Ask Slashdot: Which Comic Books To Start My 3-Year-Old With? 372
JeepFanatic writes "I've never been one to read comic books, but I've always enjoyed superheroes. My 3-year-old son is really into superheroes (especially Spider-man) and I thought it would be a fun thing to do together to start reading comics to him. Any suggestions on comics that would be more appropriate to start him out with?"
Hmm. (Score:5, Insightful)
My 3 yr old son is really into superheros (especially Spider-man)
Well then how about Spider Man?
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That was kind of my thought, too. I never read a whole lot of comics, but Spiderman was always kind of tame, wasn't it?
Re:Hmm. (Score:5, Insightful)
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My friend had one but some kid sat on it [fatherspiritson.com]
only one choice (Score:5, Funny)
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Or Mandrake, for obvious reasons.
He might be a bit young for Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, unfortunately.
Oblig (Score:2)
Watchman, of course: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDDHHrt6l4w [youtube.com]
Donald Duck & Uncle Scrooge (Score:5, Interesting)
I've been reading collections of the first years of Spidey, the Fantastic Four, Green Lantern and such. They're probably fine for young'uns.
But I'd also look into the Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge comic adventures. The Duckberg folks go on a lot of neat adventures. They have great stories, great artwork, and it will help show that there's more to comics than superheroes.
Fantagraphics is producing a reprint series, and previous collections are readily available.
Re:Donald Duck & Uncle Scrooge (Score:4, Informative)
Absolutely. Look for the ones by Carl Barks. It was an inspiration for Indiana Jones.
Re:Donald Duck & Uncle Scrooge (Score:4, Informative)
Absolutely. Look for the ones by Carl Barks.
And Don Rosa, too, who has carried on Carl Barks's tradition of complex, well-written stories that are accessible enough for children but interesting enough for adults and which incorporate lots of actual details from real-world history and mythology.
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But I'd also look into the Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge comic adventures.
But probably not the adventures of Dolan.
Re:Donald Duck & Uncle Scrooge (Score:5, Insightful)
Scrooge as a hero has a bit of a Spider-man quality to him. Spider-man doesn't want to be a hero and it is a failure on his part that makes him recognize his responsibility. Similarly, but with differences, it is not unusual for Scrooge to initially do the wrong thing in his quest for profit and then realize he has crossed a line and step back. When this happens he steps back willingly but usually not happily. This is an important lesson often left out of superhero comics books - doing the right thing isn't always easy - not because you have to fight others but because you have to go against your own wants.
Another great lesson that you will be hard pressed to find anywhere else is the idea of doing the right thing when no one else knows. Read "Back to the Klondike" if you can find it. I can think of one or two other stories where this lesson is explored (the movie "Hero" with Dustin Hoffman in 1992), but none do it with as much class.
But do be careful which Scrooge McDuck comics you get. Some other authors have treated him badly and he isn't always the respectable character that Barks wrote.
Lone Wolf and Cub (Score:3)
Just kidding!
There used to be a Shazam! comic, (DC's Captain Marvel) that was oriented more towards young kids. I don't know if it still exists.
Personally, I started my daughter, who was not much older than that, on Mage. If she didn't understand something, we stopped and talked about it. It's actually pretty amazing what kids can process.
When she entered her teens, Matt Wagner had finally come out with Volume 2. Daughter was really excited and wanted me to read it to her. I was a little surprised that she had remembered the first story.
Captain Marvel / Shazam (Score:2)
I'll ditto the Shazam recommendation. Captain Marvel appealed to a younger set, and his alter-ego was a young teen. (As were those of Captain Marvel Junior and Mary Marvel, or whatever her name was.)
I bought a huge paperback compendium of "Shazam" comics a few years ago. B&W, but still good stories.
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I'll ditto the Shazam recommendation. Captain Marvel appealed to a younger set, and his alter-ego was a young teen. (As were those of Captain Marvel Junior and Mary Marvel, or whatever her name was.)
