Is 7 too young for the Hunger Games?

[Samberry]

My oldest keeps asking me to get her the Hunger Games books so she can read them. I'm worried that they're a little too mature for her. My husband has already taken her to see each of the films and she handled them really well.
Should I just be happy that she's so excited about reading something? I remember hating to read when I was her age.
Has anyone let their child read it/how did they handle it?

[Showy]

Well if she's seen the films then I'd say that ship has sailed. Only you know your child and if you deem her mature enough to watch the films, then you should be able to make a judgment about the books.

I have a 7yo bookworm, gets through a few novels a week. There are still at least a hundred books I'd let her read before the Hunger Games. She wouldn't be frightened by them, she's quite a fan of dystopia and various horror books but I just don't think she'd appreciate them yet.

[piggychops]

10 or 11, unless she is an excellent reader...

[littlesupersparks]

I would have said 7 was much too young for them but she's seen the films so I guess you are ok with the subject matter? I worried about my year 7 class reading them to be honest but I'm obviously a bit soft!

[Hulababy]

I would have said yes they are, but then I would have also said the films were also far too mature for a 7 year old too. They are deemed to be teen/young adult books - so I would say the earliest they are aimed at really is 10/11 (Y6 going into y7). I can't imagine a 7 year old is really picking up the full story and understanding all the themes going on tbh.

[IHeartKingThistle]

Er, YES, it's too young and why on earth has she seen the films? They're 12As aren't they?

Sorry but I'm baffled by these threads. You know the answer to your question.

[stargirl1701]

Yes. Both the films and the books are unsuitable for 7 year olds due to the themes/content.

Why not get her started on the classics? What Katy Did, The Secret Garden, Anne of Green Gables, etc. Here are 100 suggestions:

www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/9114392/Ask-Lorna-top-100-books-for-children.html

[Showy]

The classics really are such a good starting point for a 7yo. DD is currently curled up on the sofa. She's finished Tom's Midnight Garden in the last half an hour and is starting on Stig Of The Dump.

A well written book deserves to be appreciated for everything it is. I don't doubt that many 7yo dc could plough through the Hunger Games. They would miss so much though.

[FishWithABicycle]

The books are a lot more emotionally traumatic than the films. A lot of the more disturbing stuff didn't translate to screen very well. I wouldn't feel a 7yo would be ready for the books but also wouldn't have taken a 7yo to the films either.

[TheRealMaryMillington]

I won't let me 10 year old watch the films or read the books yet.
And he's quite a mature kid really.
I think both are horribly inappropriate for a 7 year old, sorry. There are so many other good things she could read instead.

[sanfairyanne]

yes, for both films and books, too young by a couple of years at least

[Hakluyt]

Why on earth did you take her to see the films? She's 7!

[MissMalonex2]

Yes!

[Bambambini]

My son started them at 9yrs old which I think was pretty young. I think 7 is too young and I'm more lenient with what my kids read than what they watch movie/TV wise.

[AvonCallingBarksdale]

Very that your DH has taken her to see the films tbh! Totally inappropriate for her age. DS (10) has read the books and watched the films with me and DH, but we've purposely chosen times when DD (7) has been elsewhere. Much too young.

[FriendlyLadybird]

Good lord! There's no way I'd let my seven-year-old see the films, much less read the books. She could decode the words but the subject matter would be much too distressing.

(DH started watching one of the films when it came on the TV and turned it over pretty quickly as it was too horrible for him)

[HollyBdenum]

She's too young for both the books and the fun. If she can watch/read them without being disturbed, then she isnt old enough to follow the story, and if she can follow the story, she is unlikely to have the maturity to deal with it.

So, I'd say that they were only suitable for a 7 year old who had already exhausted the classics AND who regularly watched the news and discussed stories about oppressive political regimes, revolution, civil war etc.

[Theas18]

My 2p worth here.

Mine were all pretty good readers and voracious. We didn't censor reading material at all ( not sure if I'd have bought the hunger games for them but if it was around in the house they could read it- DS read all the harry potters much younger than DD1 did as they came out starting when she was 7 or 8 and she had to wait for the sequels whereas he read them when they arrived!).

It was very clear that if a book didn't suit them they'd start it and put it down in a sort of self censorship. We didn't have any nightmares about book content ( well other than at 3 DD1 had a recurring " Mr Toad will eat my fingers" dream!) and it seemed to work .

We did however censor films /TV a bit and hunger games at 7 seems too young.

My concern with films etc is that they thunder into the childs conciousness fast without any chance to think " am I happy with this" or any means of escape.

[mabelbabel]

I just read the first Hunger Games book myself. I loved it, but 7 really is much too young. I know 11/12 year olds who really enjoyed it.

[TheFriar]

I agree about self censorship with books but I think they till be much too complicated for a 7yo to read.

Dc1 has read them all at 11yo, dc2 has tried at 9yo and actually didn't finish them even though he likes the story etc.
they are both very good readers.