SCM Discussion Forum

1. 

   LindseyD.
   Member

   I have been a collector of old books for my entire married life. I have used them as decoration around the house for years, and only recently thought, "Hey, I wonder if any of these would be good to use in school..." (I'm sure you're all going, "You just now thought that???" LOL)

   Anyway, in browsing through some of my collection, I found several stories/books that I'm not familiar with. I was wondering if any of you had any experience with these:

   Willy Reilly by William Carleton (My copy has this note in the front: "To Mary, Love Grandmother, 1902")

   The Gold Bug by Edgar Allan Poe

   Tales From the Travels of Baron Munchausen by Rudolph Erich Raspe

   Don Quixote Retold by Judge Parry (I know you're probably all surprised that I've never read this!)

   Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving (This and the previous three books in this list are in a collection called The Young Folks' Shelf of Books. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and A Christmas Carol are also in this book.)

   Stories from Jack and Jill to Read Aloud

   Thanks!

   Lindsey

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
2. 

   LindseyD.
   Member

   Anyone??

   (Crickets chirp.)

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
3. 

   nerakr
   Member

   It's been a long time since I've read The Gold Bug and Rip van Winkle, but here's what I remember about them:

   The Gold Bug--a young teen who is staying with his uncle (I forget why) falls in with some treasure hunters in search of a centuries' old pirate treasure. The Gold Bug is the clue to finding it.

   Rip van Winkle--a man falls asleep in Colonial America and wakes up to find a lot's changed. America is independent; his daughter is grown; his nagging wife is dead. But why did he fall asleep? That's at the beginning of the story. Some elves (or some type of little people; I forget what they're called) offer him some of their own special whiskey. Must've been pretty strong!

   And don't worry; I was a lit major in college and never read Don Quixote. I suppose if I'd taken the third-year Spanish I would have.

   Karen

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
4. 

   LindseyD.
   Member

   Ok, Karen, thank you! 

   So, at what ages would you consider those two stories appropriate? Obviously, Rip Van Winkle would have to be for high school age, if at all, right?

   What do you think?

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
5. 

   nerakr
   Member

   I read both of them in high school. Pre-read The Gold Bug and see what you think. You know your children better than I do. Upper elementary, possibly. Remember, it is Poe.

   Also, Rip van Winkle has been "dumbed down" quite often and passed off as a children's story, but I doubt Washington Irving had that in mind. High school would probably be about right. It was published in the same collection as The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, if I remember my American Lit, and that is definitely not for little kids!

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
6. 

   LindseyD.
   Member

   Thanks Karen! I think we've got a while before we can use either of those resources, but at least I know I've got them handy if I need them!

   ~Lindsey

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post

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