I bought a huge paperback compendium of "Shazam" comics a few years ago. B&W, but still good stories.
Incidentally, have you been watching Young Justice? The setup is that a junior justice league is formed from all the sidekicks -- robin, aquaboy and so forth. (The story predates the coming of Starfire to earth and the forming of Teen Titans.)
Captain Marvel is a recurring character. As portrayed in this series, he is a full member of JLA and considered an adult by the other JLA members, (sometimes asked to "babysit" the junior members) but his dirty little secret, apparently hidden from the other adults,
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Incidentally, with Mage volume 1, I left out the part about the puppy.
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I was a little older than 3, but I loved http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usagi_Yojimbo [wikipedia.org] as a pre-teen.
That's brilliant! Why have I never heard of this?? My daughter is now 17, but she'd really get into this. (She's a manga freak.) I must tell her.
Owls (Score:2, Informative)
I've heard Owly is a great starter comic. It's about woodland critters, so appropriate. But there's no dialog, so he could flip through it by himself.
Re:Owly (Score:3)
Online, you can show him "Zip and Lil' Bit" (zipandbit.com), among others.
Caldecott (Score:5, Informative)
I don't know about comic books per se
But you can't go wrong with the ALA Caldecott winners and honorees. [wikipedia.org] The ALA takes childrens books seriously so you can count on their recommendations to always be top notch. Many public libraries will even have a seperate display of caldecott winners to make it easier for parents to find them.
...and if they don't have them ... (Score:2)
then you put in an ILL (Inter-Library Loan) request ... but typically, most libraries have a budget for getting requested books, and if they think the book will be of general interest (and c'mon, it's an award winning children's book), they'll just go and buy a copy.
And if you're really set on comic books, ask if the children's librarian can make a recommendation. Even a small library (6-8 librarians) will typically have a dedicated children's librarian. (or just look through the 'E' section, and you'll f
How bout something with puppies (Score:4, Insightful)
Kids that age don't need superheros running around biff bam zonking bad guys.
Why not try Dora the Explorer or something.
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Re:How bout something with puppies (Score:4, Informative)
You may want to look at some classic child cartoons:
Books by:
Animated:
To me it seems to be a great inflation in superheroes, especially if you compare the early Superman comics with the modern. Their weaknesses seem to be much less pronounced in modern comics.
None. (Score:5, Insightful)
Modern superhero comics are pretty much uniformly targeted at teen-to-adult age groups. In the quest to become more "edgy", the storylines are more violent and disturbing than ever before. This is not intended as a criticism... I likes me some edgy comics, and when I was college-aged supplemented my income doing lettering work on comic books... but don't be under any sort of illusion about the content the big labels are releasing. It's just not good material for someone as young as your son.
Most kid's TV is also either completely inane/stupid/mind-rotting, or inappropriate for 3-year-olds. There are a few shows out there which are just fine for young kids and which have a goodly bit of intelligence, worthwhile stories, and a meaningful positive "message", but I will leave it as an exercise to the reader to discover them. (Hint: one of them is a huge Internet sensation right about now.)
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I don't think The Guild is for 3 year olds.
Re:None. (Score:4, Funny)
Pippi!!!! (Score:4, Interesting)
to Sweden in the seventies...
Pippi Longstocking [wikipedia.org]!
If Pippi and Spider-man were in combat, she'd drive him to tears with a few well-placed jokes, I'm sure of it! (and afterwards invite him over for tea).
Girl Genius (Score:2)
n/t
Comics are great! (Score:3, Interesting)
In the future, there will be only war (Score:3)
Start here:
http://mycomicpost.com/?p=3707 [mycomicpost.com]
The sooner you start the Space Marine training the better.
We wouldn't want to raise a xeno-loving, heretic girly-boy now, would we?
For the Emperor
Comic books for 3 year old? (Score:5, Informative)
In 2012, I don't think there are any. 55 years ago there were, but even then, it was more starting at age 6.
