What about 100 books you really don't want your children to read!?

[bigdeludedswainstrikesagain]

Let me start you off with two I should not have read as a fairly young child.

My Dad used to leave his books in downstairs loo so I read Cujo - which gave me horrendous nightmares for months and a Roman era sex and slaves romp (no idea what it was called - a toga ripper!) which was very graphic and rather inappropriate to be left in the reach of children! There were also countless cold war era spy novels but they were quite exciting and educational (rubbish covers though guns and blood stains and shapely legs + high heels!).

So no Stephen King till they are over at least 12. No literary porn. And I will add no Jordan Bios!

what else?

Anything form the 'Tragic Lives' sction in WH Smith

My only big fear is celebrity mags (Hello, etc.) The thought of my offspring avidly reading those makes me want to heave.

I find American Psycho hilarious; a mix of pathetic sad insecurity beyond the imaginable and bizarre fantasy. The huge controversy about it was unmerited, imvho.

I wouldn't let my children read any Virginia Andrews (the author of Flowers in the Attic etc) as I read that aged 11 and it was a bit too much for me. Didn't stop me reading everything else she had ever written though.

I also read a horrible book my dad had called 'Let's go play at the Adam's', I thought it was about the Adams family but it's about a family of sadistic teenagers torturing and murdering their nanny! Argh, the garrotting scene was a horrible shock.

Also, I wouldn't let them read Catherine Cookson. I read about 100 Catherine Cookson books aged 12 because they were lying around the house and I think it gave me a bit of a complex about men.

I read Lolita age 12, or started to but had it removed before i got too far with it (borrowed it from library)

Prior to age 17 - no American Psycho. After that, it's okay, despite being graphic, as it's stylised fantasy.

Also, Lady: My Life as a Bitch - Melvin Burgess: really really a parent should read this before they consider their teens reading it, despite it being marketed at older teens. Possibly also "Doing It" by Burgess.

The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho - because it's utter tripe.

For small children, the Eric Carle book "The Bad-Tempered Ladybird" - who asks on every page "Wanna fight?" until he meets his come-uppance. I have only ever seen it spawn a bunch of small children running around daring other kids with "Wanna fight?" They don't get the moral at all. It's an ugly book to read.

I'll be glad if my children grow up to be readers, but I must admit, I will think a little less of my DS if he reads and likes Martin Amis.

...and if I ever catch him reading anything by Tony Parsons we will be having words.

Sadly i did rummage in dads wardrobe as a kid and got my sex education from reading hollywood wives at age 10

I love that kind of book now, but would be mortified if my DS read anything like it!!

anything by jackie collins
James herbert agree - the rats, lair and domain freaked me out as an early teen.
Children of the dust also stayed with me for many years...

Loved virginia andrews books as a teen even if they were very twisted!!