Teaching Chinese at Home

[ksme]

allseasons:

Thanks a lot for your info. I will check it out at the bookfest.. :))). Yeah, it is nicer and easier for me, if I can flip the book before buying. So, I'll know whether my children will like it... :))

You are most welcome! Hope you manage to find some interesting books for your children.

[Foreverfriends]

Hi Tamarind


I pm u on Ji Chu Han zi 500

R u letting go Si Wu Kuai Du series as well?

[tamarind]

Foreverfriends:

Hi Tamarind


I pm u on Ji Chu Han zi 500

R u letting go Si Wu Kuai Du series as well?

Foreverfriends,
I have replied you. I am not letting go of Si Wu Kuai Du series.

[ksme]

tamarind:

ksme:

[quote=\"tamarind\"]Hi ksme,

The 马小跳 series is very popular in China. I heard that teachers in China recommend this series to students. So it should be good. I have only read the first few pages of one book before, the words and phrases are as difficult as any Chinese novels for adults. Our primary school kids may not be able to read many of the words, and may become discouraged. Kids will be more motivated to read these books if parents read with them. Also, I don't think that every book in the series is interesting to local kids, parents should pre-read each book and choose carefully.

But personally I find that 笑猫日记 is more interesting, since those books are about animals, and there is a fantasy element in each book, which should appeal to both boys and girls.

Thanks Tamarind. Btw, I saw that the author of these books, 杨红婴， will be speaking at the Popular Bookfest tomorrow afternoon on the笑猫日记 series.... Too bad I don't have time to go tomorrow.

Thanks for the info. I didn't know that she is in Singapore

BTW, I think her books are not the best in children's literature, though she is one of the best children's books writers from China.

I still think that there are better children's books written by Japanese writers and translated in Chinese, especially these :
佐贺的超级阿嬷
http://product.dangdang.com/product.aspx?product_id=20669176&ref=order-2-A
窗边的小豆豆
http://product.dangdang.com/product.aspx?product_id=706089&ref=search-0-mix[/quote]Thanks Tamarind! I'll look out for these next time. I bought some杨红婴books at the bookfest and also have the set of笑猫日记books coming in from Dangdang. I hope my son will enjoy these. I think they will last him for a while. Thanks again for all your recommendations.

[Brenda10]

tamarind:

Thanks for the info. I didn't know that she is in Singapore


BTW, I think her books are not the best in children's literature, though she is one of the best children's books writers from China.

I still think that there are better children's books written by Japanese writers and translated in Chinese, especially these :
佐贺的超级阿嬷
http://product.dangdang.com/product.aspx?product_id=20669176&ref=order-2-A
窗边的小豆豆
http://product.dangdang.com/product.aspx?product_id=706089&ref=search-0-mix

Hi Tamarind

Thank you for sharing.

I had bought the 1st book - 窗边的小豆豆. There are about 61 short stories and we may continuous after the xiao maio ri ji. Had let dd try one of the short story and she has no issue with most of the words. DD said her CL teacher also highly recommended this book.

[tamarind]

ksme:

Thanks Tamarind! I'll look out for these next time. I bought some杨红婴books at the bookfest and also have the set of笑猫日记books coming in from Dangdang. I hope my son will enjoy these. I think they will last him for a while. Thanks again for all your recommendations.

Just to share, I have asked my girl to read 2 books of the 笑猫日记 out loud to me. There are usually a few words on each page that she needs help with. She became so interested that she took a new book in the series and read on her own. She said that there are some words that she could not read, but she knew enough to understand the story

Recently I lent my colleague a book from the 笑猫日记 series since her son will be in P6 next year and the teacher asked him to read more Chinese books. She said that her son only reads Chinese picture books, he flipped through the 笑猫日记 and was not interested, because there are too many words.

I suggest that parents read these books together with the kids and help them if they don't understand any word. These books are quite fun to read out loud.

[tamarind]

Brenda10:

Hi Tamarind

Thank you for sharing.

I had bought the 1st book - 窗边的小豆豆. There are about 61 short stories and we may continuous after the xiao maio ri ji. Had let dd try one of the short story and she has no issue with most of the words. DD said her CL teacher also highly recommended this book.

Hi Brenda,
Your DD is doing very well. I could only read 窗边的小豆豆 independently when I was over 15 years old. It is more difficult than 笑猫日记.

I think your DD may be ready to read 金庸 novels.
I recommend starting with 书剑恩仇录, only 2 books, I don't remember anything unsuitable to kids in these 2 books One of my favourite Chinese books.

[Brenda10]

tamarind:

Hi Brenda,

Your DD is doing very well. I could only read 窗边的小豆豆 independently when I was over 15 years old. It is more difficult than 笑猫日记.

I think your DD may be ready to read 金庸 novels.
I recommend starting with 书剑恩仇录, only 2 books, I don't remember anything unsuitable to kids in these 2 books One of my favourite Chinese books.

Hi Tamarind

Thank you for your recommendation.

Will take note of it when she finish those others books that we bought.

Just to share with you on #11 books, dd showed me an interesting phrases that I also can't remember whether learn before: 耳听为虚，眼见为实.

Too bad is this serial of books so far only 12 sets otherwise I will still get in again.

[ksme]

tamarind:

ksme:

Thanks Tamarind! I'll look out for these next time. I bought some杨红婴books at the bookfest and also have the set of笑猫日记books coming in from Dangdang. I hope my son will enjoy these. I think they will last him for a while. Thanks again for all your recommendations.

Just to share, I have asked my girl to read 2 books of the 笑猫日记 out loud to me. There are usually a few words on each page that she needs help with. She became so interested that she took a new book in the series and read on her own. She said that there are some words that she could not read, but she knew enough to understand the story

Recently I lent my colleague a book from the 笑猫日记 series since her son will be in P6 next year and the teacher asked him to read more Chinese books. She said that her son only reads Chinese picture books, he flipped through the 笑猫日记 and was not interested, because there are too many words.

I suggest that parents read these books together with the kids and help them if they don't understand any word. These books are quite fun to read out loud.

Thanks for your suggestion. I will try having my DS to read out loud to me.

[pummanuel]

If 《笑猫日记》is the ‘in’ storybook for Chinese primary school children in the 21st century, I would like to recommend the highly popular storybook for Chinese primary school children in the last century - 《阿凡提》(Afanti). My husband and I both read 《阿凡提》when we were young as our own parents were 阿凡提’s ardent fans when they were young. Hence, I always feel that 《阿凡提》is an evergreen.


Till today, 阿凡提’s nationality remains hotly contested (Uighur, Turk, Uzbek or Iraqi) and it remains unknown whether he’s a real or fictitious person. The only agreed upon facts are the stories are set in the 12-13th century and 阿凡提 is Turkic speaking.

The name 阿凡提 means 先生 as he’s highly regarded in the community. He travels around on a donkey, donning traditional Arab clothes and a turban. Wherever he goes, he will help the poor peasants who are oppressed by the rich landlords or autocrats. The stories are simple but the unexpected twists and 阿凡提’s ingeniousness made the reader asking for more.

I thought 阿凡提 will be suitable for bedtime reading for younger children and perhaps independent reading for upper primary school children. It seems that Dangdang has various editions ranging from wordy ones to comics, so parents can choose based on their children’s preferences.

I’m not sure if 《阿凡提》 will appeal to 21st century children but I read from Dangdang that 《阿凡提》is one of the Ministry of Education’s recommended reading for primary school children in China and one particular edition also won 冰心儿童文学奖.

When my daughter is older, I’m going to pass her the edition I read when I was a child (if I can still find it at my parents’ home). She will be the 3rd generation to read 《阿凡提》.