Stick with "Hello, Moon", Dr. Seuss, etc.
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There's also Goodnight Keith Moon [blogspot.com]:
In the great green room
There was a telephone
And a dead Keith Moon
And a picture of
Townshend jumping over the Moon
Probably better to wait on this one.
GITS (Score:2)
Ghost in the Shell manga. You can find scans of the whole thing.
Pooh Bear (Score:5, Interesting)
How about (Score:2)
Comic Sans?
Spiderman*
Superman
Calvin and Hobbes
*haha, Nerd rage COMMENCE!
Let him be 3. (Score:4, Insightful)
He's 3. Don't try to turn him into you. Superhero comics aren't for 3-year-olds. Give him age-appropriate stuff.
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um cept dad already stated that he is not into comic books and the kid is wild about spiderman, RTFS genius
May 5th is free comic book day. (Score:3, Informative)
The first Saturday in May is Free Comic Book Day. There are plenty of kid comic books out there and the Marvels and DC's even have young versions of the top titles/hero's. Here in Las Vegas, we have some great owners who are very helpful and any good store should be able to find out what the kid likes and suggest a few to start. Maximum Comics woo hoo. (selfless plug).
Old Favorites (Score:3)
Are any of the Disney Comics around? Scrooge McDuck with Hewy, Dewy, and Louie were an early face of mine. Also, what anout Richie Rich? There's also Impson comics but maybe notat 3 years old.
With my daughter, I introduced her to collections of old Super Girl and Wonder Woman at 4 years old. She's now into Young Justice, Teen Titans, Girl Genius and Dr. Horrible/Firefly.
Captain Underpants! (Score:3)
I've seen Teen Titans based on the cartoon instead of the original more mature version, I've seen other kid targeted comics but three is young. Go to the bookstore and get the age range targeted books, trust me there's no shortage of hero hosted educational and kid specific books. You may want to move on to Captain Underpants next until he's ready for the more mature titles. Remember, the Comics Code Authority is dead now and the comics are written accordingly.
Re:Captain Underpants! (Score:4, Informative)
I second the recommendation for Captain Underpants. Those books are a mashup between a chapter book with pictures and comics. I would read them to the kids at bedtime.
The first comics my children really got into themselves were Calvin and Hobbes then Tintin and eventually Girl Genius.
Rupert the Bear (Score:2)
Atomic Robo and Axe Cop (Score:3)
Perhaps not perfect for a 3 year old, but worth looking at are Atomic Robo and Axe Cop.
Atomic Robo is very much a 'child appropriate' comic.
http://www.atomic-robo.com/ [atomic-robo.com]
Axe Cop is created by a 30 something year old cartoonist and written by his 6 year old brother.
http://axecop.com/ [axecop.com]
END COMMUNICATION
Tintin (Score:2)
I grew up on Tintin.
Choose Wisely (Score:2)
I still recommend A.A. Milne and Beatrix Potter carefully seasoned with Spide
what does it matter, he is 3 (Score:2)
Read him spiderman since he likes it
Mouse Guard (Score:4, Informative)
It isn't really superheros, but it may be something he could enjoy. I don't recall if there was anything that would be inappropriate for for someone of his age aside from a little bit of violence.
Almost anything will do... (Score:4, Interesting)
Wicked Wanda & Little Annie Fanny (Score:2)
Damn, I'm showing my age again...
Some recommendations (Score:4, Informative)
at 3-4, OWLY is fantastic. published by Top Shelf
Marvel put out a line of comics called MARVEL ADVENTURES with much more "kid appropriate" comics with the big icons of the Marvel U. They can be found in the digest sized format.
Chris Eliopolous also put out a marvel comic based on Franklin Richards of Fantastic Four fame, it reads like Calvin and Hobbes with Franklin as Calvin and H.E.R.B.I.E. the robot from the 70's FF cartoon as his Hobbes. Delightful. digest format as well.
