Books My Teachers Read to the Class

  • This message board permanently closed on June 30th, 2020 at 4PM EDT and is no longer accepting new members.

Spideyman

Uber Member
Jul 10, 2006
46,336
195,472
79
Just north of Duma Key
Tales of Peter Rabbit
The Borrowers
9780307161925-us-300.jpg

Stanley cover of first edition
Author Mary Norton
 

HollyGolightly

Well-Known Member
Sep 6, 2013
9,660
74,320
54
Heart of the South
For the life of me I cannot remember a single book read aloud, though I do remember it happening. What stands out clearly is gathering around the TV, the teacher turning out the lights, and watching John Robbins on PBS drawing and narrating the books. Balto is one I remember. I loved that show.


And that reminded me of those bookmarks - did anyone else have one?
upload_2017-3-18_19-52-42.png
 

Dana Jean

Dirty Pirate Hooker, The Return
Moderator
Apr 11, 2006
53,634
236,697
The High Seas
For the life of me I cannot remember a single book read aloud, though I do remember it happening. What stands out clearly is gathering around the TV, the teacher turning out the lights, and watching John Robbins on PBS drawing and narrating the books. Balto is one I remember. I loved that show.


And that reminded me of those bookmarks - did anyone else have one?
View attachment 20094
Yes! I watched many many stories being brought to life on canvas by someone. It was fascinating.
 

skimom2

Just moseyin' through...
Oct 9, 2013
15,683
92,168
USA
The only book I can recall being read to the class was Wind in the Willows. I missed most of it, though, because I had to go see the school shrink for weeks after my friend's dad killed her, her brother, and her grandparents (the dad's parents). I had no idea why the goofy hippie looking school guy kept trying to get me to play with dolls (I presume hoping that I'd reveal major trauma, but I never played with dolls normally)--I only figured it out years later. I finally read the book myself a couple of years ago, and it was as good as I suspected when I missed it at 9 (lol).
 

Dana Jean

Dirty Pirate Hooker, The Return
Moderator
Apr 11, 2006
53,634
236,697
The High Seas
The only book I can recall being read to the class was Wind in the Willows. I missed most of it, though, because I had to go see the school shrink for weeks after my friend's dad killed her, her brother, and her grandparents (the dad's parents). I had no idea why the goofy hippie looking school guy kept trying to get me to play with dolls (I presume hoping that I'd reveal major trauma, but I never played with dolls normally)--I only figured it out years later. I finally read the book myself a couple of years ago, and it was as good as I suspected when I missed it at 9 (lol).
Well that's just awful. I'm sorry.
 

ghost19

"Have I run too far to get home?"
Sep 25, 2011
8,926
56,578
51
Arkansas
The only book I can recall being read to the class was Wind in the Willows. I missed most of it, though, because I had to go see the school shrink for weeks after my friend's dad killed her, her brother, and her grandparents (the dad's parents). I had no idea why the goofy hippie looking school guy kept trying to get me to play with dolls (I presume hoping that I'd reveal major trauma, but I never played with dolls normally)--I only figured it out years later. I finally read the book myself a couple of years ago, and it was as good as I suspected when I missed it at 9 (lol).

That's about as traumatic as it gets Skimom. That's awful. Sorry you had to go thru that.
 

skimom2

Just moseyin' through...
Oct 9, 2013
15,683
92,168
USA
Oh gosh! I wasn't fishing for sympathy, I promise! It was just a weird thing that happened. I feel awful saying that it didn't really affect me, but it's true. Maybe it comes from being a military brat; you get used to leaving people, or them leaving. We tended not to get really close to anyone but family.
 

Kurben

The Fool on the Hill
Apr 12, 2014
9,682
65,192
59
sweden
Don't remember getting any book read to us in school. Remember earlier in preschool how Teskedsgumman (stories about a lady who if she said a special word became small as a teaspoon) by Alf Pröjsen (norwegian author) being read to us as well as some Pippi Longstocking tales by Astrid Lindgren.
 

Mel217

Well-Known Member
Mar 10, 2017
904
5,756
I remember being in primary school and the entire class would sit while the teacher read a picture-type book, and after each page she'd hold the book out in front of her, pages towards us, and slowly scan the book in front of her so the class could see the picture. We had a student teacher who would do this, too, but as she scanned the book she'd bounce it up and down like we were infants with a pair of keys jingling in our faces. For some reason this still cracks me up. She must have been nervous or something.
 

Mel217

Well-Known Member
Mar 10, 2017
904
5,756
OH And I don't remember if this was read aloud or not, but an old favorite was Roald Dahl's "Matilda." The Trunchbull was both terrifying and hilarious when she's quizzing the kids on math--"I HAVE EIGHT COCONUTS, EIGHT MONKEY-NUTS, AND EIGHT NUTTY LITTLE IDIOTS LIKE YOU. HOW MANY NUTS?!? ANSWER ME BOY, AND LOOK SMART ABOUT IT!"
 

not_nadine

Comfortably Roont
Nov 19, 2011
29,655
139,785
Behind you
I don't remember, but for one. I had nuns in grade school.
Strange, because I have been thinking of this lately before I saw this thread.

