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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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:

Niecie · 07/07/2009 10:10

Having a 5 year old who relishes all nature programmes including the gory bits, I wouldn't have a problem with this either. He probably would have chosen a book like this himself.

It is just nature - I am with your DH, I'm afraid.

The book could have just said that the hyenas chased the wildebeest, caught a small one and ate it, which isn't so sentationalist, but then you lose the interesting language, which is presumably why it is included as a school reading book, and frankly that sounds nastier than the version you posted to me.

Or you could have missed it out entirely, but since animals seem to mostly eat and breed there wouldn't be a lot of book left!

monkeyfacegrace · 07/07/2009 10:10

I cant really comment, Im still scarred by Chicken Licken.

Original poster

mrsrawlinson · 07/07/2009 10:11

KingRolo, she hadn't seemed especially disturbed by the pages beforehand which were still a bit gruesome IMO, but I did stop her before she read that particular page so I didn't witness her reaction to that passage. She's got a very vivid imagination and does take things to heart, and I did think that would probably upset her, or at least raise questions that I'd struggle to answer without upsetting her and if I'm honest, myself! (In my defence I am pg and hormonal and will burst into tears at just about anything ATM!)

ChilliMoose, don't get me started on surreptitious use of religion on children - that's a whole thread in itself!

OP posts:

Pyrocanthus · 07/07/2009 10:12

I don't think it's inherently unsuitable for a 6 year-old, but I think you're entitled to judge whether you feel your child is ready for it and it is a bit difficult when the book is brought home from school - you shouldn't need to vet school books before your child reads them.

If she'd picked it up in the library, the title might have caused you to skim through it before taking it out.

If she was bothered by it, have a word with her teacher; if not, then don't, but keep an eye on future titles!

ReneRusso · 07/07/2009 10:15

YAB a bit over-protective, but I've written a few snottograms in my time (thanks for great new word) so I'll let you off

MissSunny · 07/07/2009 11:14

Message withdrawn

heartonsleeve · 07/07/2009 11:18

Has she ever watched Lion King?

Would you have objected if it was given to a boy?

Original poster

mrsrawlinson · 07/07/2009 11:24

I can confidently say that I would have been exactly the same if she had been a boy. I know this because she has a twin, who is a boy, and I didn't let him read it either. [Trump card emoticon]

They've not seen The Lion King as it happens, but I wouldn't stop them from watching it if they wanted to.

And as Pyrocanthus points out, it's not as if I had much say in what school book she brought home.

OP posts:

verygreenlawn · 07/07/2009 11:25

The paragraph you mentioned doesn't seem particularly objectionable to me, but I can see the principle.

When ds1 was in reception he got one of the ORT books which was about WWII, and then asked lots of difficult questions like why the children had to wear gas masks?

I did ask the teacher - not complaining, I just wondered if it was suitable, and she said part of the problem was that that level of ORT was mostly read by 8 year olds. So maybe that might be the problem in your DD's case? In which case I can see why the school might not have been so alert to the issue?

TheChilliMoose · 07/07/2009 11:42

Mind you, I think that Watership Down sould be banned as it is far too traumatic for children to watch.

Original poster

mrsrawlinson · 07/07/2009 11:59

Oh God yes, I think WD should be an 18 certificate!

OP posts:

willali · 07/07/2009 12:03

You have to bear in mind tht the book probably was not aimed at 6 year olds per se but for those of a particular reading age which could be a lot older. My children have always had reading ages far above their real age which means that they have had some books that have been slightly eyebrow raising and have featured children much older. It is a real problem to match up reading age and age appropriate subject matter IMO

yomellamoHelly · 07/07/2009 12:03

I think that would worry my ds too.
We had one last night about a swimmer who lost her leg in a car accident. Ds kept going back to that page and was still talking about it on the way in this am.

islandofsodor · 07/07/2009 12:12

I think it is innaporriate for a 6 year old. My dd would have been in bits at something like that at 6.

For an 8 year old I would think you were being a little precious.

bigmouthstrikesagain · 07/07/2009 12:56

My cats have also given ds an insight into the 'red in tooth and claw' reality of nature, having brought in numerous tiny furry and feathered creatures. All in some way dismembered.

I do watch/ read some quite grown up docs and reference books regarding predators throughout history. What I find is that he accepts the brutality of the animal world but gets upset if he identifies with the story so I wouldn't let him watch watership down.

That was the first film I ever saw at the cinema and I had to be taken out as I was so upset, despite being from a village where killing rabbits was commonplace.

bigmouthstrikesagain · 07/07/2009 12:58

I mean I watch and read with ds aged 4 the nature films / books....

islandofsodor · 07/07/2009 13:44

I would take the book back into school and point it out to the teachers. It is very difficult for them to individually vet every single book. Dd brought a book home once that I felt was inapprpriate at infants level and the teacher was most apologetic agreeing that it was more a KS2 book.

Tamarto · 07/07/2009 13:45

Why do you do their reading HW at bedtime?

islandofsodor · 07/07/2009 13:48

Doesn't everyone do reading homework at bedtime??????

When else can you do it, in the middle of eating tea?

MissSunny · 07/07/2009 13:51

Message withdrawn

islandofsodor · 07/07/2009 13:51

Incidentally dd has seen the Lion King on stage when she was 6. The stampede is frightening and she shed a few tears but I was with her watching her reaction and it is a lot different to reading a sescription like that. The passage was about a baby animal being killed which is much more scary for a child who can identify them with themselves, that an adult animal.

There were children a little younger than dd in the theatre who had to be taken out sobbing hysterically.

Original poster

mrsrawlinson · 07/07/2009 14:06

Of course I do DC's reading homework at bedtime. I'd like to know how else one is supposed to fit in 3 hours' TV and a trip to McDonald's .

OP posts:

MIAonline · 07/07/2009 14:07

Don't see anything particularly shocking about the book. Even though, your DD had picked it, f you thought it would bother your DD, that is fine, don't read it to her.

As lots of other people have said, they don't see a problem with it. Not sure why you didn't just return it to get another one, without the snottogram.

morningpaper · 07/07/2009 14:11

My 6 yo has been learning about the Great Fire of London which is rather more horrid! Nature and history ARE gory, I don't think you can shield them from that beyond much the toddler stage.

MoonchildNo6 · 07/07/2009 14:14

My DS (5) brought home a reading book where the man tricked a tiger and tied him up and beat him with a stick til he was almost dead to teach him a lesson.

Last week he brought home one about a dog that was getting old and dying and tried to drag himself accross the room on his front paws to his dinner but couldn't make it so they put him down the next day and buried him in the garden and got a new puppy. Nice.

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