Your local comic shop should also have either Essential Collections or Marvel Masterwork tradepaperback collections of the early Marvel Comics of the 60's. Amazing Spider-man 1-20 for $20 in black and white. or 1-10 in color. might be a little early for a lot of that stuff.
Fantagraphics is publishing the complete Carl Barks library right now. vol. 2 is due out shortly.
Fantagraphics is also publishing the Complete Peanuts. 2 years per volume. They are in the early '80's right now.
Lastly, use your local library if you can. You'd be amazed at how much is being purchased by librarians right now to keep kids reading. 741.5 is your dewey decimal. Also, your kids/teen room will usually just have a whole shelf of graphic novels now a days. free looking.
Lastly part two. Let your kid be a kid as long as possible. Don't force violence at them before they're ready. Most of the above recommendations are way over the head of a 3 year old. Let alone an 8 year old.
Enjoy. my now 16 and 13 year olds have 2 bookshelves of classic Marvel and DC books. They're also huge fans of Bone and Mouseguard and other great age appropriate stuff...
Why comic books? (Score:2)
There are tons of beautiful illustrated books with excellent stories. Anything from Oliver Jeffers like Lost & Found, or Olivia the Pig by Ian Falconer or any book illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. I love comic books but my children prefer illustrated books.
If you are looking for comic books try looking for Belgian/French authors translated to English. They tend to write stories very different from what you find in America, sometimes with very deep stories and characters.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Oakley [wikipedia.org]
http://www.grahamoakley.co.uk/page11.html [grahamoakley.co.uk]
http://www.grahamoakley.co.uk/page9.html [grahamoakley.co.uk]
Lots of amazing art with plots set in science, a guest preacher and exploring suburbia.
DC Nation line of comics (Score:3)
DC has a line of comics aimed specifically to kids called DC Nation. http://dcnationcomics.kidswb.com/ [kidswb.com]. Young Justice, Superman Family, etc.. You can even read some of the comics free online, to see if your kid will like them before you start buying issues/TPBs. My son is 2, and I hope that he will have a similar love of comics that his old man does.
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Good link, thanks.
Axe Cop (Score:2)
Axe Cop [axecop.com], the stories of a 5-year-old through the pen of his 30-year-old brother.
Dreamland Chronicles (Score:2)
Not superhero, but "Owly" is good for that age. (Score:3)
An artist named Andy Runton has a series of simple comics called "Owly". They use the visual language of comics, but don't require literacy. When the characters rarely speak, they do so in pictograms. The stories and jokes are simple enough for young kids to follow without seeming condescending to adults (i.e. it's not Dick & Jane type stuff). My daughter started on them around that age before she could read and liked them. She's almost 7 and is a great reader, but she still enjoys them. I'm sure there are other good comics out there for pre-literate kids if you ask around. I know the comic stores I frequent usually have a lot of kids books available on Free Comics Day. Stop by and take everything you think might be interesting to your boy and see what sticks.
Once your son begins reading, there are a lot more options: Jeff Smith's "Bone" series, Kazu Kibuishi's "Amulet" Series, Disney Comics (esp. the Carl Barks Duck Adventures). Superhero comics are a bit tougher to get into. Kids are drawn to the costumes and the setup, but the plots and language can be a lot more opaque than you'd expect, especially as they've become oriented towards more sophisticated adult readers over the past 30 years.
Good luck, he's gonna have fun!
Many good age appropriate books (Score:2)
Classic reprints (Score:3)
I suggest you dig up reprint volumes of classic Silver Age comics. The original Spiderman stories, the original Iron Man stories, etc.
In those days, the comics were striving to not violate the "comics code" and they contained very little death, no actual swear words, and generally had a lighter tone than modern comics.
These days, comics are marketed toward teen males; horrible things happen as the comics strive for edginess, and language can be coarse.
