The hunger games, for older children?

[Littlemoocow]

Now I should start by saying I haven't read these books, or seen the films. I was just browsing through a book catalogue which came through my door, and found the hunger games series, described as the perfect series for older children. I've googled the stories in the past and the content honestly horrifies me. I wouldn't want to watch these as an adult and would be appalled for a child to see those films. I guess as I've not seen the films or read the books, maybe it shouldn't judge them, but the theme is 2 children being selected to fight until one of them dies. Is there any way these are suitable for older children? AIBU and a massive old fashioned person or are they actually awful books and films for kids with quite a sinister theme? I will await your opinions!

and it has romance in it too
by the third book I was a bit irritated though and reminded myself at who they were aimed at!, i.e not me!

Ds is still cross I didn't get more than half way through the second book it was SO dull

i would say 13 and over to appreciate them.

dame, couldnt you force yourself?

As my DD is only six I haven't read the books or seen the films, but you can take elements of lots of children's books and make then sound awful. So, 101 Dalmations is about a woman who wants to kill and skin puppies, George's Marvellous Medicine is about a boy trying to poison his grandmother, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is about children being tourtured or killed in a sweet factory for their flaws. Put like that none of those books sounds sutable for children, and the Japanese film Battle Royle has much the same plot as the hunger games, but it's execution is adult and really not sutable for children.

Yabu to judge someone you've not read. As a PP said it's along the lines of 1984. Why not read them yourself to enable you to make an informed decision.

Personally I think the books are more explicit than the films (usually are) and we don't have them in our primary library.

R4-I did my best

That's true miz lemon good point. I guess because a lot of them are cartoons, I felt they were different and less real but I take your point

Dd read these in yr5. I hadn't let her read them in year 4, but allowed her after reading them myself. She re-reads them a lot and often discusses them with me, however, she didn't like the films.

These books were the start of her choosing her own books. I don't really censor anything she reads now, though she does 'check' with me first to see what I think about a book.

No different from Lord of The Flies. We read that at school as a set text.

If you want truly sinister themes then Flowers in the Attic does the job nicely, incest in an attic, sadistic grandmother etc , yet we all lapped it up at 12-13 at my school!

In fact I'd say Lord of The Flies was scarier/worse because it was more realistic.

All good points thanks. And yes I loved flowers in the attic too! I think the older I get, and the more that life happens, the less I find I can watch or read sad things, I feel less inclined to watch the news with every year that goes by. I suppose I forget that young adults should be the opposite of this, they need to see the world and find out things through books etc. this has made me think, thank you

I think YANBU to to think these aren't for older children. I'm pretty sure they are aimed at teenagers (they certainly were in that section in our bookshop). The subject is also not one that I would have chosen for my dcs. At that age I was still reading the famous five....

However, dc2 read them when he wAs 9yo and I did let him as it was the only book he seemed ready to read. He loved them.
Dc1, he was nearly 11yo, then read them too and loved them too. Now this is coming from a child who thought the Harry Potter films and books were violent . I really thought he wouldn't go past the first few chapters.
I think like another PP that they both saw the survival skills and how good the hero was rather than the horror of the killings.

BUT I think it really depends on the child. And that the fact there is a lot if violent books/films aimed at children is a good enough reason to let your dc read them. It's not an issue of 'being out of touch' or not. More about what would work for your child.

Lord of the Flies is awful, didn't mean it shouldn't be read though. I think we read it at school at about 13.

Errr 1984 isn't violent at all. But I still wouldn't classify it as a child's book. The real meaning if the book, even though my 11yo, could and would read it, would probably be lost on him.

Yeah yabu my eldest dd loved the series

I thought the books were unnecessary brutal and even though the topic is dystopia, the whole setup came across as glorified violence.
They are well written, very compelling and addictive, but left a bad taste in my mouth that didn't stem from being thought provoking.
My older dc have read them (at 12 and 14) and found them ok, not too violent.

Violence isn't glorified in the books if that's what you're worried about.

I read all three in three days, I was hooked! They are definitely for slightly older kids, but for the political themes, etc as well as the violence. Younger kids probably wouldn't understand enough to enjoy them.

As mentioned by a PP, the films have done the violent scenes well so that kids can watch them.

HG are not more violent than classical books. But nobody argues that Dickens or Dumas books are unsuitable for kids.

depends on the child yes.
but
i saw the film having had no idea what it was about and it shocked me.
someone had it on due for xmas last year so we all watched it. i hated it.
i don't know if the film was a good representation of the book.
as a stand alone product dd 12 and i were shocked at the subject and she was scared for days after.
i just think that some things are too gratuitous then everyone leaps in defence. based on a plot which is essentially very sad and disturbing.

If I'd seen the film without reading the book I'm not sure it would've made much sense tbh.

I was quite reticent when DD wanted to read these at age 11y.

However, at the time, she had turned off from reading quite a lot - once she'd grown out of David Walliams, Wimpy Kid, etc. there seemed to be a gap in the market ad a real lull.

The premise of the book sounded horrible to me. Children killing children, etc.

However, she read the first one and loved it. It re-opened reading to her. She quickly devoured the other books in the series and kept going - lots of books along a similar theme in the teen/YA market: Divergence, Four, Mortal Instruments, etc. A year on DD is still going strong, often choosing to rad for 2 or 3 hours a night after school instead of watching TV, laying on her bedroom beanbag on a weekend, reading for fun.

She does also enjoy the films, though prefers to have read the books first. I've never seen the films - the cinema is where she and her dad go off for a couple of hours or so to share films, whilst I stay home and get some peace :)

I wouldn't have wanted DD reading them much younger though tbh - mainly as I worry about children reading books too early and not really fully understanding them. Seems a shame to read something at an age when you can't really get the full amount out of them. Its often why when younger children read teen books they are not affected by them - because they don't get it, which then makes me question "whats the point?"

I think end of y6 onwards is soon enough.