Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

and over-protective to think that this school reading book is inappropriate?

55 replies

mrsrawlinson · 07/07/2009 07:53

DD is 6. The book she came home with today was called 'Predators'. It was a bit graphic from the outset I thought, but it was pg.14 where I called a halt:

"Some of the herd (of wildebeest) run away from the river. The hyenas follow. The hyenas quickly target a young wildebeest. The calf is scared. It tries to rejoin its mother but the hyenas cut it off. They pile onto the terrified animal and tear it to pieces."

Not exactly pleasant bedtime reading, is it? DH disagrees and reckons it's only right she should be learning about nature, altough I've gone ahead and written a bit of a snotogram about it in DD's reading record anyway.

Is it me?

OP posts:

MamaLazarou · 07/07/2009 07:55

I don't see the problem.

poopscoop · 07/07/2009 07:57

not pleasant. Was not necessary to be so graphic in a 6 year olds reading book. Agree it is nature, but bit too much detail methinks.

Smithagain · 07/07/2009 07:59

DD1 is six. I think that would be OK for her, but she's pretty aware of nasty things going on in nature.

I did veto a book she brought home with a traditional tribal tale in which a young man was tortured as part of a manhood ritual. There were no graphic details - I just didn't really want to discuss torture with her on any level just yet.

Her teacher agreed and took it off the shelf.

piscesmoon · 07/07/2009 08:00

I don't see a problem-nature is cruel-it isn't a sort of Disney world. 6 yrs is perhaps a bit young. Was she given it or did she choose it?

TrinityRhino · 07/07/2009 08:03

I dont see as problem with it

bigmouthstrikesagain · 07/07/2009 08:10

Having edited bambi when my ds brought it home ( he is 4), I am in no position to judge. But I would have read the book you describe as my ds obsession with dinosaurs especially predators has entailed numerous books and documentaries with many similar scenes.

Ds particularly likes predators [ hmm] and the only reason I stopped Reading bambi was due to the blatent anthropomorphising (sp????) which meant ds would be more upset than a simple description of nature iykwim?

He has not shown signs of being emotionally disturbed., when I was his age I used to watch the man next door skinning rabbits.

yappybluedog · 07/07/2009 08:16

My dd brought one home, a Chip & Biff called Kidnapped or something

There were guns and everything

flamingobingo · 07/07/2009 08:17

I don't see a problem with it, but you should have read it first and decided to read it with her at a time when you had plenty of time to talk about it too.

YABU

Original poster

mrsrawlinson · 07/07/2009 08:19

I think she chose it Pisces, though I can't imagine why as it's not the sort of thing she'd usually look at. I'm guessing she probably thought it was just a book about animals, IYSWIM.

I know nature is cruel (and let's face it, there's no species as cruel as us) but does this mean they should be confronted with it all in graphic detail at 6? I don't believe everything should be sugar coated by any means, and we do discuss some pretty deep and intense stuff with her and DS at times, but it's always in context, i.e. with proper explanations. This just seemed really bloodthirsty somehow, and didn't include any explanations about the food chain or anything. Perhaps I'm just squeamish?

OP posts:

southeastastra · 07/07/2009 08:20

that upset me and i'm 40

hippipotamiHasLost44lbs · 07/07/2009 08:20

I don't see a problem with it as such. But then I don't read the dc's school books with them at bedtime so no chance for anything I may find inappropriate to crop up at bedtime.
The language is a bit graphic perhaps, but it illustrates what happpens perfectly and is suited to the reading level of a 6 year old.

GooseyLoosey · 07/07/2009 08:21

Think it depends on the child. I have one child who would read it with relish. However, dd (coming up to 5) would not like it one bit and would be disturbed by it. If she chose it herself, think I would let it go. If the school chose it for her, I would point out that the content might bother some children. Is your dd likely to be bothererd by it or not?

Hulababy · 07/07/2009 08:23

I'd have not had any problem with DD reading it TBH. She has watched many a nature programme actually showing kills happen, o knows what it is all about.

I was about one book DD brought home last year (so she was 5 or 6, in Y1). Was a traditional tale one and had stuff in about a girl being potentially burnt at the stake. Think it was Hans Anderson. I did put a comment in the reading diay regarding that. DD was then jumped to the next series of books, lol.

Blondeshavemorefun · 07/07/2009 08:23

my dc6 would love that kind of book, but sure some of her friends wouldnt

but the story was just telling facts of nature

GooseyLoosey · 07/07/2009 08:23

flamingobingo - do you really think she should have read it first? If I read all ds(also 6) books before he did, it would take ages. Some weeks that would be about 200 pages! I don't even read most of them with him any more.

TheFool · 07/07/2009 08:25

Seriously Flamingobingo - should have read it first?!?! Do you actually read the kids reading books before they do? That makes it dull x 2 rather than just one!

I wouldn't have a problem.

cory · 07/07/2009 08:26

dcs are all different; my 12yo is still very sensitive to some stuff that others aren't bothered by at all (I myself am a perfect wimp about horror films), but of course as you grow older you can self-censure

doesn't necessarily mean that the school should censure- it can be quite a useful learning thing for your dd to be able to say to herself, 'ok, I don't like this sort of thing, I won't read it and I'll tell Miss I don't like this kind of book'

reikizen · 07/07/2009 08:28

flamingobingo, that was a bit of a snotty comment! Who reads their children's reading books first for goodness sake and sets aside time to discuss the contents in detail! I just squeeze it in to an overpacked day at a time when dd1 isn't tired and irritable! I thought it was upsetting and wouldn't have wanted mine to have that as a reading book at 6. Of course nature is cruel but that's not the point imo. The child is 6 for goodness sake, I think mine would worry about that baby wildebeast for weeks!

Casserole · 07/07/2009 08:32

I don't think its appropriate for a 6yo. I would have said something too. And as someone else said, it upset me and i'm in my 30s!

KingRolo · 07/07/2009 08:36

You have said what you and DH think of it but what was your dd's reaction? Did she get upset or take it all in her stride? That's an important factor in deciding whether you are being unreasonable or not.

TheChilliMoose · 07/07/2009 08:50

What about the old man who wouldn't say his prayers? They learn about him from a much younger age.

Blondeshavemorefun · 07/07/2009 09:49

good point king rolo

was she scared/upset by what she waa reading or did she take it in her stride

RumourOfAHurricane · 07/07/2009 09:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

imaynotbeperfectbutimokmummy · 07/07/2009 09:55

Was your DD upset by it? I remember reading Born Free when i was at primary school - then i got the sequel - living free - from the school library. The first chapter was "elsa dies" - i was distraught!

I think that a lot of the disney films/books are pretty graphic - hearts being ripped out and all! nd thats just snow white - DD loves it .

I think what you describe did sound a bit too graphic for my liking. Not sure i would have written a "snottogram" (love it!) but i might have mentioned it to the teacher.

Lizzylou · 07/07/2009 09:58

Yabu, although DS1 is in reception and would love this, he loves watching nature programmes and isn't squeamish at all.
He'd probably go into to great detail about how the hyenas tore the widebeest to pieces
You know your child and the vast majority of children are not as bloodthirsty as my DS1.

Flip

1 2 3