The other week I sat down with a book in my hand. I hadn't done that in a while and the kids got excited and asked me to read it to them.
"To Kill a Mockingbird isn't really a kids' book," I said, but they begged and I figured they'd get bored soon, so I started reading.
They were hooked. Damon especially. He started reading it to himself at night, which was great, because then when I'd edit out words while reading to the girls, he'd make comments like, "Mom left out the N-word."
"Whats the N-word?"
"A mean word for a black person."
"Ohhh. That's why chigger sounds like a swear word to me." (We've all got chigger bites. They're 10 times worse than mosquito bites. Don't go outside in Kansas without plenty of DEET, people.)
Every day I hoped I wouldn't get the, "Mom, read us 'How to Kill a Mockingbird,'" request. But I did.
Finally we got to the chapter where Scout beats up Francis. "What's a whore-lady?"
"Uh, well, a woman who commits some pretty serious sins."
"Like what?"
"Well, she sells her body for money."
"How could she sell her body for money?"
"I don't want to discuss it."
Fortunately, Uncle Jack and Atticus's conversation about Maycombe's disease bored the girls and I was able to get the girls to give up Mockingbird without too much of a fight.
Tangential: Raise your hand if you think the coming forth of Harper Lee's 'new' book sounds fishy. I'm excited to read it, but the library wait-list probably stretches into 2025. I just hope it was really written by Harper Lee and not her editor or somebody else looking for a buck.
4 comments:
Only your kids.
Last year I taught the Old Testament to 8 year olds. The Old Testament isn't "kid friendly" either. I had to dance around some pretty adult themes in some well known Bible stories.
Charlotte--so fun to catch up on all your posts. I am not--as it turns out--all alone in the world according to my opinions and food-dropping issues and hair that has a mind of its own. PS: you've probably heard by now that Go Set A Watchman is 👎. I'm not going to bother with it. But it's for sale at Costco, FYI ;)
PSS: What are those weird icons blogger enters for a thumbs down? I don't have my old lady glasses on so I can't see. That was supposed to be a thumbs down, FYI.
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