Most parents with school aged children have encountered the following three people.
Chip
Biff
Kipper
Argh! I haven't met a more annoying set of characters in my life. Yet, they've been in our lives for two years now.
They come from the Oxford Reading Tree, and the books they feature in are supposed to be a passport to helping your child to read.
It's just a shame the stories are so unimaginative. And random.
I'm tired of reading them, goodness knows how Minxy feels.
Here's why they get my goat.
- The absurd rhythmn of the stories.
- The way they end abruptly with no proper conclusion.
- The creepy neighbour who is always looking over the fence, it's less Where's Wally? and more Where's the Weirdo?
- They are boring. End of um, story, so to speak.
Please tell me the books get better. Please.
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Sorry to have to be the one to tell you. But... They really don't get any better! lol. I felt the same way. The most random boring kids books ever! On the plus side, they haven't put my kids off reading them, my boys read Harry Potter, The boy in the Striped Pyjamas, various teenage fiction, well, pretty much anything they can get their beady eyes on. So there is hope. Maybe they're meant to be that way to make the kids want to read anything else!
ReplyDeleteSal. X
Oh goodness, what a shame. Minxy loves them, but I just find them so dry. At least it's good to hear that it doesn't put them off reading for life!
ReplyDeleteI always found Thomas the tank engine books the most boring!
ReplyDeleteHi Sharon,
ReplyDeleteI've been dealing with these characters for about the same number of years as you have, and yes I completely agree they are Dull with a capital D. That said, my daughter (aged 5) does quite enjoy the ORT books so they must be doing something right...I think the fact they take two minutes to read has allowed her to feel confident in picking up and completing a book, which I'm now seeing has led her picking up other more advanced and interesting books from around the house and just start reading them.
I've never noticed the creepy neighbour, will look out for him! Love your comment about the abrupt endings, so true.
and have you noticed there's a pair of wire-rimmed specs on practically every page? They do get mildly more interesting (and longer alas) as they find a magic key which whisks them away to far away lands and times. I quite like the nosy neighbour btw.
ReplyDeleteHey Sharon
ReplyDeleteI know exactly how you feel! Thankfully Chick is a very advanced reader so we only had to put up with Biff, Kipper & Chip for a year or so! What I hated the most was that her Teachers would never move her forward so she was reading the Fairy books at home since she was 5 and I got to ignore the ORT books!!!!
We have moved on to the Project X ORT books they are OK, but Maxi loved them
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