To say my DM was not unreasonable to let me read adult books aged 11?

[CraveThatRadox]

I adore reading and in school, was very natural at English and History. I actively spoke about these things and I've always been a very passionate person on topics of interest. When I look back, I owe this to my DM giving me grown up books.

I was in Year 6, so about 11 (I'm a September baby), when I stumbled upon her 'Pillars of The Earth' book.

I said "Oh what's this about?". I was given a rough idea but couldn't stop asking. She then said "read it, if you like. It's quite dense though".

I did read it. I couldn't put the thing down. I had read the whole thing within two weeks or so. I brought it to school to read during reading time once, and it got confiscated

I read a lot of adult books at that age (although I suspect I am considerably older than you - POTE wouldn't have been around and possibly books in general would have been a bit tamer.)

I was a very avid reader and got through a huge number of books -when i was 11/12 my Mum was doing an evening course in a town with a big library that stayed open late on her course night. She used to come home with a big bag of books for me every week
I read all the Jalna books by Mazo De La Roche (no swearing or overt sex, but a lot of implied stuff and some adult themes) I read loads of Agatha Christies, Len Deighton, Isaac Asimov, Colette, Thurber - anything I could get my hands on really. Mum just used to pick stuff she'd enjoyed.
I think some stuff possibly went over my head a bit but I never remember being disturbed or upset by anything I read.

I think when I was young there were less books directed at teens and young adults, so when you outgrew the children's stuff - Enid Blytons and so on, you went straight onto grown up books.

I don't understand why you would give your children adult books when there are so many fantastic children's books to read. Do people feel that there should be no age restrictions on films either?

In my case it was more a case of going through my parents book shelves when they were out 😁

The only book I've sort of said no to with ds is 50 Shades of Grey and I said he could read it but we'd discuss it chapter by chapter. Funnily he decided not to,he was 11 or 12 iirc 😁

I think films are different to books. When you're reading you can only draw on your own experiences to a certain extent as a child, with films it's in your face and spelled out for you.

I was an avid reader from a very young age and hoovered up all the books in the house, unsupervised by my parents. So I read spy and horror novels from the age of probably 8 as that's what my dad was into, as well as loads of other stuff. Not saying that was the smartest thing (I've always had terrible nightmares and this probably didn't help!) but it was fantastic for my language skills, creativity and knowledge about the world, which has helped me no end as an adult.

I think at 11, you're fine to read most stuff.

I had a year 6 boy, who asked if he could bring a book from home for silent reading sessions. I said that it would be OK provided it was suitable. He told me it was Joan Collin's autobiography. I suggested that it wasn't really appropriate for school. His reply was, "My parents don't mind Miss. They're very broadminded."
The only time we censored our children's reading was when my husband brought home a book of rugby songs confiscated from a pupil. Our younger son, aged 7, came across it and we heard him say to his older brother, "Listen to this, 'The balls of O'Leary were....' he got no further before it was removed from his grasp.

Nope not unreasonable at all

I got my first "grown up" books aged around 11 Audrey Rose and The Omen . I was a great Stephen King, James Herbert and Dean Koontz fan too .

Audrey Rose started my life long (so far) interest in the concept of Reincarnation.

I think when I was young there were less books directed at teens and young adults, so when you outgrew the children's stuff - Enid Blytons and so on, you went straight onto grown up books

Yes I think you're right. I loved all those Sweet Valley High books though and Judy Blimey of course.

Though I think Dean Koontz came about in my later teen years . Cannot remember

I was similar and read anything I could get my hands on. I remember taking Pride and Prejudice to school aged 11 and the teacher told me I wouldn't understand it. So the next week I took Alistair McLean's Where Eagles Dare she gave up after that

**Blume

Oh and John Saul and Lena Kennedy .

The first were teen horrors sort of , the second all set in the East End and the lady wrote when she was elderly , and used people she had known in it (with changed names)

Oh and Flowers in the Attic!!

I read Stephen King, Jilly Cooper, Dean Koontz, the Cave Bear stuff etc at around that age. I don't think my parents realised how explicit and/or violent any of it was as they considered it drivel and didn't read it
The Shining scared me a bit but no other harm done.

or whatever the one that ran Position of the Fortnight was called

That would be More!- i was an avid reader of it by age 13...
YANBU btw

I never had any restrictions, I read and read and read! Enid blyton, the chalet school and all the other boarding school ones. Then on to flowers in the attic etc. The library let me swap to an adult library card at 10 so I could take more books out but they checked with my mum first
A standard size easy reading chick lit type book takes me about an hour to read so I ran out of books very fast

My parents took the attitude that if I was interested enough and old enough to read it, then I could read it. I don't think they ever censored my reading material at any stage.

In particular I was a big fan of kitchen sink novels of the 60s by the age of 13 or so, they dealt with sex, adultery, abortion, drunkards and violent husbands in a fairly frank way. I think my mum suggested them to me in the first place as something I would enjoy.

Flowers in the Attic
Sweet Valley High!
Judy Blume - Flubber?

Argh, you're all bringing me back...

Just checking online for dates and I must have read Arthur Hailey's "The Moneychangers " aged 10 or 11.

In My parents defence they were very busy and we kids were Legion!

I read Clan of the Cave Bear at about the same age - avid reader of scifi and fantasy. There's a big difference between reading a sex scene and watching it on a film.

I think I was reading sex-type scenes at about 8 when my nan dumped a load of books on me. Milder scenes, but they were there.

I'm going the same way with my daughters (6 and 8). They're allowed to read what they like, within reason. Same with films - we let them watch 12a with us and after we've checked out what might be the cause for that rating. They love the Marvel adaptations and have watched most of them. DD1 wants to watch Hacksaw ridge, a 15 rating (and Zombiesaurus... that was a 'no') I've said not yet, but maybe in a couple of years time. It's based on RL and we'll do it as and when she covers WWII in class.

When I was primary school age my mother would send me to the library with her tickets, to choose the books we both read. She liked bodice-rippers, with high sex content. I'd been reading the News of the World since I was four, nothing shocked me. I graduated to Jean Genet at fourteen, and Chinese erotic literature from the 1600s (only translations!) by the time I was sixteen. The only book I read that upset me was The Exorcist, and that was my mother's choice of book, not mine.

I remember being fascinated by the phrase " afterwards ,when he was spent" in Barbara Cartland books. I was sure I knew what it meant ...

Must've been 10. If I'd seen that in a film there would have been no mistake!

Oh, and to encourage my brother to read (he'd be between eight and ten ) she bought him 'Confessions of...' books. I read all those, too. He graduated to The Fog and unpleasant books. I read those.

My parents didn't medle with my reading habits. I read what I wanted and they bought anything that I requested.

One of the first Jackie Collins books I read - can't remember which one - had an opening sentence including 'cock', must have been very young because I had no clue whatsoever, even in the context, thought it was sth to do with fowl/chickens...🙈.

My parents never censored books and I don't either. My kids are free to read what they choose.

Oh yes Jackie Collins # it's all flooding back now!!