Year 5 reading book The Breadwinner

[tiredandsleepy]

My DD in Yr 5 (9yo) is going to start reading The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis. It's a story of the effect of the Taliban in Afghanistan where an 11yo girl can no longer go to school, has to dress in a burkha, father is kidnapped and later returned minus one leg, no playing outside, no music, has to care for family, etc.

link

DD has been asked to research Afghanistan's location, borders, geography and also the Taliban, albeit in a child-friendly way

AIBU to think that 9 year olds should not be reading this OR researching the Taliban and making an acquaintance with suicide bombs, women stoned to death, 9/11, etc, etc ?

I don't keep her in a golden cage but I restrict the news she watches as I don't think DC this age are equipped to deal with certain realities.

Am I alone in this?

YABU I think.
There are so many ways that children can find out about what is going on in the world, researching it in school and watching the news is the best way, certainly much better than
"Mum, loads of people have been stabbed in London and there are riots and everything" Which is how DS originally heard about the stabbing of Lee Rigby from his friends.
I think it helps them to learn that they are part of a wider society where people have different beliefs and values.
So many things shape our world, at 9 I they're old enough to begin to understand.

YABU. Kids learn about the world through books, and its far better than tv or other ways.