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Hunger Games?

33 replies

EnglishGirlApproximately · 27/07/2022 16:22

Ten year old DS has asked to read Hunger Games as one of his friends is reading it. My first instinct is a huge no, but I do have form for being over protective and strict! I can't remember the books as much as the films so wondered if that was putting me off. The parents of the child who's reading them is generally strict and sensible (she's a teacher too) so wondering if I'm out of step here.

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Allthecoloursoftherainbow · 27/07/2022 22:36

I think the books were aimed at Tweens/teens so he's not far off at 10. If you've seen the film's you'll know the themes and subject matter and you'll know your DS well enough to decide if he's mature enough for that or not. But if he's asking to read a decent trilogy I would err on the side of letting him!

AndAnotherTwo · 27/07/2022 22:40

It probably depends on the child. I was reading similar books like that at 10 but I wouldn't want DD to as she's quite sensitive, scares easily and suffers from nightmares anyway.

Death and killing features quite prominently in it and the world it plays in is very bleak and cruel. There is also a lot of sadness in the books. I think 10 is too early to make sense and cope with these heavy themes. (I read them as an adult)

Fireyflies · 27/07/2022 22:43

DD read them at 9 (year 5). I was a bit concerned about her reading them at that age but older DS had just read them and was raving about them so I read them alongside her so that we could talk about the content, which was really helpful I think. She absolutely loved them though. I enjoyed them too.

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Goldrill · 27/07/2022 22:46

My daughter read the first one when she was 10 and really enjoyed it. She's quite a sensitive flower but I think maybe doesn't have the life experience for it to seem extremely bleak- I suspect she is more tuned in to the immediate than the larger dystopia.

Not letting her watch the film yet though. Seeing it is harder to wipe.

AliMonkey · 27/07/2022 22:47

I was quite surprised when they read it at school in year 6 as otherwise I'd not have let them at that age. DH watched the films with them afterwards as not my sort of thing at all but the DC enjoyed them and didn't seem to be harmed by them.

KarmaComma · 27/07/2022 22:47

I loved reading as a kid and loved those sorts of dark, dystopian themes. I did grow up at end of Cold War though, so there were plenty of dark themes around - I watched when the wind blows pretty young and they all die slowly of nuclear fallout.

What is it exactly that's making you stop? Is it violence? Death? Mature theme? I don't think it would be for every 10 year old. I've tried to interest my kids into the hunger games, but they're not interested. But I know a few upper junior children who I think would love it, and some who I know have read it (I'm a teacher). I don't let my kids read everything, but I'd let them read hunger games and I'd probably want to chat to them about what they've read to discuss the bigger themes.

Jules912 · 27/07/2022 22:56

I think my 10 year old would find it too upsetting ( especially the third book), but I'm also aware that a lot of schools have it on the year 7 syllabus so 10 may be fine for a less sensitive child.
Saying that we've just read lord of the rings with him which is equally bleak thinking about it.

whatwouldAnnaDelveydo · 27/07/2022 23:01

My DS read it at about that age. I used it to discuss loads of things with him: Rome, the Gladiators, politics, mental health, social segregation, etc. Personally, I love the books and think they can be read in many different levels.

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EnglishGirlApproximately · 28/07/2022 11:45

Thanks for the responses. Its a long time since I read the books but I've watched the movies more recently, so maybe I'm imaging they're more graphic than they are. I think I'll re read the first one and decide from there.

He doesn't read much fiction so I don't want to miss an opportunity to get him reading if it is age appropriate!

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EnglishGirlApproximately · 28/07/2022 11:47

@KarmaComma its violence more than anything. We don't shy away from discussing things in the news with DS do he hasn't been sheltered from more adult themes, I'm just not sure about violence as entertainment at his age?

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Bramblecrumble21 · 28/07/2022 11:54

"I'm just not sure about violence as entertainment at his age." The hunger games books address this issue. It questions violence as entertainment, and societal inequality. So could be a good discussion point. As a book not TV, you don't get the viseral entertainment. I read it as secondary school though.

JanglyBeads · 28/07/2022 11:58

There's violence, sex, and abuse of all kinds - although a lot only implied. Especially as we learn more about the Capital. Pretty dark.

Better saved for about Y8, IMHO. Secondary school librarian.

Eightiesfan · 28/07/2022 12:26

It sounds like he only wants to read it because his friend is reading it. If his is a reluctant reader he might lose interest.

It’s a difficult situation, on one hand you are encouraging DS to read, but on the other you are saying no to a book he wants to read.

I am a firm believer that children will self-regulate, they might want to read certain books but if they are not suitable, they will almost always abandon it. I for one would rather they picked up 11 books and abandoned 10 of them rather than not reading anything at all.

KingscoteStaff · 28/07/2022 12:34

Very popular with my confident Year 6 readers. Violence is far less explicit in the books than the films.
Although I do have to warn them about the yucky kissing!

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EnglishGirlApproximately · 28/07/2022 13:07

@Eightiesfan he isn't a reluctant reader as such, he just isn't into fiction. He will read happily if its a subject hes interested in but I admit I'd love it if he found pleasure in fiction! Goid point aboutself regulating - he does that with movies and games so no reason to assume he wouldn't with a book.

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EnglishGirlApproximately · 28/07/2022 13:08

@KingscoteStaff oh that might actually make him less interested 😅

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TeenDivided · 28/07/2022 13:11

It was on the 'year 6 shelf' at DD's primary school iirc.

Zott · 28/07/2022 13:12

My DD read them age 13 and loved them. Has he read the Percy Jackson books by Rick Riordan, they are for his age group? I wouldn’t stop him reading the Hunger Games as all reading is good but maybe have a couple of alternatives from the library he could have alongside.

londonmummy1966 · 28/07/2022 13:20

DC read at 10 (Year 6) and enjoyed them but much preferred the Percy Jackson books (and those movies are less graphic) - perhaps see if he will read those. Also SImon Scarrow who writes adult Roman army novels also has a series for tweens which is good and a good lead into the adult books if he enjoys them.

seramum · 28/07/2022 13:24

My daughter read it at year 6. She got the book from the school library. Is your child good at separating fiction from reality? If so, my child had no problem reading the book, as "it's not real". A lot of the harder themes go over their heads. My daughter doesn't like violent novels, but she did enjoy this. She read it straight after reading the Harry Potter series.

grey12 · 28/07/2022 13:35

The books ARE more grownup but that doesn't mean your child will actually catch everything or realise everything.

Besides the full on murder of children for entertainment, it touches on prostitution, slavery, torture, MH, government issues......

That depends on you. Maybe you could read it together?

doodlywoodlydingdong · 28/07/2022 13:50

Maze runner may be a better start, less brutal. My kids all started into that, then The Knife Of never letting go and HungerGames.

MuffinMcLayLikeABundleOfHay · 28/07/2022 13:53

If he's not a keen fiction reader and he's actually asked to read it then I would tell him to read it!

It's a very popular year six book anyway.

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EnglishGirlApproximately · 28/07/2022 15:58

Thanks all I think we'll start it and see how he goes. We do still do bedtime stories so could start it that way. I'd say he can separate fact from fiction as well as expected for his age - and is quite mature so he may surprise me by enjoying fiction for once!

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JanglyBeads · 28/07/2022 16:21

Of course it's popular with ten/eleven year olds, it's got sex and violence in it.....