Reading The hunger Games in Year 6

[Ho11y]

I recently started helping in DC's school. Last week I was asked to listen to yr 6 read (DC are in yrs1&R). One of the children was reading 'The Hunger Games'. It was a school book. Am I totally out of touch (in thinking that this is reading for at least age 15+)or is this standard yr 6 reading? And by reading I mean the story line, not the complexity of the actual reading (which seemed to be the standard of about 1/3 of the class). Thanks!

[shouldwestayorshouldwego]

All yr6 seem to be reading it so in that respect it is standard reading. Not sure if it should be a school book but most children read it around that age. The films are only 12s. I personally am not a fan but then we have also not read all of the Harry Potter books to our 6/7 year olds and they have had to wait until they have read the book before they watch the films.

[Norestformrz]

It depends on the maturity of the child. The age range is 9-13 years but personally I wouldn’t use it with most primary pupils.

[Cavender]

I believe that Scholastic recommends it for 11-13 year olds which feels about right to me.

My DS is younger than that age group but is an extremely advanced reader. I don’t hold with forbidding books but we did discuss the Hunger Games and I suggested that he might enjoy it more if he was a bit older.

Tbh is wasn’t particularly the violence that bothered me but I thought the delicate nature of Katniss’s relationship with Gale and the complexities of her relationship with Peeta might completely pass him by.

[catkind]

I wouldn't want them to be read in school, but more because I think they're a bit rubbish than anything else.

[Ellle]

Yes, agree with others that it depends on the maturity of the child.

I think the books are fascinating. And I am waiting until DS1 is a bit older so that we can talk about them and discuss the complexities of the different themes in the book.

Like Cavender, rather than the violence, is more about the emotional maturity to understand what is going through the characters at the personal level.

[RedSkyAtNight]

Think that's fairly standard reading in year 6. It's certainly not 15+ !!

[TeenTimesTwo]

I too think it is standard y6 reading, for some y6s. At DDs' old primary it was available in the 'year 6 only' section.

[BarbarianMum]

Y6 at ds' primary too. For ds1 that was fine, for ds2 I think it will be a bit soon.

[SingingMySong]

It's in the older readers section in our primary school. Having a book available in the school library is very different to studying it in class. (That said, ours will be doing Macbeth this year, and I think that'll be a stretch for some.)

[LadyLannister]

My year 5 twins are reading the hunger game series at the moment. They're both very mature and I was struggling to find books they were interested in reading ( particularly ds ). They're not overly sensitive children so they are fine with it and are really enjoying the books but I can imagine that some 9 year olds would be upset by the content so I think it depends on the child. I only decided to let them read the books when my dd told me they had Mockingjay on the shelf in her mixed yr 5/ yr 6 classroom so I figured that the school must be ok with children that age reading the books.

[simpson]

DD (yr5) has just finished the HG series but she is a very strong reader.

Her teacher has seen her reading it and bought the box set for the classroom.

[PineConesAplenty]

They sometimes study The Boy in Striped Pyjamas in year 6 so Hunger Games could be appropriate for some children.

We have a "consult the teacher" sticker in some books. Some parents will complain about some books, some are fine. Skellig for example is a consult the teacher book.

In year 5 they have just done Beowulf and his fight with Grendal, so Grengal rips a soldier in half and eats him, Beowulf rips Grendal's arm off and nails it to the wall.