about swear words in my son's reading book?

[MM74]

My son is 7. His reading book from school contains the word 'bastard'. Am I being uptight, PFB and unreasonable if I complain?

I remember DD telling me about this, she was 9 or 10 when she read it though. I think 7 is too young for it.

Totally agree with Seeker. Private Peaceful is definitely not for a 7 year old. He may be able to read it but the CONTENT is intended for an audience of 9-12.

I've noticed this a lot on this site at the moment and I have to confess that it is one of my personal bug bears. Just because a child CAN read a book doesn't mean that they are READY to read it. A five year old MAY be able to read Harry Potter. SHOULD they be reading it - I don't think so IMO.

If you have not signed a form confirming that you are happy for your child to read books intended for older children, then it might be worth mentioning it to the school. I know my DD's old junior school did not have an 11+ section that you would find in a public library - all those books were lumped in together with everything else.

and I agree with seeker, it's more the text in general. Id be happy for ds to read it at home but not school.

Private Peaceful is NOT suitable for a 7 year old IMO. Have you read it, OP?

I wouldn't be too worried about the word 'bastard' in itself, but the whole theme of the book is too adult for that age. I would mention it to the teacher, perhaps they need to look at the range they are offering to young but confident readers?

unsuitable for that age ! (the book! who cares about the word)

It is a secondary school age book.

Ohhhhhhhh maybe it WAS a stealth boasting thread after all

have we been hooked in

The content is intended for secondary school- 11 and up - even 9/10 is too young.

Op- I'm sorry I made the stealth boast crack- it was intended as a joke, but I shouldn't have said it.

YANBU. The book is far too old for him.

Not stealth boasting. He's a good reader but crap in many other areas to make up for it. He has read Harry Potter, but, as others have said above, that's at home and for his own entertainment, it is not supposed to be educational.

I haven't read the book. Perhaps foolishly I thought the teachers would be monitoring whether it was age-appropriate. Although the children get to choose their own books, I had hoped that there was some guidance. He's read a couple of other Morpugo which I thought were a bit borderline but have let pass.

Thanks for confirming that I'm not being entirely precious about this! I'll see how the school responds ...

If I were you, I'd have a quick skim read, and read the ending in full before you go in to complain. That way you can be fully informed. It really is quite poor that they've let this happen.

I wouldn't panic. He's going to come across all kinds of words, if he hasn't already, either via books, films, in the playground or in the street. Knowing a swear-word isn't the same as using on and I'm sure, if you explain, he'll understand which words are inappopriate and which are OK.

I can't skim read it now. It's gone back into school with him!

This from Wiki

"It has been described as "an unflinching examination of the horrors of war and the injustice surrounding the execution of soldiers by firing squad, on the ? often false ? grounds of desertion or cowardice."

It's a fantastic book- but the school have really screwed up giving it to a 7 year old- unless they don't know he chose it. We had similar issues sometimes with ds- he was allowed to choose books from the Junior library when he was an Infant- and came home with some very dodgy things!

Seeker, no worries!

I think sometimes an author gets "approved" as being a good one for children and then schools, and libraries, just automatically assume that all their work is at the same level, aimed at the same aged readers and so on. Jacqueline Wilson is like that, some of her books are way more grown up/serious in theme than others which are quite childish. I know teachers can't really be expected to read every book although I judge them if they haven't because I often have hoik hoik especially when they aren't a specialised English teacher, but a quick google of a plot synopsis, and then a glance at anything they think is borderline unsuitable would help like they haven't got enough to do already

Sorry, seeker, that was in response to your message higher up. Thanks for looking up for me, I'm feeling more vindicated now!

Cogito, yes, you're right. He will come across all sorts of language, but I can't help feeling it shouldn't be through school that he does. Although he's nearly eight, he's quite young for his age. He still thinks the 'f-word' is 'fart' and I don't want to disabuse him of that notion just yet.

Amazon says "Recommended for ages 10 and over"

As seeker said

'It has been described as "an unflinching examination of the horrors of war and the injustice surrounding the execution of soldiers by firing squad, on the ? often false ? grounds of desertion or cowardice'

I'm sure this would be way above a 7 year old

im my DD reception class she got a book that started... when the 3 bears had realised what goldilocks had done they decided to get their own back. the story went on about how they followed her and trashed her house.

I complained about it to the school, but got nowhere. they said that if i disagreed with anything thatshe was provided by the school i should explain to her why i think that it is wrong.

Year seven maybe not age seven!

OP, Private Peaceful is about the final 24 hours of a young soldiers life before he is shot by a firing squad for being a coward. Basically. Only you don't know that until the slow realisation at the end as he prepares for it. It's a real shock to the system. Especially as the book is told from his younger brother's perspective (IIRC) as he recalls all the events of their family life until that point. It's heartbreaking actually.

I don't think 'bastard' is necessarily appropriate vocabulary for a 7 yo to be reading, but then a 7 yo shouldn't be reading PP, IMO.

I wouldn't have a problem with it. I teach my children that there are certain words that some people find offensive and that they are not allowed to use these words in public. I don't mind if they use the milder words very occasionally at home but they know that they must not use them outside of our home.

Love Ron weaslys bloody's when dd was small she would snigger , I wanted him to say oh for fucks sake though I was desperate for him to say it ,

I wouldnt want a 7 yr old read Bastard though what age is the book aimed at ? if he is advanced in his reading then I guess you are going to have to accept the word ,

I've just read some reviews of the book, before noticing your thread has a second page! Sounds very good, actually - and for older children. 7-year-olds possibly don't need to know about broken hearts and bereavement just yet.

Schools don't monitor everything a child reads! Parents are supposed to do that - as you just have Personally, I wouldn't take it off him if he's already engrossed, but would suggest some more appropriate titles.

At seven I was reading the Victor comic, full of Cap'n Hurricane shooting "sausage-eating squarehead Krauts" in most violent fashion. But I don't think that was appropriate, either.

I think the inclusion of the word 'bastard' indicates that the rest of the book may contain content that a 7 yo will have problems grapling with, no matter how mature his reading age is. (I was deemed 'adult reading age' (whatever the feck that means) at about 8 or 9, FWIW. I still prefered reading puffins and young puffins, though!)

I think you're right. The word itself is not that offensive, but the fact that it is there at all is indicative that the book is aimed at a more mature readership. It is a difficult balance to strike where children are advanced in reading, but it sounds like this time they've got it wrong and the subject matter is not appropriate!

Thanks all!