I don't remember the name of it. But.. It was all about a rose bush growing competition for the Blessed Mother statue? All the kids in the class were in on it. Focused on a boy and a girl.

Now, the boy was very serious. Built a fence around his rosebush and watched as the roses grew bigger and bigger, sure he would win. Laughed at the girl who was always cutting her new roses to give to neighbors, and just being kind.

Turned out the little girl won. The boy never pruned or was kind. And pruning and kindness made for better new roses and full rosebush.

And I don't know why I typed all that. It was just something that stuck with me.
 

HollyGolightly

Well-Known Member
Sep 6, 2013
9,660
74,320
54
Heart of the South
I remember these! I vividly remember the one where Ramona gets PO'ed about something and squeezes the entire tube of toothpaste into the sink, then realizes she did something really stupid and is trying to figure out how to cram it all back inside the tube xD
I loved Ramona! I think of "Nosmo King" every time someone I know mentions trying to quit smoking. Remember she left a note in her dad's smokes?

The only book I can recall being read to the class was Wind in the Willows. I missed most of it, though, because I had to go see the school shrink for weeks after my friend's dad killed her, her brother, and her grandparents (the dad's parents). I had no idea why the goofy hippie looking school guy kept trying to get me to play with dolls (I presume hoping that I'd reveal major trauma, but I never played with dolls normally)--I only figured it out years later. I finally read the book myself a couple of years ago, and it was as good as I suspected when I missed it at 9 (lol).
Dear God, that's tragic. I'm happy you were not affected by it. That's a pretty healthy recovery.

animal_farm_cover2014.jpg


Was I the only kid that had books read out loud in junior high and high school classes? Wasn't always necessarily the teacher, sometimes we'd read the books aloud in turns. I had a 10th grade English 2 teacher who did the best oral reading I ever heard.
We read out oud more often than not in junior high and high school. Romeo & Juliet, The Canterbury Tales, The Cask of Amontillado, The Hound of the Baskervilles. I love reading out loud. I had the very happy job of being the story time leader at Borders for many years. I miss that job.

Don't remember getting any book read to us in school. Remember earlier in preschool how Teskedsgumman (stories about a lady who if she said a special word became small as a teaspoon) by Alf Pröjsen (norwegian author) being read to us as well as some Pippi Longstocking tales by Astrid Lindgren.
I loved Pippi!
 

Holly Gibney

Well-Known Member
Aug 2, 2016
153
783
46
Don't remember getting any book read to us in school. Remember earlier in preschool how Teskedsgumman (stories about a lady who if she said a special word became small as a teaspoon) by Alf Pröjsen (norwegian author) being read to us as well as some Pippi Longstocking tales by Astrid Lindgren.

I loved Pippi!

Pippi Longstocking!!! Now, there's a VERY welcome blast from the past! :)
There are so many wonderful children's books, aren't there? True, there are so many wonderful adults' books too, but children's books seem to be particularly full of huge, memorable characters who dominate the story and live in your mind forever after. I don't think it's just a consequence of reading them at an impressionable age either - I think the best children's authors really do have a gift for creating huge, larger-than-life heroes and villains and painting them in the most vivid colours.

Need cheering up? Just press play on the video below...


Incidentally, did you know that Stieg Larsson has said that Lisbeth Salander (the main character in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and sequels) is his notion of what Pippi Longstocking would be like as an adult, had she lived in the "real" world as a prodigiously intelligent child bringing herself up without adults, rather than the cosy gingerbread world of children's books where everything is alright by bedtime?
 

Kurben

The Fool on the Hill
Apr 12, 2014
9,682
65,192
59
sweden
Pippi Longstocking!!! Now, there's a VERY welcome blast from the past! :)
There are so many wonderful children's books, aren't there? True, there are so many wonderful adults' books too, but children's books seem to be particularly full of huge, memorable characters who dominate the story and live in your mind forever after. I don't think it's just a consequence of reading them at an impressionable age either - I think the best children's authors really do have a gift for creating huge, larger-than-life heroes and villains and painting them in the most vivid colours.

Need cheering up? Just press play on the video below...


Incidentally, did you know that Stieg Larsson has said that Lisbeth Salander (the main character in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and sequels) is his notion of what Pippi Longstocking would be like as an adult, had she lived in the "real" world as a prodigiously intelligent child bringing herself up without adults, rather than the cosy gingerbread world of children's books where everything is alright by bedtime?
Yeah, i knew that but doubt it. Pippi was many things but not socially awkward as Lisbeth is. There were many child actors playing Astrid Lindgren characters and doing it well in many tvseries and featuremovies but did you know that the only one that became an actor as a grownup was the one playing Pippi. Inger Nilsson is her name.