Does it matter if DC have already read schools set texts?

I have never ever seen smutty novels going around a class.

Anyways, to step away from who is the most permissive parent, there is a problem providing good literature to teens. The 'written for' teens (eg Anthony Horowitz) can be very formulaic and limited in vocabulary. Adult books can contain unsavoury side stories.

What we do at our school is donate our used (clean) adult books to the school library, so that the students have a decent selection of varied books to choose from, in addition to the typical teen market books.

One of the problems I have seen as a parent of 4 teens, is that if you leave it totally up to them, they will choose the same genre of book (sometimes the same author) over and over. You may think they are reading well, but they are not doing an awful lot to extend their vocabulary or exposure to different writing styles.

A good school librarian is worth their weight in gold. Our librarian works with each student individually to recommend books, and also to prise book reviews out of willing volunteers.

As for the topic of the OP, I know that when I was at school, I read all of our texts in the summer holidays. We bought our own books at the end of the previous academic year, so we had them in our possession. I also tried to catch a production during the Edinburgh Fringe. I don't think reading Pride and Prejudice for yourself is even remotely the same as going through it in class, but it is good to have an overview of the story before the teacher reveals all the deep, hidden meaning.

DD is doing P&P for her GCSE, and they have been instructed to read the book before they start covering it in class. I have also bought her the BBC DVD (Colin Firth) for Christmas, and already have the Hollywood version from a few years ago.

If you have done the proper training and guidance from an early age they will have worked out that the fact it is on a best sellers list, in the newspaper and a movie doesn't mean that it is necessarily a book they want to read!

Children read books that interest them. I remember my brother wanting to read something he had seen on TV -it wasn't in the least suitable-and he gave up half way down the first page. (it was exciting drama but different on the page)

I went to a strict all girl's grammar school and we passed books around the class. One that someone's mother had drawn our attention as 'unsuitable' would have been a probable. I can't however see 'A Girl with a Dragon Tattoo' fitting the bill, it was such a horrible scene. (I didn't see any need for the graphic detail).

I don't think they would. I would have read the blurb and the start at 13 and put it back on the shelf-it is very involved.

but they'll get hold of a jackie collins whether you like it or not, because you can guarantee there will copies of them (or whatever the modern version of jackie collins is) going around the class. we were all reading judy blume forever at 11/12, and even my extremely strict old fashioned girls school didn't bother trying to stop it.

So you are keeping your fingers crossed that a child will not pick up a best seller that is also a big movie and in the newspapers.

That's a good approach.

And I would have made quite sure that my mother didn't know!

I inferred from her post that you had them from birth, you read to them and with them, you guided them by encouraging them to read things that you think they would like. By 13yrs they have a natural progression and they can go into town by themselves, on the bus, and into the library by themselves.

I really don't think that a 13 yr old would read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The only way that I would have read it at 13 was if my mother told me not to!! I was more into Agatha Christie.

I would not want my children to think that the pages of a Jackie Collins novel are instructive.

totally agree with seeker. the only books my parents asked me to avoid were marquis de sade. had read everything from william burroughs to jackie collins by the age of 13, and some of it was very instructive

Can you imagine a 13 year old reading a book such as the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo? The book has a fantastic plot, that would be easy for a teen to follow, but not every chapter is appropriate.

That's not what I inferred from her posts. Free reign of the library is not offering guidance, and it is weird to view guidance as control and censorship.

I may have missed the point but I thought that was exactly what seeker was saying.

I suspect your family values are different from mine, Seeker.

I'll stick with mine, thanks.

Children are not small versions of adults. They actually do need raising and guidance.

Sorry-I meant to say from a young age.

Which they will never get if they don't get chance to exercise their own judgement.

Good luck with that. . I'd prefer to rely on the sound judgement, moral framework and critical faculties I've spent the previous 13 Years instilling.

I am all for encouraging good literature, but I'm not too sure how they know it is good if they don't read some bad!

It's not a case of censoring, but one of steering one's children into the right direction.

As the trendy phrase goes, it is not a race to the bottom.

What do you think will happen if your 13 year old reads a sex scene? Whwt lee do you censor?

It instantly makes them desirable amerryscot. I am surprised at the number of parents who think they can control what the DC reads with the DC meekly saying 'yes mother, of course mother'. I had a very sheltered upbringing but we had books that went around the class in a disguised cover!

I think that you can leave them to sort out what interests them in a library. I just had a ticket and went in by myself. I can't say that I had a liberal mother, but at least she didn't vet reading books.

Is there a competition in permissive parenting?

I certainly wouldn't want my younger teens reading books with lots of sex scenes. It's quite hard to find a thriller without these, ime, even if they are not central to the plot.