So, I would read classic comics to a 3-year-old, but with modern comics I would carefully vet each issue before reading it. This could be a problem if he gets interested in a storyline and then the next comic comes out and it's horrific! The classic Stan Lee scripts from the 60's are all pretty suitable for a 3-year-old.
As someone noted, even in classic Spiderman, Peter Parker's uncle is killed... but that's really it for the death. Spiderman fights the Sandman, Doctor Octopus, the Vulture, the Green Goblin, etc. etc. without anyone being seriously hurt.
Try him on classic Doctor Strange! The original Stan Lee comics of course.
Hmm, I just checked Amazon and it seems that the search phrase to use is "Marvel Masterworks". Here's a link to the first volume of classic Spiderman:
http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Spider-Man-Vol-Marvel-Masterworks/dp/0785136932 [amazon.com]
P.S. Bless you for this project. I know this isn't a superhero comic like you asked, but may I suggest that you read this book to your son? This was the first science fiction book I ever read, and it still has an important place in my heart. It's out of print, but trust me, it's worth finding a used copy and buying it. It's probably worth it to buy a hardcover; the mass-market paperback was printed on very cheap paper that is turning brown these days. The story: a family has been living on Ganymede, but will now move to Earth. But shipping is expensive, so they plan to sell their robot and leave the robot behind. Hating to leave the robot, the boy runs away; the boy and the robot have adventures as they try to get to Earth together. It's a tale of adventure and loyalty and love, absolutely a good story for a 3-year-old. The title: The Runaway Robot by Lester Del Rey.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Runaway-Robot-Lester-Del/dp/B000DZDQD0 [amazon.com]
steveha
Essential Spider-Man (Score:3)
As some people have said (amidst all the trolls deliberately recommending age-inappropriate comics), modern comics are aimed at either teens, or adults who used to read comics when they were a kid. There's just about no comic book that's actually intended for children.
Since he likes Spider-Man anyway, Marvel has been reprinting Spider-Man starting at the beginning, and those were suitable for 1960's kids.
Essential Spider-Man #1 [amazon.com] ($20 for over 500 pages, but in black and white)
Paperback Spider-Man Masterworks #1 (272 pages, in color) [amazon.com]: should be $20, for some reason it is overpriced on Amazon--try a book store)
Maus (Score:2)
I tried with my 4 year old. (Score:2)
His first book, Donald Duck Adventures #9.
He didn't get it. It looks a lot like the type of kids books he likes to read, except it was all floppy and had too many words.
Tiny Titans (Score:2)
I've gone through this with my kids (two girls, nearly 3 and 5). You're going to see lots of suggestions for golden age comics, but they don't work. Golden Age stuff had some seriously tedious dialog boxes and genuine weirdness that kids can't comprehend. Not to mention a tendency for some odd 50s-60s-era sexism. They just don't hold up well.
Tiny Titans has been the Superhero stuff that my kids have latched onto. It's the DC comics heroes as elementary school kids. There's no fighting. Lots of genuinely fun
Spiderman. (Score:3)
Dear Slashdot, (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Tandy Computer Whiz Kids (Score:5, Insightful)
Classic Fritz the Cat, and maybe some of the S. Clay Wilson stuff with motorcycles.
OK. Wait until he's 7.
Seriously? Read real books with him. The comics will come on his own, without encouragement.
Re:Tandy Computer Whiz Kids (Score:5, Funny)
I see your Fritz the Cat, and raise you Fat Freddy's Cat.
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"There's plenty more where they came from, Sir..."
Re:Tandy Computer Whiz Kids (Score:4, Interesting)
Classic Fritz the Cat, and maybe some of the S. Clay Wilson stuff with motorcycles.
OK. Wait until he's 7.
Seriously? Read real books with him. The comics will come on his own, without encouragement.
I don't remember not being able to read. My parents tell me I learned when I was 2, as they read comic books to me.
