Captain Underpants?

Captain Underpants is HILARIOUS!!!! have you even bothered to read it?

The more you "hate it" the more he will love it. No, I would NOT ban it!! He's READING!! He's ENJOYING IT!!!!

Introduce him to the world of Magic Tree House!!

for me? he's reading!! he's not reading anything that is obscene or wrong...he's ENJOYING IT!!! Let him read!!

I wasn't crazy about the books, but one of my sons loved it. If you don't make it seem like "forbidden fruit", he'll get tired of it by next year.

Dav Pilkey went through hell as a kid in school. He had severe ADHD and when his teacher couldn't stand another moment of him, she put him and his desk out in the hallway, where he drew comics. He has become tremendously successful, despite how badly his teachers and principals treated him.

I didn't tell my son I didn't like Captain Underpants. I just went through it with him and offered commentary about things in order to help him understand that it's funny in a book, but we can't act like that in real life. I'd recommend that to you, too.

Dawn

What's wrong with Captain Underpants? My 5 year old and I started reading it recently, and so far it hasn't been bad. We're only on the first book, though.

Honestly, anything that gets kids reading, especially boys, is a good thing. It's silly, gross, boy humour. Boys like silly, gross boy humour.

Until you spend some time in the mind of a "boy" whatever age, you just will not and cannot understand the fascination with body part, poop, farts, etc. they love this stuff and it only gets worse as they get older they just learn to hide it from us. When I was in college I was a resident assistant for a summer, and I was the only girl on the floor. I learned a lot about guys; the most interesting day was when they sat around the common area and talked about the many different types of poop and where it was ok to poop at (home, public bathroom, school, etc) for over 6 hours. I kid you not! So, are CU really that bad? No. I have heard it all, I hope!

Anyway, from a reading specialist point of view, boys are not innate readers in the same way girls are for various reasons, but one of the biggest reasons is because boys are not encouraged to read things on topics that they find really captivating or interesting. CU does this as so many of you moms are seeing. Teachers give these to boys because they want the kids to read and that is more important than what they read (appropriate topics obviously). In the middle schools I have seen there are 6-8th grade boys reading these books because they are behind in reading skills and CU makes them happy and interested.

So, moms who don't like them: relax! Its just boys being boys and its good that they get to be who they are. Go with the flow so to say.

As a mom of a son who really doesn't enjoy reading...I am THRILLED my son found Captain Underpants. Thanks to these books he is now picking up more books to read. I don't think it is a big deal, but as your son's mom - you need to do what you feel is right. My opinion - read them with him and enjoy the time you spend together!

What's wrong with Captain Underpants?!! My boy loved those books and it got him to read! You don't say what you hate about it so I am having a hard time understanding where you are coming from.
It's funny, it's written for kids. This is not a battle worth fighting.
L.

The greatest teacher ever once told me to just encourage our son to read. Don't worry about the content (Captain Underpants, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, etc). If he is enjoying it and READING and wanting to read, this is a major plus. The more he reads the better a reader he will be. My son is 8 also. If your son likes the same books my son likes they are all funny...the funny/silly/gross books appeal to him. Right now he is reading the Artsy Fartsy series and I have to say I kind of like these. They are better than the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. He also loves the Big Nate books. My advice is to go check these books out and just be super happy your son is reading!!!

As long as he is enjoying the reading, allow it.

The better the reader the better the student, they eventually really do get tired of these type of books. Do not make it a big deal.

Heck I would read a chapter and then our daughter would read a chapter of capt underpants.

I read every book our daughter ever read till sh was in 8 th grade. She loved discussing them. After that I could not keep up with all of the books she read, but we continued to share the reading all the way through her high school years.

I was and still am great friends with all of her former librarians. I used to tutor boys that struggled with reading and comprehension.

Goose bumps, capt underpants, tintin, all of those types of books are a gateway for many boys, to learn to like and enjoy reading.

I do not like schools banning books. That just makes the kids seek them out. Instead, I wish parents would read the controversial books along with their children and then have discussions about them. Children do understand fiction. Do not underestimate their common sense and intelligence. Banning books, means we do not trust our children to know the difference in behaviors. If you have done a good job with your beliefs and standards, your children know the difference than any book can .

Ah-hahaha!

Our school principal Sister Mary Ellen banned it from out (Catholic) school library and all book sale fund raisers.

Her reasoning was there are MANY ways kids can enjoy reading, and MANY funny things to enjoy in life without discussing butt cracks and boogers! (And you know she DID have a great sense of humor!)

I suppose I would have to agree with her but censorship doesn't really sit well with me. Still, her school, her rules.

So my kids were never exposed to Captain Underpants thusly.

However if they HAD had access, I would not have forbidden them from reading them. I'd've used it as a teaching tool.

Eyes rolling, "what kid of silly kids would REALLY say something like that, right? I mean, can you imagine the TROUBLE you'd be in if you actually TALKED like that to your teacher?!"

Just another way to show them the difference between made up things and real life I guess.

:)

I think part of becoming a real "reader" is choosing your own books and finding out your preferred style. We all go through phases right? (The Steven king phase, the Jodi picoult phase, the john Irving phase, Tracy chevalier, oh wait now I'm going to go read all the classics I heard of but was never forced to read in school...) so he is in a phase. Just let him keep reading. Remember there is a finite number of those books and he'll burn through them eventually. I read every single babysitters club and sweet valley high book as a kid... not in the same ballpark as CU but still total drivel with little literary value. Was my mom worried about my reading tastes and that I was learning nothing (besides what to put in your babysitting kid kit and that I really needed a red fiat spider and a twin to share it with when I turned 16)? Possibly... but I just remember her being totally cool with whatever I wanted book wise and indulging my tastes with trips to the bookstore and library.
I wouldn't sweat it. He reads! Yay! There are some whose arms you have to really twist. Not fun and hurts them in the long run in school (I've seen some sad cases in Jr High). Reading for pleasure seems directly linked to performance in school in my experience as an educator. Keep it up.

