes, and we have to re-iterate how rare it is.