I had an uncle who was into them, and seeing him read them made me very interested. My parents then bought comics that we're more appropriate for children so they could read them to me. The end result is that I got so hooked, it made me extremely motivated to learn to read so that I'd be able to read the stories when my parents didn't have the time (they read to me every day, but I asked them to read constantly.
Moral of the story: read anything to your kids that gets them hooked, even comic books if that's what's doing the trick. Help them to learn to read when they get interested and other stuff will will come later, when they're able to read for themselves.
As for recommendation, in my case they were "Uncle Scrooge" Disney comics. I have no idea if they're still published.
Re:Tandy Computer Whiz Kids (Score:4, Informative)
for a kid how about the english translation of astrix
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I would toss in English Tintin as well too!
Re:Tandy Computer Whiz Kids (Score:4, Funny)
I bet you would.
Re:Tandy Computer Whiz Kids (Score:5, Informative)
You mean Asterix [wikipedia.org] and his sidekick Obelix [wikipedia.org], I think.
Lucky Luke [wikipedia.org], Cubitus [wikipedia.org], Spike & Suzy [wikipedia.org], and Tintin [wikipedia.org] could also be worth a look, as well as the classic Donald Duck / Scrooge McDuck comic book stories written by Carl Barks [wikipedia.org] and Don Rosa [wikipedia.org]
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Axe Cop, anyone? [axecop.com]
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Isn't that where the myth busters got the idea to raise a sunken boat with ping pong balls?
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Tandy? Pfffft!.
Atari Force forever!
http://www.atariage.com/comics/index.html [atariage.com]
Re:Read to him? (Score:5, Funny)
At 3 years old he should be able to read himself - why do you need to read to him?
Oh, saaaay, that gives me an idea: Have him read Slashdot! He'll grow up with the benefit of thinking he knows everything without wasting his life doing things like asking questions and learning or asking questions about a topic he doesn't understand. You won't even have to worry about teen pregnancy!
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Oh, saaaay, that gives me an idea: Have him read Slashdot! He'll grow up with the benefit of thinking he knows everything without wasting his life doing things like asking questions and learning or asking questions about a topic he doesn't understand. You won't even have to worry about teen pregnancy!
Well.. that's embarrassing. Feel free to point and laugh, folks, I made a real ass of myself. :)
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At 3 years old he should be able to read himself - why do you need to read to him?
Oh, saaaay, that gives me an idea: Have him read Slashdot! He'll grow up with the benefit of thinking he knows everything without wasting his life doing things like asking questions and learning or asking questions about a topic he doesn't understand. You won't even have to worry about teen pregnancy!
Hmm... "son"... "teen pregnancy"... "son"... "teen pregnancy"...
I see what you mean about slashdot readers who fail to learn about topics they don't understand.
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I see what you mean about slashdot readers who fail to learn about topics they don't understand.
One of them, are you?
Humans generally can't have pregnancy, teen or otherwise, without someone's son being involved at some point in the process.
Re:Read to him? (Score:5, Informative)
At 3 years old he should be able to read himself - why do you need to read to him?
Reading to your kids is a great experience for both you and the kid. I started reading to my daughter before she turned one year old. It helped her fall to sleep. To start with, since she wasn't actually listening, I read her whatever I happened to be reading. I wonder sometimes if that was a mistake, and she spent nights awake in her bed, listening for the hellish howling of a gigantic hound on the moors...
Later we went through every one of the Terry Pratchett stories and a lot of the Heinlein juveniles. This went on until sometime last year, when she became a senior in high school, and was too busy for me to read to her anymore. I regret that.
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Reading to your kids is a great experience for both you and the kid.
Meh. Might be nice for the kids, but I never enjoyed reading to them, (or the grandkids). Some people just gush about it like its a given that any human with a heart would naturally enjoy this, and you are a totally bad parent not to do so. Its taken as gospel and is pretty much an unassailable belief these days, and woe be to anyone who questions it.