My daughter read them in elementary school. I thought they were stupid but not objectionable.
I'm NEVER in favor of banning a book.

How odd...you don't trust the school's teachers or librarian?

We don't censor what our kids read. Period. And yes, if you ban it, he will hide it and read it anyway.

Of all people, my SIL who was in her 50s a the time introduced my boys to it. I wasn't crazy about the books, but really didn't mind the boys reading them. They were much better than the Farting book she bought my husband!

is it the word "underpants" that is objectionable? my brothers had one when we were younger, i think i picked it up and read a bit and i don't remember anything crass or inappropriate. underpants isn't a dirty word. i guess i don't get it.

but like anything, if you go all straitjacket on him and ban the book, it will just make him want to read it more. i guess i don't get if all his teachers, the librarian, and people on here have no problem with it...maybe, it's possible, it might be worth you re-evaluating.

i don't know any boy that doesn't find "potty" humor HYSTERICAL - and if yours doesn't it might just be because he's not allowed to. but boys are boys. betcha he's finding it SUPER hysterical to laugh about at school with his friends. you can fight that and try to pretend it doesn't exist or you can relax a little and enjoy his humor. it's part of him.

ETA: my (almost) 6 year old knows better than to run through the house in his underwear....and he knows about captain underpants. there might be something else going on...need for attention? something else?

I don't understand that fascination with it either, but if it something that gets them reading I'm all for it.

My son's friend introduced him to the books, and yes, *cringe*! I did draw the line at the friend showing my son "Deputy Doo-Doo"... as if we need to be drawing poop?!? I love children's creativity, but also I understand your disgust. It's really lowest-common-denominator pandering and kids WOULD STILL READ if that damn series weren't around.

So... we have just reminded Kiddo (5, not yet at kindergarten and certainly oblivious of the books until now) of the rules about potty talk. In his room, fine, in the bathroom, fine. I'll be honest, though-- when that book was around, there was a lot of 'secret' whispering potty talk in my presence-- we were on a walk. It just makes me wary of inviting that kid over again without having a talk about it with her folks. That book is certainly not welcome in our home at presesnt (my son usually chooses more sophisticated stuff on his own anyway), but when the time comes that he can read, he can read those books to himself. In the very big picture, small potatoes, I suppose. (Still... ugh!!!)

My son read some Captain Underpants but it wasn't really his genera.
By the 3rd grade he was reading Harry Potter and he's liked anything with dragons, wizards, and magic ever since.
He also likes dinosaurs and sharks and fire trucks.
You might try the 'How to Train Your Dragon" series.
It's still kind of gross but it's a step up.
It takes awhile to find some subjects they really like, but as long as they are reading - that's the important part.
The phase passes sooner or later and then eventually they start liking girls and they get a little more civilized.
You'll be MISSING Captain Underpants by the time he's dating.

Well, I can't say we've experienced Captain Underpants, but could you get him hooked on a different series?

The one I am thinking of is called the Magic Treehouse Series.... it is about a boy and a girl that go on some amazing adventures...... to different places in time, in this world, and out of the world.

http://www.magictreehouse.com/#about_the_series

Captain Underpants holds a special place in my heart, here is why. I have always been and still am a voracious reader. In fact, I now teach library and technology. When my now 18 year old was 7, she still HATED to read. It was very difficult for me as I always read to her, frequently, and she struggled due to LD. Then Captain Underpants landed at the school's Scholastic Book Fair and she came home with the first book. She read it front to back multiple times. Then she asked for more of them. I was stunned! Thrilled! Needless to say I ran to buy more. And she read them all. And, Dav Pilkey was a kid that struggled in school with ADHD himself. He inherently knows what appeals to kids. Have a discussion about how he became successful despite his struggles, extend your son's reading by doing some research on Dav Pilkey.

My daughter still has some comprehension issues but has read TONS of classics in middle school and high school ON HER OWN. Books we've discussed. Yes, many of my students are into this series and others that aren't considered great literature. I encourage and do book talks on Newbury books all the time and they do check them out. I encourage non-fiction for students that truly don't enjoy fiction. If you want to instill a love for reading, let them read their choice of books or they will hate to read. Checkout the Newbury winners PLUS a copy of the book for the car for roadtrips or treks across town and play them often too.

He's reading for goodness sakes, what in the world is the problem?

Everyone has different taste, you don't have to read the series yourself.

Listen to Marla, if you have a little boy excited about reading, ANYTHING, you should be thrilled.

Oh my gosh...I feel your pain!! lol!! I absolutely HATE Captain Underpants!! That series just started coming out when my daughter was that age and thank God, she never really got into it.

BUT, he's reading!!!! And that's the important thing!!! I know when my son was little, he absolutely loved reading until one particular teacher ruined it for him!! She had the kids reading so much boring and stupid stuff and wouldn't let them read fun stories that he grew to hate reading. Which really saddens me because I love to read. Thank heavens my daughter had a different teacher and still loves to read.

First, I wouldn't make a big deal about it; and second, just explain that we do NOT run around in our underpants. (Save that little escapade for his wife!! lol!!!) Don't worry, this phase will pass soon enough.

Good luck!!

Feed his enthusiasm for reading, even if it the subject matter isn't your cup of tea. If you take away his favorite subject, he might not want to read anymore. He'll get over CU soon enough.