The Boy in the Dress is not appropriate class reading for 8 or olds.

[Brightlightsbigcity]

Haven't read this myself, so am willing to accept that this may just be my dcs perception of it, but the feedback from kids talking to me about reading this in class appear to be:

1. The mum and dad fight a lot. Mum leaves.
2. The boy wears a dress. (I have no issue with this. Neither do DC. ) )
3. The dad hides rude, naked picture magazines under the kids bed/s.

I do have an issue with 3. Is it really appropriate for 7, 8 and 9 year olds to learn about naked pic magazines, which are rude, therefore dad hides them? (In the kids room, of all places. ) I'm not clutching pearls, but I don't think this is an appropriate subject matter for this age group, do you?

(I'm almost hoping it's a story from a friend, which got tangled up in the plot somehow... )

Off at a tangent but the comment about fairy stories has reminded me how hilariously inappropriate some nursery rhymes are . . . Three blind mind mice is just so harsh, and as for picking up an old man by his left leg and throwing him down the stairs 😱 😂

Why go to the effort of posting about something you haven't even read therefore have no knowledge of 🤦🏼‍♀️. Read the book then repost. YABVU

Teachers in my school were always so delighted when parents would complain about assigned books when the child's parents hadn't even bothered to read the book themselves. Just delighted.

Not.

If you want to complain about a book, at least read it!

I'm reading all David Walliams book to my 8 year old (hes severely dyslexic). Loving them.

oooh I wouldn't like an eight-year-old being told that hiding porn is what males do.

I don't need to read it before I comment. The point I was making was that from a book read in class (which I was unaware they would be reading until my DC mentioned it), one of the takeaway points from the kids POV was that dad has rude magazines and hides them in his kids room. Since when did porn become something you wanted your 8 year old introduced to in class?

The fact that the books are terribly written is more pertinent. Lazy and tedious writing, relies on lists and poor humour, obsessed with people's weight and poorly observed. But they're rubbish, not inappropriate.

Couldn’t have put it better myself.

Off at a tangent but the comment about fairy stories has reminded me how hilariously inappropriate some nursery rhymes are . . . Three blind mind mice is just so harsh, and as for picking up an old man by his left leg and throwing him down the stairs

Remember the classic Disney films? Like Pinocchio or Basil the Great Mouse Detective - lots of smoking cigars and drinking alcohol, sly rude jokes. Some of my favourites, the newer ones don't come close.

''Let Me Be Good To You''

and drugging the drink ;)

If you really disagree with it being a class reader have you taken it up with the teacher ?

Its a bit of a leap to go from naughty magazines to porn.

8 year olds should by now know that it’s a bit “naughty” to look at naked pictures of people. That isn’t the same as telling them as about full blown porn FFS.

Of course you need to read it before you comment! You need to be in possession of the facts in order to moderate your feelings towards this class reader in the full context of understanding the narrative, and how it has been written to be understandable for children.

Obviously drawing the conclusion that, “This book for 8 year olds has porn in it!” is highly provocative, as well as likely to be very incorrect.

It’s like those outraged parents in America who had Harry Potter banned from schools for “teaching children witchcraft”. They clearly hadn’t read the books either.

Of course you need to read it. You're making yourself sound very silly OP. If you still disagree with it after you can bring it up with the school. If by any unlikely change many or all the parents think it's inappropriate so have also raised it then I'm sure they'll consider removing it.

I think David Walliams is a brilliant author.
He doesn't fudge around human issues and he also touches on things that some parents don't want to tackle .
Its amazing how children will accept what they read without questioning it.
You should read it then comment.
I love his books

Yeah, 8 or olds do know it's a bit naughty to look at pics of naked ppl, which is why I thought it was inappropriate to present it as a totally normal thing to do. It's irrelevant whether I've read it or not, because DC has, and that's the message that stood out from the class reading it. The fact that the boy may have worn a dress was neither here not there, and I think the same message re gender and presentation would have been given without the inclusion of nudie mags. Did this really add to the story in any way? (And going on those well considered posts at the start, maybe only ppl who have read the book should be allowed to comment on that. )

Thanks to those ppl who actually gave a considered opinion, whichever way you lean. Maybe I'm a bit old fashioned in trying to avoid my kids coming into contact with this kind of stuff. Yeah, it may be the reality in some homes, doesn't mean I want it introduced in mine.

I haven't seen the class teacher about it, and I doubt I will, as it's all read and discussed now. I only heard about it yesterday. I wasn't making a big fuss, merely asking if others thought it was an appropriate subject matter for that age group. But this is AIBU, notorious for frothing comments which have little to do with answering the q asked.

Whining, stropping and forbidding your children to read books is only a good strategy if you have a reluctant reader (as it will make them read the books just to defy you.) Otherwise, you just make a tit of yourself and, if you go bleating to the school, embarrass your DC. Particularly when you haven't read the book but you're all 'Waa, WAAA' about what you think might be in it.

its a bit of a leap to go from naughty magazines to porn.

8 year olds should by now know that it’s a bit “naughty” to look at naked pictures of people

Naked pictures of people in magazines (in a sexual context) is porn though.

Reanimated, I was neither whining, stropping, nor forbidding my kids to read the book. So I hope that wasn't directed at me? Your advice is sound...

Wasn't planning on going in to the school either. And it's not what I think was in the book. I've stated what DC TOLD ME about the book, and they'd discussed it in class, so that's the message they took from that exercise, having read the book. I've not extrapolated from that. Unlike a bunch of ppl commenting .

Hmmm-totally disagree.Was the 1st set of books my DC read at 8..Totally loved each&every one.Im excited there are diverse&entertaining,well written books like this out there&wouldnt dream of dictating to them what they read.I was a prolific reader with total autonomy from age6 including witchcraft&astrology&nitemare on elm street before age10..happy days

Naked pictures of people in magazines (in a sexual context) is porn though

I know but that’s not my point. The kids aren’t going to be discovering fully hard core porn though are they, from reading this book?

Thanks to those ppl who actually gave a considered opinion, whichever way you lean. Maybe I'm a bit old fashioned in trying to avoid my kids coming into contact with this kind of stuff

I take the view that if they’re “exposed” to something or hear something which deals with adult themes, you cover it in age appropriate ways.

I wouldn’t be happy my kids seeing porn magazines but if someone mentioned pics of naked people, i wouldn’t make a big deal. Just say something like “yes some adults do that, but I find it disrespectful” etc or something. Then you can move on.

The kids aren’t going to be discovering fully hard core porn though are they, from reading this book?

I find it hard to put into words what my objection to it is, but I'll try. It's telling little boys that men (and older boys) have this male thing they do, looking at nude pictures, which they hide. It's all boys together, male bonding type thing, over porn. It's kind of sordid. Only a man would write that in a children's book.

I get that's what your child has taken from it but if you'd read the book then you'd be able to discuss better with him the message that was being conveyed by that part of the story. It's great to be able to discuss these things with your children before they hear about it from older siblings of friends or class gossip. As you haven't read it you have no idea so are unable to.

a David Williams book actually helped me to explain to my children that their daddy had a terminal
Illness and that it was likely he would die. We were actually watching the dvd - the one about the grandad with Alzheimer’s. My husband had a brain tumour so the behaviours were similar sometimes to dementia. Anyway when the character went into a care home
It prompted the children to ask if daddy needed to go into a care home and then a conversation started about how poorly daddy was and the doctors didn’t think he would get better. It was never going to be an easy conversation but the fact that the story opened up the conversation made it less stressful.

read the book!!!