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Children's books

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Original poster

Rosemary sutcliffe

53 replies

notanidea · 14/01/2010 09:13

DD9 is a voracious reader. What age would you recommend her books. She has read roman mysteries and time travelling cat. Do you think it is better if she is a bit older.

OP posts:
MintyCan · 14/01/2010 10:38

Did you have a particular title in mind ? I think dd has read one I can ask her later.

Original poster
notanidea · 14/01/2010 10:47

She read the roman mystestries recently and declared that she wants to read latin not sure how long this spell will last. Also asked me repeatedly whether someone can swell up after eating yeast and sitting in front of the fire(necklace of raindrops). I was thinking more of odyssey or the book regarding the 9throman legion.

OP posts:
chocolaterabbit · 14/01/2010 10:52

I'd let her read them. There isn't any explicit sex/violence etc but perhaps asy that you are happy to discuss with her if there is anything she doesn't understand.

MintyCan · 14/01/2010 10:57

Just had a look in DDs room she has Eagle of the Ninth from the library. She is not here to ask if she thought it was good. However, she is ten and has read that one so should be OK. She is also enjoying Asterix a great deal at the moment.

FromGirders · 14/01/2010 11:05

Def let her read them! I read them all at about that age and loved them, and I re-read them a few years ago, and they're still good. There is violence and bloodshed, but it's not particularly explicit, and they're well-written and good stories. Geoffrey Treece is good too - lots of Viking stuff. Although I have't re-read that, so maybe it's a year or two older (I read it at 10 and 11-ish).

elkiedee · 14/01/2010 11:14

I think they vary a bit on age and some of the Roman ones are possibly aimed slightly older but there's no reason for her not to try them.

Original poster
notanidea · 14/01/2010 11:18

oh thanks a lot, I was worried esp about the violence/sex content but her vocab is pretty good and she tendS to ask us if she does not understand anything. I will wait for you minty and may be start of with the eagle of the ninth.

OP posts:
Yorky · 14/01/2010 11:32

If I had a nine yr old I'd much rather she read Rosemary Sutcliffe than HSM or suchlike popular 'fluff' ( at blatant snobbery)
The violence is more of a worry than the sexual content, I still enjoy reading them occasionally.

Original poster
notanidea · 14/01/2010 11:45

Yorky- DD also likes rainbow magic books(I think it is utter waste of money when you compare the amount they cost and the amount some of the real good books cost -there is only 2-3 pounds difference)

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Openbook · 14/01/2010 11:50

I loved RS and am so glad girls still want to read her. I remember my (very strait laced) mum recommending me a book when i was about 13 and it had a bit of explicit sex in it and i thought - respect mum! She'll cope.

JeffVadar · 14/01/2010 11:52

I wouldn't have any worries on the content, but the style of writing is quite adult and sophisticated. But if she is a confident reader then she shouldn't have any problem.

I used to love her books as a child and there seems to be very little like it around nowadays.

FromGirders - I think you've mixed up Henry Treece and Geoffrey Trease! Henry was the viking and Geoffrey wrote more medieval stuff. I loved both of them too.

FromGirders · 14/01/2010 12:51

I may well have done - I read them all! (Actually ran out of historical fiction in the children's section of the library and had to move on to SCi-Fi / Fantasy - it's their fault )

RosieMBanks · 14/01/2010 13:34

I loved Rosemary Sutcliff's books when I was about ten - also recommend Geoffrey Trease and Henry Treece - so easy to mix up the surnames! I also loved historical fiction by Barbara Willard, Cynthia Harnett, Hester Burton, Barbara Leonie Picard, and Elizabeth Goudge.
Here is a link to an article about children's historical fiction - it brought back lots of memories for me, and might give you some ideas....
www.historicalnovelsociety.org/solander%20files/chf.htm

RosieMBanks · 14/01/2010 13:37

Oh and your DD might love Alison Uttley's 'A Traveller in Time' if she hasn't read it already?

Original poster
notanidea · 14/01/2010 14:03

yes she has read it and really enjoyed it. Rosie thanks for the link.lots of ideas there.My worry apart from the sex/violence is that is she the correct age to grasp all the details or whether worth waiting for another year so she can truly enjoy them .But I think no harm in trying with one book and see.

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Chaotica · 14/01/2010 14:18

There are some good Elizabethan RS books (can't remember their titles though). Cynthia Harnett is good, and Molly Hunter (The Stronghold, about the Picts in Orkney IIRC), if they're still in print.

wigglybeezer · 14/01/2010 14:19

I loved Rosemary Sutcliff but don't think i read any of the roman ones when I was your DD's age, but I do remember one about a young girl in the time of Henry the Eighth (called 'The armourer's House"), I loved it and wanted to change my name to 'Tamsyn' after the heroine.

seeker · 14/01/2010 14:27

My 8 year old has just finished The Eagle of the Ninth. He found it quite challenging emotionally, and it was a bit gory for him in places, but he loved it. We just had to talk about it quite a lot. With hindsight, I don't think I would have given it to him until he was 10 or so - I didn't re-read it, I just took it off the shelf and handed it over. But he is sensitive a wimp!

cory · 14/01/2010 21:00

No sex content in the Eagle of Ninth that I can remember, other than the fact that he asks the girl to marry him and come and live with him at this new farm at the end: I think a 9yo could probably handle that . The only violence really is at the beginning where the gladiator is nearly killed- but he is reprieved and becomes the hero's best friend.

The only Sutcliff I have read with anything approaching a sex content is Sword at Sunset, which is possibly for a slightly older child.

More emotional are Outcast and Warrior Scarlet (ds found that too challenging at 9).

MavisEnderby · 14/01/2010 21:04

rs is one of my favourite childrens writers.

A bit like comfort food i often dip back into her books now if in need of a bit of nostalgia/comfort.

Fantastic books

RosieMBanks · 14/01/2010 21:23

There is a fantastic site which has a very detailed bibliography (by Mary S. Moffat) of historical books for children - Rosemary Sutcliff is included, and there are plot summaries and books are listed by age groups...definitely worth a browse

sherbrooke.ndo.co.uk/s/h/sherbrooke.ndo.co.uk/web/bibliography/cont.htm

LadyGlencoraPalliser · 14/01/2010 21:32

Is she specifically interested in Rome? I do recommend K M Peyton's Minna's Quest and its sequels. A bit like Eagle of the Ninth but with a girl in the central role. If she liked Roman Mysteries I think she will love it.
Eagle of the Ninth and its sequels should be fine for a mature 9 year old but there is also Legions of the Eagle by Henry Treece which is probably slightly more accessible for that age.
And I also love Spartapuss which is completely bonkers and very funny.

Original poster
notanidea · 14/01/2010 22:58

Thanks ROsie - am a bit surprised that some of the Roman mysteries books are for young adults and she has read them.Very useful will use it in future.

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LadyGlencoraPalliser · 14/01/2010 23:02

Notanidea - I would not agree the Roman mysteries are for young adults at all. My DD read them all by 9/10 and I have read them all too. They are absolutely fine for that age group.
It is great that she wants to read Latin by the way. I run a Latin club at my DC's primary school and the children really enjoy it.

LadyGlencoraPalliser · 14/01/2010 23:04

Sorry, meant to say, I think the reviewer on the site Rosie linked to, though she obviously knows her stuff is a little overcautious about her age recommendations.

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