I view this as just the current fad, and building something together with Legos, or letting the kids help paint a wall, or type on your computer, is far mor
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Reading to your kids is a great experience for both you and the kid.
Meh. Might be nice for the kids, but I never enjoyed reading to them, (or the grandkids). Some people just gush about it like its a given that any human with a heart would naturally enjoy this, and you are a totally bad parent not to do so. Its taken as gospel and is pretty much an unassailable belief these days, and woe be to anyone who questions it.
I view this as just the current fad, and building something together with Legos, or letting the kids help paint a wall, or type on your computer, is far more educational.
. /me ... goes away hanging head in shame...
It depends. Some people find it difficult, and some don't have any talent for it. My wife has tried to read to my daughter, but she reads right at the national average (about 250 words a minute) and has difficulty producing a narrative that one would actually want to listen to. I read almost four times that speed, and my brain can read ahead a paragraph or so ahead of my voice, which gives me time to plan out how I'm going to speak the lines. Besides a more flowing narrative, I also get to "do the voice
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I'll second that, it greatly assists comprehension, which tends to get overlooked sometimes with kids. Sure, they can read the words but understanding story is another thing for some. Reading to my daughter also gave me an opportunity to re-visit books that I loved as a child myself. Roald Dahl and David Walliams go down well at any age, try books for a few pages to see if they keep interest, if not then re-attempt in a few months. At 5 she was ploughing through the Narnia series and really enjoying it.
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Yes. I had just gotten The Complete Sherlock Holmes and had decided to re-read the stories. If I understand your comment, you don't have to be a teen to enjoy Doyle. I recently bought another, digital copy of the stories for my Android phone to read on the plane.
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Why not just get them for free from Project Gutenberg? (Genuine question)
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Why not just get them for free from Project Gutenberg? (Genuine question)
Good question. It's not like Doyle needs the money, being dead.
I guess it was a matter of convenience. Back in the Palm Pilot days, Project Gutenberg was my friend. I read all of Burroughs and Dumas on the Pilot.
But... see I have Kindle on the Android phone, and it's just too convenient to pay the minor download price (and there are free titles also) in order to keep all my books in a single place. And yes, I know you can side-load the Kindle app -- I had to do it for the Officer's Pocket Guide to Orego
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So how about something that's not superhero oriented, like the very good Adventure Time? http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=preview&id=11362 [comicbookresources.com]
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Re:Surely none (Score:5, Interesting)
Superman = invincible person who has magic powers for no other reason than accident of birth beats up people with advanced PhDs.
That's always been the big mystery of America superhero fiction to me. The heroes are usually powerful by complete accident (just born that way, bitten by a radioactive lab animal, etc.), while the villains have a strong work ethic, work hard, are very intelligent and highly qualified, etc. And the heroes always win. The moral of the story seems to be it doesn't matter if you work hard, you can't overcome dumb luck. And that intelligence and qualifications are something to be wary of.
Re:Surely none (Score:4, Informative)
Superman = invincible person who has magic powers for no other reason than accident of birth beats up people with advanced PhDs.
That's always been the big mystery of America superhero fiction to me. The heroes are usually powerful by complete accident (just born that way, bitten by a radioactive lab animal, etc.), while the villains have a strong work ethic, work hard, are very intelligent and highly qualified, etc. And the heroes always win. The moral of the story seems to be it doesn't matter if you work hard, you can't overcome dumb luck. And that intelligence and qualifications are something to be wary of.
Superman hasn't changed that much, but the comic book stories about him now are more writers looking to deconstruct him rather than actually presenting him as the classic icon of good he was generations ago. It's like Batman, he's gone from being the Dark Avenger to the ultra-paranoid who almost let Max Lord screw up the world with O.M.A.C.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I actually have most of those
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Every morning in every newspaper. Every month in every issue of New Yorker and Playboy. Every time someone posts an XKCD link.