Terry Pratchett - suitable for a 10-yr old?

[florenceuk]

DS (10) loves Terry Pratchett. He has read all the kid's books and is now wanting to move onto the Discworld novels. Has anybody actually read these books (I have never touched one) - is there anything "unsuitable" in any of them? They look harmless enough to me. DS fairly oblivious to most relationship stuff (he refers to it as "marrying"), so mild innuendo probably OK!

[AintNobodyHereButUsKittens]

We're just reading some junior Pratchetts (Bromeliad and Maurice) to our DCs at bedtime at the moment. I agree that the start of I Shall Wear Midnight (along with the corpses and the dead baby in Nation) is pretty much the most horrible thing I can remember in any of his books. Personally I wouldn't stop DD (nearly 11) from going onto read the "adult" ones if she wanted, but neither would I actively suggest them to her, I'd say the ideal age to start reading them is probably 13-15, but if a slightly younger child was keen then that would be fine.

I'd heartily recommend Fly By Night by Frances Hardinge to any pre-teen who loved the junior Pratchetts by the way - it's much in the same vein as Maurice, but a bit more meaty.

[Arlingstone]

I'd be happy for my daughter to read Terry Pratchett and she does. The only thing would be they might be a bit advanced for a 10 year old, but maybe not. There's nothing unsuitable that I've ever seen, and I've read loads of Pratchett.

[FairyOnTheXmasTreeMcFlouncer]

Ahh, I thought you meant you couldn't track a copy down!

[GrimmaTheNome]

Thanks, but I know its in the house somewhere! Either in DDs pit bedroom or dump playroom.

[FairyOnTheXmasTreeMcFlouncer]

Grimma, Johnny and the Dead is on ebay but ends today:

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TERRY-PRATCHETT-JOHNNY-AND-DEAD-VGC-/130608195671?pt=Fiction&hash=item1e68dae857#ht_500wt_947

[GrimmaTheNome]

Nope, I can't remember the c word anywhere - its just not TPs style.

My DD is 12 and we've read all the junior TPs except 'I shall wear midnight' (which I'm going to get her for xmas) and Johnny and the Dead because I can't find it. I say 'we' because she still likes me to read to her at bedtime so that's when I choose books I like too. Having exhausted the available supply we're now halfway into The Colour of Magic - we tried it last year and she didn't get into it (it does take an awfully long time to get into) but this year she's evidently hooked enough to hang in there.

[GiganticusBottomus]

Aaaah. Good Omens, superb book. Crawley is a fantastic character. I do love TP.

[GiganticusBottomus]

I am a huge Pratchett fan and I can't remember the 'c' word being in ANY of his books, neither can dh. I would be surprised if it was. His books are very clever and humourous and don't require shock value to prop up the plots.

I would be happy with my 10yr old reading disc world but as others have advised, start with Guards Guards!

[ImpYCelyn]

I can't think of a single discworld book with the C word in it.

Good Omens maybe? But I don't think even Crawley would use language like that.

He might have used it as a joke, I suppose, i.e. a character says it by mistake instead of another word... but I really can't imagine it.

Anyway, it's a book for adults, so I wouldn't be horrified to find it there.

[droves]

Thud is a good one ! ....its a watch one , is about the dwarf/troll war .

[Honeydragon]

I can say that that word is not in ANY discworld books. Cant say as to whether its in Strata or dark side of the sun as its a VERY long time since I read them.

[AMumInScotland]

I can't say categorically that the word "cunt" couldn't possibly occur in any Terry Pratchett book - they are aimed at an adult readership, and TP does make use of the English language in all its richness and variety.

But if the word is in there, it will be there for a reason, and not used in a context where I'd consider it to be disgusting or gratuitous. By 9 or 10 most children will have met all kinds of words - in fact nobody is going to be disgusted by that word unless they know what it means already.

Of course I'd always suggest DC feel able to put down any book they feel uncomfortable about - DS picked up all sorts of "adventure" books at car boots when he was able to read well beyond childrens books, but wasn't ready for some of the "themes" he found in them. He simply stopped reading and handed things back to me if he didn't feel they were appropriate.

I'd think the more likely problem is that he may not get all the references, but I don't think that should stop him enjoying the books. There are some that take a poke at things like the press or the film industry, and I think you get more out of them as an adult because you recognise concepts like the difference between tabloids and broadsheets, or that a chunk of plot comes straight out of King Kong, but I don't think those concepts are necessary to find them fun.

[seeker]

But anyway I don't think it can hqve been TP- I would be very surprised if he used the word.

[seeker]

"I'd proceed with great caution. DS,9, has truckers series which he thought were fine, but then started on something else (sorry don't know which, have thrown it away) which he said had the 'c' word in. And not the one that ends in a 'p'. He was disgusted and stopped reading it, but by then it was too late, wasn't it. I was horrified."

You were horrified that the word "cunt" appeared in a novel intended for adults? And your ds was disgusted? What a sheltered life you both lead!

[Tmesis]

I really can't think of any Pratchett books that go further than "buggrit" or "bloody". Did you check the book for yourself? Do you remember anything about it (e.g. what it was about)?

[wonderfultykes]

I'd proceed with great caution. DS,9, has truckers series which he thought were fine, but then started on something else (sorry don't know which, have thrown it away) which he said had the 'c' word in. And not the one that ends in a 'p'. He was disgusted and stopped reading it, but by then it was too late, wasn't it. I was horrified.

[PapaDelta]

If he likes football, "Unseen Academicals" might be good for him, but I'd suggest starting with one of the early ones. "Equal Rites" is a personal favourite. Absolutely fine for a 10 year old.

[ImpYCelyn]

The witches are probably more fun than Mort.

[florenceuk]

Mm it's not that I wouldn't worry it's just that he's read it now so any damage is already done!

Thanks everyone, I think the witches series might be a good start (or is Mort a really fun character).

[Snorbs]

You can get a Kindle app for the iPad but I'd go for a paper book given the circumstances.

[RustyBear]

You can get the Watch series as a set on Amazon, I nearly got it during Black Friday week


Also a Death set and a Tiffany Aching set

[Tmesis]

The main issue with The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic is that they were written as parodies of other fantasy novels/series, and it only appeared to be part way through TLF that it occurred to him that he could actually write his own decent books set in that universe. It does annoy me when people start with TCOM and decide they don't like Discworld based on that; for one thing, it doesn't even work as a parody if you haven't read most of the things he's parodying.

OP, I would say that I Shall Wear Midnight has far more "adult" themes (the plot strand involving Amber and her father) than any of the officially adult Pratchetts , so if he's read that already there's certainly nothing for you to worry about with the rest.

[florenceuk]

No don't have kindle but can I pick them up on Dh's ipad? That poster guide is great!

Mind you, they don't seem to be discounted much on Amazon surely somebody would have produced an omnibus set there are gazillions of them.

[Honeydragon]

I started reading Terry Prattchett at age 10 (WYrd Sisters was my first) and have been utterly hooked ever since).