Does your family watch singing talent shows like American Idol or The Voice? My son had the idea to do a rockstar author competition.
We’re reading several rounds of books by six of our favorite authors. After each reading session we vote one author off. It’s SUPER hard for me to let my kids vote someone like Mo Willems off the island, but it’s their game and they’re reading, so it’s all good.
We started by gathering books written by some of our favorite children’s book authors: Peter Brown, Mathew and Jennifer Holm, Oliver Jeffers, Jon Scieszka, Dr. Seuss, and Mo Willems. The boys each picked two. To “meet” our authors, we watched some video clips and book trailers on YouTube. (Isn’t Oliver Jeffers the cutest?) We made a little checklist to help us decide how to vote. (See above.) Then we read a book from each author, voted someone off and pretended to be authors and judges, delivering the results in a very dramatic “show” in the living room.
I’ll be honest, the discussion and voting is really pretty random and subjective. (He’s too old. I’ve read those books too many times. This book is about a bear and I don’t like bears.) Also, we’re comparing apples to oranges. (Beginner books, graphic novels, etc.) But that’s ok. It’s an authentic, kid-inspired reason to read and re-read some new titles and old favorites, so it’s a success in my book.
So far, I’m sad to report that Jennifer and Matthew Holm got booted off first, followed by Mo Willems. (What?! Crazy, right?) Who will be next? Beats me, but I know I’ll enjoy watching my young book critics figure it out.