Stupid school rule?

[upsideup]

DC's school recently introuduced an hour of silent reading per week, dd absolutely loved this (DS doesn't but it has encouraged him to read more). Untill now they have been taking in a book from home, DD10 who spends hours reading for pleasure anyway takes in the book shes reading at home. I dont choose her books and I am also not strict about what she reads, was already aware that some of the books she enjoys were targeted at an age range slightly above hers.
We have had a letter home saying that dd's book this week was rated as 14+ so is not suitable to be read at school and I should send her in with a book suitable for her age so under 10's as teachers are not going to be closely monitoring what books the children are reading. That is ridiculous right?
She had not told us this all week as shes worried shes in trouble with the teacher but her book was taken off her and she was given a random book from the libary by the teacher which is not the sort of thing she likes and was too 'babyish' for her so she spent the whole lesson doing nothing.
To be clear the books she is reading are young teen fiction books, not gory or sexual true crime books, theres maybe mentions of kissing or mild swearing but nothing harmful or frightening for a 10 year old to hear, mine atleast and as its silent reading and not being read aloud surely its nobodies business what shes reading and it should be mine and her dads decision if its suitable or not for her, not the teachers?
We are going stuggle to find a book aimed at under 10s that she enjoys and I also have know idea how to find out what age rating a book has and surely its just a reccomendation to what age group may enjoy the book not a strict rule?
I can see the benefit of quietly reading at school and definately not one of the many parents who complained when the silent reading was introduced but what benefit is forcing her to read a book that she dosnt enjoy and is below her level? Shouldnt she be encouraged to challenge herself and have an enjoyment for reading not punished?

Do your schools do the same? AIBU to want to challenge this stupid rule?

As a compromise I would look for some more difficult books in the 9 to 12yo age range and she could keep one in her bag for just school reading. Keep the books that are more her level for home. Restricting an advanced reader to books for under 10yo is unreasonable, it's below her actual age let alone her reading ability!

Upside, I think the problem is likely to be that the topics covered in YA fiction aren't on the whole topics that a 10 yo would have the emotional maturity or life experience to understand fully. It's not just a question of reading words on a page.

At your DD's age, I was reading Enid Blyton, Agatha Christie and Ian Fleming. I read endlessly. I remember my mum getting cross with me when we went to the library, because I'd already have read one of my books while she was choosing hers.

My children have always been very keen readers, too, and it's a challenge to find things that are vaguely age-appropriate but not "babyish". We have about 4,000 books at home, so on the whole I just leave them to it. Has your DD tried the Adventure Island or Baker Boys series? One of mine loved them (and her teen siblings also loved the Adventure Island ones, only wouldn't admit it because they were "for younger children", so read them under their covers). Cornelia Funke? I did hide a Nicky Hornby book (can't remember which one) from DS when he was 11 or so, just because I thought the subject-matter and proliferation of 'fuck's wasn't suitable for him at that stage.

DD watched Oliver at school, plenty of dark adult, themes in there too.
Oliver is a U.

I teach Macbeth at GCSE. There's very dark themes in it. There's a DVD that's a 15 ans there's 1 that's a 12. I don't show the Michael fassbender version in school because i think there's a section where the sexual overtones are not appropriate for the classroon. My y11s are more than aware enough to watch it and old enough, but i'm not showing it. It doesn't add anything extra educationally that the non sexy version

Schools have a duty of care. As a teacher I wouldn't automatically be concerned that a child was reading the odd book with older themes, but I would be a bit if their parents were essentially saying their 10 year old only wants to read a range of young adult material and they couldn't possibly read books that didn't engage with substance abuse, suicide etc because they were boring and babyish. I'd wonder if that was the child's view or the parent's view or more likely the child parroting what their parents have been saying

I’m not sure why she can’t find anything enjoyable that would be deemed suitable for children under 10. There are plenty of books that I (at nearly 40, and I’m an academic in the humanities so I’m perfectly capable of reading very ‘challenging’ works) enjoy reading with and to DS2 (8) that his teachers have no problem with. They’re not in the least bit ‘babyish’.

He’s currently reading Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend - which commonsense media rate as 9+, so would presumably be fine for the 10 and under stipulation - and it’s great. I am enjoying it. He adores it.

The Last Wild by Piers Torbay is also excellent. DS2’s (Y4) teacher has bought it to read to the class. It’s interesting, well written and not babyish.

DS2 would be perfectly capable of reading books in the YA section but we stick to the 9-13 section because it tends to contain books he’s more interested in. He’s not really looking for romance (and that is often the distinguishing feature between the two).

Don't take it up with the teacher. Take it up with the school librarian or ask to see the school's reading policy...

I was a fairly advanced reader and at 10 I was reading:
Oliver Twist
Pride and prejudice
Wuthering heights
Star Wars trilogy
Young Wizards series by Diane Duane (loved these!)
White Fang, and Call of the Wild
Animals of Farthing Wood
All of the Narnia series (not just the televised stories)
Great Expectations

If she likes fantasy type books then Philip Pullman or Terry Prat her may be suitable

We had to introduce this rule when we had 11 year olds bringing Katie Prices autobiography in. I kid you not.

dd was and still is bored to tears with alot of kids books. She much prefers the more gritty dark, depressing, shit happens to people, kinda books.

Yep dd would rather have a bit of grit and dystopia than frilly dresses and tea parties. Trying Animal Farm next.

