Not to want to explain rape while reading to an 8yo

[FunkyNails]

I was reading to my DSD earlier a Jacqueline Wilson book we have been reading this for a few weeks (we only get a chance to do a few pages when she is here) I've have been aware that JW books are "issue based" and a bit controversial but I thought the issues in this particular book were the young single mum, low income family, mum loosing her job, mums new boyfriend maybe a bit of boy chat "Lisa fancies Dave etc" all things 8 year olds could face in their lives and things I was happy to chat about should she ask however was upset to read the plot to Tess of the D'Urbervilles explained as follows:

"No, It's English, about a girl Tess and she goes to work on a farm and this man has his wicked way with her"...'and it's ever so sad, because Tess has a baby and then she falls in love again but it all goes wrong..."

Which in our house went "about a girl Tess and she goes to work on a farm and it's ever so sad, I don't think it ends well"

Am I missing something? Granted the boom was for the 9-11 age but quite honestly I don't see me wanting to have this conversation in a year either. This paragraph added nothing to the overall story it was a randon conversation ina playgound and DSD was none the wiser to my rewording so this content just wasn't required in a child's book so why detail the content of a book she wouldn't be expected to read until well into secondary? [Angry] Frankly this is the second paragraph of this nature in the book and I'm annoyed, I'd stop reading it to her if she wasn't enjoying the rest of the story so much which is actually not unsuitable for an 8yo.

I think 'have his wicked way' could, for an 8 year old, be interpreted in a few ways and doesnt require you to explain rape. I havent read the book, or at least dont recognise that passage, but I dont think it would be put in completely at random. Why is the main character reading such grown up books?

I see your point that it is annoying to have that suddenly jump out at you but I dont think you need to explain it as rape. Also, in future, always be a chapter ahead!

YANBU - I am an ex teacher and now hear kids read as a parent volunteer.
some of the "issue" based books are really really grim - alcoholic parents, domestic violence, self harming and attempted suicides. kids' reading should be for pleasure, not depressing!

IN the book club catalogue I read the blurb about one book aimed at the 12-14 age group - the premise was that a child met a ghost. the ghost was another child who had been murdered in a gents loo bloody awful on so many levels - not want I want my 13yo DD to be reading at all

I am not an ex teacher but I think yabu - you don't 'have to explain rape' to her

Not everyone likes happy books - my dd1 loves issue based stuff and scary things

I read a lot of zombie fiction and crime fiction - but I am not morbid or undead - I get pleasure from those genres

We picked this one as DSD said she was finding the fairy type books she was previously reading boring she had out grown the stories which all pretty much seemed to have the same basic plot, Jack Frost steals something magical something is in jeopardy the fairy recovers it all is well in magic land. There is probably plenty other books we could look into going forward but she was really enjoying the book and was keen to try another from the same author (she got Tracy Beaker for her BDay) and its the content without a purpose that gets me.

Wellthen think a chapter ahead could be the solution.

Yanbu to not want to have to discuss that with your DSD.

The Tess reference, I imagine, is there to encourage children to read further.. IMHO the language is quite euphemistic and if you were that concerned you could have thought of something else "wicked" but you seemed to handle it in the way you found best.

On the other hand, the JW books for older children were definitely written for children reading independently. If you want to avoid something like this in the future, I'd choose a book for a younger audience.

YANBU not to want to explain rape to 8yo, YABU for reading Jacqueline Wilson out loud.
I am a big fan and dd is an even bigger one but it would kill me to read it out loud . The prose rhythms are less than elegant, and there's a risk you'd end up reading her something that's too old for her.

The books to read aloud are the ones from the 19th and early 20th centuries, E.Nesbit (read her Five Children And It then get her JW's homage, Four Children and It), Frances Hodgson Burnett, Arthur Ransome...

I read books for escapism so like Austen and chik lit. My kids liked potter, Mallory towers and footi stories.

For us Jacqueline Wilson is like eastenders, misery best avoided. Enough in real life so don't need go seeking it in a book.

