My yrs 2 child has just bought home a reading book about world war twp

[chocoholic05]

Its called war children ans and most of it seems ok and educational talking children in the war etc. However there is a big section that explains in detail about the Holocaust and what it was and the horrors of it. I just think he's too young. Year 5 or 6 maybe even a little younger but not yet imo. . He knows about the second World War. My grandad is 93 and often talks about what he did in the war. Ds1 is currently playing outside the reading book discarded so he's unaware of any of this. What do others think?

Sorry for the typos! Should be talking about the children in the war!

Yes they should be aware of what happened. They won't fully understand it at that age but there's no reason not to start learning about it in year 2. Reading books sent home should be read with the parent so you will be able to talk it through with them and explain things in a way you feel appropriate.

Speak to the school, if he ahead with reading he's probably picking from the older children's section.

DD bought home a biography of an old screen siren, which detailed her divorces, diet pill addiction and subsequent breakdown. She was in year 2

He's a free reader so doesn't always read with me now. IIn fact the notes in the book encourages independent reading. Also because he's a free reader he chooses the books himself now.

No, a yr2 child shouldn't be sent home with a book containing details of the Holocaust without any prior preparation etc. I'd definitely speak to the teacher.

Hello chocoholic.

When my 2 ds were at school there were several occasions when they brought books home that I found unsuitable.
What I did was try to get dc to read the book quickly to me, giving a vague explanation of words they didn't understand that also may not be the sort of thing I'd want them knowing about etc. I do think its important they learn about the holocaust, what does it say that you don't like?

I think it's important they learn about the Holocaust too. And they do get taught it years 5 or 6. It's the detail of it I don't like. It seems totally inappropriate for a child of his age

I would just talk to the teacher about it. They probably don't know, and might decide to keep this book for older year groups.

This happens to us every so often - I think it's quite common with children reading ahead, and the teachers don't always vet every detail of the book. But we just return the book the next day, and explain politely that we didn't think it was appropriate, and that's always fine.

ds is in year 1 and had one earlier this year with extracts from Anne Frank and zlatas diary. I was fine with it. we talked about war, about current conflict, we talked about how there were some people who did bad things but lots of people who did their best to help.

I would look at the book with him and skip through the pages about the holocaust but explain that it existed. I agree that Yr2 is too young for the detail that often is included in these books, especially photographs. If it is photo acceptable then I would briefly look at it with him and explain it is something he will learn more about when he is older. If the photos aren't suitable then to be honest I would either skip those pages or the whole book if it is too difficult to split them out.
my daughters will know about it as their grandfather was one of the troops to liberate Belsen but also there were distant family members in it including some very famous ones so they will learn about it but not in detail at that age. Do whatever feels right to you and I am sure the school won't mind if you say it wasn't suitable.

You've said he's a free reader so he chooses the books himself. Which means the teacher won't know what he's chosen. And as a free reader I would also assume he's advanced for his age so he's choosing books from the same area as KS2 children, for whom it would be appropriate. You can't have it both ways - either he's on the reading scheme and having books chosen for him, or he's off the reading scheme and choosing books himself, which are sometimes inappropriate. That's one of the skills he's learning - to choose appropriate books.

There was a thread on here over the weekend about the importance of all year 2 children reading with an adult regularly, free reader or not. That's your opportunity to talk to him about what he's reading and give it a context.

What do you mean I can't have it both ways? He is as he is :-)

I'll go against the grain and say it wouldn't bother me. Certainly by the end of year 2 mine were acquainted with ann frank etc

MY experience of 3 kids reading way ahead of age is that if they weren't pushed to finish a book, if it was too adult/unpleasant for them they would stop reading and put the book aside.

They understood what they read on a level with their experience/age too, so for instance reading about soldiers shot in WW1 they envisaged bodies with a very sanitised little bullet hole in the head or heart, not the mud drowning, dismembered , not quite dead yet, screaming boys that I, as an adult see when reading about the trenches .

I think, for most kids there is a big (thank goodness) gulf between being able to read words, knowing what they mean, and the real implications of all of it.

Does that sound daft?

We were expected to read with the kids even up to year 6, at least sometimes too.

DD brought home the same book in Y2. SHe goes to an infants school so there is no older children for the book to be aimed at.

I would have absolutely no problem with reading this book with my DD.

