Timewaster's Guide Archive

I read this on Yahoo news yesterday. Very scary stuff. I hate stuff like this, and I'm sorry to say it, but I'm glad it's nowhere near me.

One reason they probably go after the prostitutes is that they are easier to coerce into a situation where they can then kill them. Random girl on the street may put up a fight, but a prostitute who thinks you're a customer won't. Sad, but true.

Found it! Voted. It worked fine.

Wow, there really are only a few who have participated this time.

I think that would help people find it. See if it makes it so more people participate.

Early readers are books that are are geared toward those kids who are transitioning from being read to to reading on their own. Some early readers that might interest your son include:

The Pirate Pete and Pirate Jo series by Ann Edwards Cannon. These are a lot of fun, and Ann is such a great person, so supporting her is good.

The Henry and Mudge books by Cynthia Rylant. There are a lot of them, about a boy and his dog.

Sleeping Ugly by Jane Yolen. This is one of my absolute favorite books ever, and it is such a good early reader. It's funny enough that I don't think it should be limited to girls.

An older series is the Time Warp Trio by Jon Sczieska and Lane Smith. Not too many pictures, but they are so easy to read that I think it would be encouraging to a child. And they are funny and interesting too (like everything else Sczieska and Smith do).

You might look into some of the more experimental picture books. If your son isn't entirely opposed to that format, there are some cool ones for slightly older audiences. Some I can think of that he might enjoy include:

Bobby Stellar, Space Kid by Paul Linsley. I love this book. Granted, I know Paul, but I'm not promoting it because of that. It is an awesome book and has just the right language for a beginning reader, with really engaging art and a subject that appeals to young boys.

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs and The Stinky Cheese Man by Jon Sczieska and Lane Smith. A fun take on a traditional tale.

The Wolves in the Walls by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean. An interesting picture book with a graphic novel feel. A little creepy. You might want to check this out first. It's awesome--but might be too intense for your 7-year-old. You'll have to decide.

That's all for now. Let me know if you think he'd read picture books, if they were age appropriate (not for 3 and under, I mean).

So why is nobody voting on these? Is it because you have to do it through the forum? I want to start another one, but I want to make sure the issue is resolved first.

Where do you do it on the forum? I tried to look without asking, because I didn't want to ask a stupid question, but I can't find it. If I knew where it was, I'd vote.

Hmm, good recommendations, SE. I may check them out myself.

More recommendations from me: It might be too old for him, but I love Kazu Kibuishi's Daisy Kutter. It has some western violence--no blood, I think, just robots. Kazu also has a great webcomic called Copper--but unfortunately it is only on the web, as far as I know--except for an occasional appearance in the Flight volumes, which Kazu compiles. What I'm really excited about is his Amulet that is being released by Scholastic in Spring 2007.

The Flight volumes have lots of good comics. Unfortunately, they are kind of a mix of "adult" and "appropriate for children" themes, so it's a mixed bag. If your child would read only part of a book, it might work. Or you could read through it first and decide if the whole thing is appropriate.

I'll keep thinking.

I think Bone would be good. As far as other recommendations, unfortunately, I know more for girls than for boys (I sought them out because there are fewer). If you don't mind Japanese Manga, Oldie would have recommendations. She has 3 boys and they all read Manga. I think Kingdom Hearts is one they read.

I can't provide recommendations myself, but here's a website that might help. Sidekicks is a website for teachers and parents that reviews graphic novels for kids. It usually gives a synopsis about the plot and tells if there is anything that might be questionable, so you can make the choice. It's a partner to No Flying, No Tights which reviews graphic novels for teens, which I'm more familiar with, and is a very good site.

Edit: I just thought of some webcomics that I follow that would work. They've just recently been released in print format. You can check them out online first and see if you want to buy them for your son. They are The Dreamland Chronicles, Inverloch, and Earthsong. And you might find this livejournal discussion at nickmag_comics interesting.