Yrnbu.

YABU - that phrase does not mean you having to explain rape, as the thought wouldn't even cross an 8 year old's mind.

I don't think that J.W. is all that suitable for an 8 year old, in the main. There are a few milder ones, but a lot of it is pretty grim, and if you don't want to discuss such topics then perhaps steer clear.

JW - I don't much care for her books.

Wicked way wouldn't bother me though and wouldn't mean you had to explain rape.

Yabu.

You should have assessed the book for your approval before if your going to read issue based books then its reasonable to expect you to check the content.

I understand how you feel, but out of interest, how would you tackle issues such as rape which are mentioned in the news?

I'm asking out of curiosity as I have 2 children under 4 and although we're careful about what we watch on the television in front of them we do have the news on the tv and the radio. I'm aware at some point there will be awkward questions about these kind of issues but I do think its important that children are exposed to current affairs.

My children have enjoyed a fair bit of JW over the years. I think a lot of the problem is that she writes for quite a wide age range and little girls can easily end up reading something aimed at teenagers.
To be fair loads of kids books could be termed "misery lit". Most kids books' heroes seem to be orphans.
For what it's worth I wouldn't let my kids read things like Mallory Towers - stuffed to the ginnells with outdated race and class prejudice.

YANBU to not want to have that conversation, but I agree with others that I don't think that phrase would have lead you there (I know my 8 yr old just lets obscure references that aren't crucial to the plot wash over her). And that Jacqueline Wilson isn't really suitable for that age group, and the book you've chosen is recommended for older children. I have guided my daughter away from JW at the moment, it's a big leap to go straight there from Rainbow Fairies, there's a lot of great stuff in between!

My 7 year old is badgering me to read Tess of the D'Urbevilles together - after bleeding Matilda raised the idea.

I'm not against attempting grown up books with kids but -of all things - Tess? I loved tht book as a teenager - and even then I think most of it went over my head.

I think there's a very dark, cruel edge to a lot of Dahl but DS adores him. I actually think that the typical JW heroine is a pretty engaging feisty character making the best of unfortunate situations. And seeing as my kids live in a cosy, middle class, two parent bubble I think it's quite important for them to be aware that lots of children are just not as fortunate.
God that sounds really priggish, but you get my drift.

I read Dickens as a 9-11 year old. And thought of it as reading for pleasure. I suppose it's a bit grim if you think about it. Also Treasure Island- a wonderfully well written book, but pretty dark and scary. The Count of Monte Christo is hardly uplifting either. In fact, the more I think about the more JW pales in comparison. Spontaneous combustion, anyone?

Totally agree with Fiona upthread that Rainbow Magic to JW is a hell of a leap!

I do think YAB a little U though. It's not uncommon.knowledge that JW tends to.cover adult topics and anything that might whet a child's appetite for classic literature when they reach an appropriate age is no bad thing imho.

Her topics are often no worse than those covered in Roald Dahl or even many clasdic fairytales, but the context makes them.more 'real' I think, which in turn provokes strong reactions. I love her Hetty.Feather series, partly because the historical setting gives the younger reader a certain amount of 'distance' from the grim aspects. Wouldn't touch Tracey Beaker with a bargepole though.

ColdWinds my dad is a massive Hardy fan and apparently Under the Greenwood Tree is the lightest and shortest of his novels so a good one to start.with is you wanted to give it a go. I also had a abridged version of the Mayor of Casterbridge when I was 10 which I loved.

As for Tess, tbh I'd just be bloody.grateful she hadn't referenced Jude the Obscure which has a truly horrible ending .

The book that is referenced here is The Lottie Project, published in 1996.
The main character isn't the person reading Tess, she is talking to another character who is reading the book, and asks about it. The plot of Tess is described very briefly, and in quite a simple way, and the word 'rape.' is not mentioned anywhere in the passage described or in the rest of the book at all, so i'm not sure why the thread has been started.
I know this is an old thread, but I felt compelled to comment.