The issue is that she often reads her reading book at school, or on her own at home. It was pure luck that the day she brought this particular boko home, they'd had no time to read at school and I spotted the title of the book and flipped through and read it before she had a chance.

TBH she found it hard going (even the non-Holocaust bits) - I don't think it needs to be in with KS1 books at all. I had a word with the school literacy coordinator and she agreed with me that it shouldn't be freely available for that agechildren to just pick up randomnly.

I think there is a difference though between knowing about Anne Frank and seeing what potentially MAY (don't know, haven't seen the book) be unsuitable pictures. My daughters know who Anne Frank is and they are only 4 and 5 but they know it at their level. They know that bad things happen but they don't need to see the photos for a long time yet. My daughter is an advanced reader and so far we haven't had any problems with the books. She is on book band 11 in reception but the only one I had to stop her reading was one about dragons of all things because she was scaring herself! (odd child). I know that certainly up to the end of Yr1 they have a restricted set of books to choose from because they are in a different building so don't go to the normal library. not sure what happens in yr2 but if they go to the library then I suspect there is a chance they will pick something unsuitable without realising it.

I don't think it is anyone's fault it has happened but I do think the OP should put a note in that the book wasn't suitable for her son and then the staff can possibly review what years it is available. some schools have certain shelves children can choose from so it shouldn't be hard if they do that to restrict it to older ones.

I have posted on this book before. My yr1 child brought it home. It's an Oxford RT book. I have discussed some of these issues with my 6 yr old (including the holocaust) but I think 'the final solution' isn't a great topic for discussion at this age.

Partly describing it and talking about it with this age group diminishes the horror which is age appropriate but not appropriate to the subject matter. So I'm torn. It is a very graphic book I think aimed at older children.

I have just finished speaking to my mum and mentioned it to her and she can't really say he's too young because as she was born just after the war she can never remember not knowing about it. In fact one of her old teachers was a Holocaust survivor with the tattoos on her arm.

as she was born just after the war she can never remember not knowing
^This.

My children were raised in a half-Jewish family, so they, too, never 'didn't know'.

It does seems wrong for a child to know about WWII without knowing about the Holocaust. Quite misleading, actually.

Obviously one wants to be age-appropriate with the more gruesome images, but most young kids, unless you force-feed them, tend to interpret information according to their age level.

Do you have a link to this book? What's the full title?

I'd say it depends on the emotional level of your child. Dt1 would be fine with it - he's 5 and has already asked me about war, life after death, the prison system etc, he's very matter of fact about it all as he's ata black and white stage and emotionally very much 5. Dt2 would be upset by this as she'd feel it, she's less egocentric and empathises very well with others.
I can't imagine the pictures would be too graphic?

From what I can remember my dc read excerpts form AF diary during y2 and more during Y3. They also read The Boy in the striped pyjamas in y6.
I didn't remember this but last time the thread came up about age appropriateness for this book, I asked them.
I think when they are little it shouldn't be too graphic but as they get older they should learn the lot.

My dd is in our 4 and has chosen to do her project about Anne Frank. This mean that ds in yr 1 is hearing a lot about the war and holocaust. He has asked lots of questions and I'm glad we can talk about it. I think that I wouldn't want him to read a book alone about it (not that he is able). I'd mention to the teacher.
dd brought home books in yr3 that were not appropriate. Yes she could read them but I mentioned to the teacher who kept an eye on what she was choosing.

From memory, I thought the pictures were graphic. One of a pile of bodies and it explicitly mentioned 'the final solution' in the text.

I grew up knowing about the holocaust too, as have my children. To go into too much detail at a young age diminishes the horror. The book doesn't not shy away from the realities which is good but it isn't a book a child of 5 or 6 should read alone. Anne Frank is quite different material, no less tragic but told from a different perspective.

I believe actually we teach Anne Frank too young anyway because it's only as we age that the tragedy of the loss of her liberty and then her life in the wider context can be truly understood.

if it has graphic pictures then I really feel it is wrong at that age.

I went to Anne Frank's house when I was 16 and although I had studied the book and read it years before that the fact I wasn't much older than she had been made it hit home even more. I agree that it ought to be covered at an older age, not because it isn't suitable in yr5 or whatever but because like 2468Motorway has said, it is understood at a different level.

I spoke to ds1 teacher and she agreed and said that she had spoken to him about it yesterday and explained it was a bit too old for him and asked him to change it buthe oobviously hadn't.