There are SO MANY books I'm sure you can find something the school is ok with.

Oliver Twist Done
Pride and prejudice rated 14+
Wuthering heights 14+
Star Wars trilogy Definately not her thing
Young Wizards series by Diane Duane (loved these!) pretty sure she read the first one and didnt enjoy it very much
White Fang Read
Call of the Wild 12+ and already read
Animals of Farthing Wood We've watched the Dvds and the books would of been her sort of thing a few years ago but I'm not sure she would now
All of the Narnia series (not just the televised stories) Shes read them all loads of times
Great Expectations 12+ but has read already

Ah yes! Also animal farm
THX 1138 by George Lucas (dystopian)
The Bond books
The Sherlock Holmes books
Agatha Christie
The witches, and the colour of magic discworld books

I’d be surprised if even a voracious 10 year old had read most of these and as classics they’d be considered suitable

Watership fown is also pretty dystopian

*Down

Has she read the Warriors series by Erin Hunter? The Redwall series?

Where are you getting your ratings from OP? Which themes in Pride and Prejudice for example mean it’s only suitable for 14+?

People keep suggesting Narnia - a series I consider to be highly unsuitable taking into account what happens to Susan: banished from Narnia because she likes lipstick and stockings! Prudish nonsense that I wouldn't want my child reading. Redwall series is aimed at 9 - 12 year olds and I was obsessed from age 8 to when the author died when I was in my twenties - though I'm still not over some of the deaths that occurred in them - Game of Thrones has nothing on Brian Jacques for gore, yet they are considered to be primary aged reading|!

YANBU & this sort of thing does my head in. We had the same thing with DD at a similar age & the suggestion ps for age appropriate & classic books does my head in too. If they were suitable reads for the DC in question, I'm sure they will have been looked at already by the OP, if not read already when younger.

Speaking from experience this sort of nonsense can put an avid & advanced readers off reading, hopefully not for life, but my now 15 barely reads at all these days, she hates it where as left to her own devices with her reading choices, she would hoover up at least 2 books a week. We had a similar situation in more recent years too, where as reading was expected in form time, but not allowed to use a kindle/iBooks, only a real book, adding to the weight my disabled DD had to carry around school. When I spoke to the teacher about this, the only other option offered was a school library book, which teacher chose for DD, so taking any joy out of reading the book at all as it was nothing like her taste.

I get there has to be rules about what's available in school & not all DCs mature at the same speed, but some common sense needs to prevail & if you are happy with your DDs reading choices, then unless you are a complete dead beat parent that should be enough. I'm sure as I did, you vetted your DDs choices & discuss the books before reading.

We had the same thing with DD at a similar age & the suggestion ps for age appropriate & classic books does my head in too. If they were suitable reads for the DC in question, I'm sure they will have been looked at already by the OP, if not read already when younger.

Ah yes, god forbid that anyone should try and be helpful when someone posts on a forum looking for help

Ah yes, god forbid that anyone should try and be helpful when someone posts on a forum looking for help 

Sorry Vete, but if the OP was asking for book recommendations, I missed it. I only saw them asking if they should challenge the school. Which IMHO is a big fat yes.

What about children of the new forest, little women series, Tom Browns school days etc? They all class as kids books.

And the name escapes me, but if she likes dark there's a series about some dc in the potatoe famine, think the first book is called under the hawthorn tree but cba to go upstairs and look. Pretty sure it's aimed at her age or younger, definitely not teen fiction. However the setting makes it quite harsh, even if she reads them quickly.

Although it does seem from the OP’s responses that absolutely every book except the one the school have objected to is unsuitable or already read so perhaps we actually shouldn't bother with trying to be helpful - it seems that absolutely no other book will do and she’s Simply looking for agreement

animal farm She got this a few weeks ago and was going to read it next but age rating is 13+
The Bond books Not her thing
The Sherlock Holmes books Read already
The witches Watched the film a few years ago, will look into the book but wont be that challenging for her or what she would choose to read
THX 1138 Film is rated 17+ but dont think its her thing
Agatha Christie She likes Agatha Christie but most books are rated 12+
the colour of magic discworld books never heard of them but from a quick google dosnt look like her thing

Op you haven't address my concern - your daughter choose to break school rules (both my not giving you the letter and continuing to bring in a book the school has said isn't suitable).

Rather than focusing on the school, you should also look at your daughters choices and explain consequences, if you break rules things you don't like happen.

It is very easy to have 1 book for school and 1 for home, I can't not believe you can't find a book she will enjoy that is not young adult there is a huge choice. She can read what she likes at home and a school suitable book at school.

Sorry Vete, but if the OP was asking for book recommendations, I missed it. I only saw them asking if they should challenge the school. Which IMHO is a big fat yes.

Oh so we’re only allowed to answer the specific question in the OP, not to give general advice? Apologies - didn't realise the thread police were on patrol.

God forbid that people should try and offer solutions that might meet the OP and schools requirements eh?!

I think YABU and this isn't a battle worth fighting. Find something without an age rating, a classic as suggested above, and let her read what she wants outside school. An hour a week isn't going to put her off reading or restrict her choices significantly. The teachers don't want material in the classroom that is deemed unsuitable for the age group and that is a perfectly reasonable position for them to take for the sake of the group. You seem overly invested in proving that your child is more advanced than the rest of the class and don't want to listen to other points of view.