Age group?
 

I need peoples opinion on what age group Farmer Giles of Ham could first be read to.

I read to a class of third graders each month and I'm thinking about asking the teacher if I can read to the kids the story Farmer Giles of Ham, and if I could come in once a week until it is finished... The problem is, I don't know if the kids would understand or appreciate the story.

What do you think the youngest age could be for a kid to be read Farmer Giles of Ham?

I think the kids in the class are about 8? 7 or 8, I really don't know.

-- Folwren

Oh yes, that is certainly old enough. If they haven't heard tales of dragons yet then they have been deprived! :)

I agree with Eomer. I think 7 or 8 is plenty old enough. I know at that age, I would have loved the story.

I've never read Farmer Giles of Ham *gasp*, but I vividly recall my 4th grade teacher reading The Hobbit to our class: what a great way to inspire love of literature! And no, we didn't have to read it, he read it to us. But it led me to read The Lord of the Rings myself the next year, and started a lifetime of love of books.

I just wanted to mention that I am quite jealous of all you people who had your teachers read to you when you were in school.
For the first 8 years of my scholastic life, I was incarcerated in a Parochial school we lovingly called Stalag St. Edwards.
And while the Fransiscan Sisters were extremely proficient in many teaching techniques (ie, torture, ridicule, torture, psychological abuse and torture), they weren't really good at reading to us.
OK, perhaps I am being unfair... they might have been wonderful at reading stories, but we never learned of this gift because they never did it for us.

Well... once, Sr. Michael Ann read me part of a story from the "Lives of the Saints" about how the Iriquiois Indians had captured St. Isaac Jogues and used seashells to cut off his fingers... but somehow I'm not sure if that counts.

(Seriously, the nuns were OK in my book. A few of them even had wacky senses of humor, but I can't remember ever being read to and Sr. Mike DID read me that story about Isaac Jouges!) :eek:

Depends on the child, but I agree with the others...7/8 is ok.

Well, a good few years back the BBC broadcast a series on radio, called 'Tales from the Perilous Realm', aimed at children (its now available on CD). The series dramatised Tolkien's short stories, Farmer Giles, Smith, Niggle & 'The Adventures of Tom Bombadil' - this one dramatised the Old Forest/House of TB/Barrow Downs section of LotR. The series was adapted by Brian Sibley (who also adapted the BBC Radio series of LotR with Michael Bakewell) & one of Sibley's motivations for doing the series was the chance to dramatise the Bombadil section, which had been omitted from their LotR series.

The Giles adaptation starred Brian Blessed & is a very entertaining romp. Of course there's a lot of stuff in it that kids won't pick up on (some very clever scholarly jokes), but that doesn't matter, because they won't notice them. Throw yourself into the story - play it 'big' - & they'll love it.

EDIT

BTW it seems that Harper Collins are bringing out a collected edition of Tolkien's shorter fiction in Hardback this August http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tales-Perilo...6930021&sr=8-3
Hopefully it will include the Baynes illustrations & the Roverandom colour plates by Tolkien...

They're definitely old enough... I was read LotR aloud when I was six years old and I think I was able to appreciate it even back then. Not maybe in the sense I've later been able to, but certainly in many extents and it was definitely an extraordinary experience and I did understand the book... So I don't doubt they'll understand and appreciate it... If not in the same way more grown-up people do, then in some other way. :)

Thank, everyone, for your opinions!

I'll try to play it big, Davem. I'm not very shy, really, but when I'm put on the spot like that, I'm very self conscious. But I'll do my best.

I've contacted the teacher and she likes the idea of me coming each week until I've completed it. I only get half an hour at a time.

Cheers!

-- Folwrey

Why not the Smith of Wooton Major? Fairy-like, kids would love that. Although the dragon story is pretty fine for kids to. *gasp. How I wish my twelve-year-old brother would read, even just The Little Prince or anything!