OPINION
Alwyn Poole
Alwyn Poole founded and was the head of Mt Hobson Middle School in Auckland for 18 years. MH Academy is now an in person private school for Year 11 – 13. There is now a nationwide online provision called Mt Hobson Academy Connected for Years 1 – 13.
Below is the list of books I read to my children as they were growing up.
The human brain is strongly geared towards narrative and our intelligence and character is developed through hearing, reading, watching and experiencing story. Reading at the child’s cognitive level – as opposed to the reading skill level they have also enhances the development of imagination and creativity.
Yesterday I had lunch with a very good dad of three children between four and ten. I mentioned that there is significant evidence that children are missing out on film/movies. My hypothesis was due to them being on Youtube (etc) and especially the phenomenon of “shorts”. I saw a school Facebook post the other day saying that a class had gone to a movie and, although 90 minutes was a long time to focus, they did enjoy the experience.
The dad pointed out that sourcing movies can be difficult as it is not the same as wandering down to the video store and wasting half an hour choosing. It also gets expensive having a whole range of subscriptions.
So the first task I want to do for this gentleman – and also circulate – is the movies kids should see and that families can watch together. I will then work out where they are and how to see them.
Please put your ones in the comments …
#1 The Princess Bride.
P.S
The books I read to my children.
The Lord of the Rings J. R. R. Tolkien
The Hobbit J. R. R. Tolkien
The Father Christmas Letters J. R. R. Tolkien
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight J. R. R. Tolkien
The Adventures of Tom Bombadil J. R. R. Tolkien
Farmer Giles of Ham J. R. R. Tolkien
Smith of Wootton Major J. R. R. Tolkien
Leaf by Niggle J. R. R. Tolkien
The Magician’s Nephew C. S. Lewis
The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe C. S. Lewis
The Horse and His Boy C. S. Lewis
Prince Caspian C. S. Lewis
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader C. S. Lewis
The Silver Chair C. S. Lewis
The Last Battle C. S. Lewis
Pilgrims Regress C. S. Lewis
The Back of the North Wind George MacDonald
The Princess and the Goblin George MacDonald
The Princess and Curdie George MacDonald
The Golden Key George MacDonald
The Complete Fairy Tales George MacDonald
Phantastes George MacDonald
The Last of the Mohicans James Fenimore Cooper
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Mark Twain
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain
Tom Brown’s Schooldays Thomas Hughes
The Enchanted Castle E. Nesbit
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy Douglas Adams
The Tanglewood’s Secret Patricia St John
Treasures of the Snow Patricia St John
The Victor Patricia St John
Rainbow Garden Patricia St John
The Mystery of Pheasant Cottage Patricia St John
Star of Light Patricia St John
The Secret of the Fourth Candle Patricia St John
In the Grip of Winter Colin Dann
The Big Fisherman Lloyd C. Douglas
The Robe Lloyd C. Douglas
The Jungle Book (1 & 2) Rudyard Kipling
Just So Stories Rudyard Kipling
Robinson Crusoe Daniel Defoe
Swiss Family Robinson Jonnie Wyss
Treasure Island Robert Louis Stevenson
To Kill a Mocking bird Harper Lee
Fantastic Mr Fox Roald Dahl
The Minpins Roald Dahl
James and the Giant Peach Roald Dahl
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar Roald Dahl
Revolting Rhymes Roald Dahl
The Giraffe the Pelly and Me Roald Dahl
Dirty Beasts Roald Dahl
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Roald Dahl
Esio Trot Roald Dahl
My Year Roald Dahl
The BFG Roald Dahl
Boy Roald Dahl
George’s Marvelous Medicine Roald Dahl
Danny The Champion of the World Roald Dahl
Going Solo Roald Dahl
Matilda Roald Dahl
The Secret Garden Frances Hodgson Burnett
Hans Andersons Fairy Tales Hans Christian Anderson
I Am David Anne Holm
The Silver Sword Ian Serraillier
Peter Pan J. M. Barrie
Artemis Fowl Eion Colfer
Winnie the Pooh A. A. Milne
And Then We Were Six A. A. Milne
Wind in the Willows Kenneth Grahame
The Little White Horse Elizabeth Gouge
Aesop’s Fables Aesop
White Fang Jack London
Dragon Boy Dick King-Smith
Babe Dick King-Smith
Charlotte’s Web E. B. White
Stuart Little E. B. White
The Knight and the Squire Terry Jones
Watership Down Richard Adams
The Odyssey Homer
Anamalia Graeme Base
The Eleventh Hour Graeme Base
The Discovery of Dragons Graeme Base
The 27th Annual African Hippopotamus Race Morris Lurie
The Snow Goose Paul Gallico
Gullivers Travels Jonathan Swift
Oliver Twist Charles Dickens
365 Bible Stories God
Alice in Wonderland Lewis Carroll
Through the Looking Glass Lewis Carroll
Alan Quartermain Rider Haggard
Exodus Leon Uris
The Storm Frederick Buechner
On the Road with the Archangel Frederick Buechner
Son of Laughter Frederick Buechner
Wuthering Heights Emily Bronte
Alwyn Poole
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