Inappropriate school books, or am I a prude?

[PalindromemordnilaP]

10yo DS (year 5) has brought home another school book today that I think is a tad 'mature' for his age group.

It's Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. It has words like "shit", "piss", "bollocks", "bugger-loving arse humper" in it.

This has happened a couple of times before where the themes of a school reading book are a bit 'much' and previously I let the teacher know, but I'm now thinking, maybe I'm being a prude and this is a completely appropriate book for a child, soon to be in Y6?

I'm not going to the school this time, just reading the book quickly myself, so I can discuss it with DS. DS has to do an accelerated reader quiz, once he's finished the book.

So my questions:

1. Would you think this appropriate for the age group in question?

2. Teachers - how do you decide was is appropriate for your class?

I would not have this in my class (Y4). If I were you I would mention it. Chances are it’s just slipped through the net.

I would have assumed it had just slipped through the net if it was the only one, but we've previously had similar books. The Curious Incident of a Dog in the Nighttime was the one that I spoke to school about.

DS says lots of his friends have read this book and he doesn't want me "showing him up" by speaking to the teacher about it.

Accelerated Reader has it categorised as UY which means age 14+, so it is worth mentioning.

I think it’s one of those that looks a bit Harry Potter-ish, but is probably for a slightly older audience. I would mention it as perhaps the school haven’t realised?

So that's 3 votes for me not being a prude. Thanks.

Does anyone disagree?

I've suggested to DS that the more mature thing for him to do, might be for him to bring it to the attention of the teacher.

I’d mention it, but without kicking off.

Its one of those books that looks appropriate but maybe isn’t and will likely have just been out in the library innocently as a chapter book for good readers.

I think the Harry Potter books are part of the problem. The later Harry Potter books are quite sweary and are also classed age 14+, but the relentless barrage of publicity for them means children tend to be allowed/expected to read them much younger in primary than they otherwise would. It’s not that the other books are pitched at an older age than Harry Potter, it’s that Harry Potters have been normalised for young children.

Nope, not my first choice for a 10 year old must admit.

bugger-loving arse humper however did catch my attention. Not sure I would get away with using that in the office without a chat with HR but maybe I have misread this.

Bugger loving arse humper???? Um, no.

I get the Accelerated Reader system but why would that book even be in a primary school? Odd!

DS was 6 and came home with a book at his AR level which was about a school shooting…… definitely vetoed that one!

But they don’t actually swear, they just say “he swore” or use a silly wizard word.

I wouldn’t be happy op and I used to teach. Tell the teacher and just be honest. You can say you don’t want to make a big fuss. There is no way you will be the only concerned parent!

bugger-loving arse humper maybe ask the teacher how they would explain the meaning of this in an age appropriate manner.

I would be horrified if my child came home with a book like that at primary school. If those words were used in a film, I wonder what age rating it would be given. Definitely mention it!

I'd not have it in my Year five class
Is it from the school library though...and not been noticed ?

It's on list of 100 books that they want the children to have read as many as possible of over year 5/6 so definitely not a rogue copy in the library. This list was sent home to parents at the beginning of Y5 and they get awards for having reached certain numbers of reads from the list.

Don't worry, I wouldn't kick off at the teachers. I genuinely wasn't sure whether it was just me being over-protective.

We have chosen some quite mature books at home to read with DS, but I think it's important that we read them together and discuss, as we now will do with this book.

Another vote for YANBU. Why on earth would that be considered suitable for a ten-year-old? What happens when he asks what a bugger-loving arse humper is? It's a bit different from teaching dch that sometimes people fancy others who are the same sex as them. The more I think about it the more I am angry that this book is in a primary school.

That book is quite dark for YA book. Especially the later ones.

i’d say age 13+ If not adult.

Secondary school teacher here - no you’re definitely not being a prude!

I would not be happy with that.
One swear word then maybe but that is really inappropriate.

I’d be definitely having a word about that one.

The movie that was made after the book is a PG-13. DD saw it a lot younger and loved it and I don't remember the arse bugger thing being in it. Then again I don't remember them from the books either,but I read them a very long time ago.

They are really good books and movies with A LOT to talk about, just maybe not right now.

What probably happened is that the book got donated (we get some really weird stuff sometimes) and whomever put it out either hasn't read it or forgot the inappropriate bits(like I did) and just thought "oh that kids movie" without checking age rating.

Thanks for all of the input.

DS has decided that he'll let the teacher know the contents of the book tomorrow and if he doesn't, I'll mention it.

I definitely agree with you! I wouldn't expect that level of bad language. The odd 'bloody" maybe, but nothing more.

I used to have the task of labelling all my primary school books up for accelerated reading (was a TA) and then source a lot more to cover the gaps. I wasn’t allowed to buy any out of the interest range of the primary school. If they needed harder books, you could generally go for classics which had more advanced language but still age appropriate. The harder job was finding lower ability books that weren’t aimed at much younger children.

This looks like the school haven’t got a handle on the accelerated age ranges. I’d bring it up.

I did have one parent complain that Captain Underpants wasn’t appropriate for their 8 year old because it said ‘poopy-pants.’ 🤷🏼‍♀️

*accelerated reader age ranges.

Do NOT Google bugger-loving arse humper

www.google.com/search?q=bugger-loving+arse+humper&rlz=1C9BKJA_enGB758GB761&oq=bugger-loving+arse+humper&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i546l3.805j0j7&hl=en-GB&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8

I was thinking this, too. Being very much the HP generation and having practically memorised the lot, I can confirm one incidence of: “Not my daughter, you bitch!” (Mrs Weasley to Bellatrix Lestrange) and a handful of: “Bloody” from Ron and Hagrid. Now… I expected to read the OP and get on my liberal, progressive high horse about children not being the delicate darlings we think they are. But actually I would take this off the shelves at primary. Secondary, yes, but the ‘bugger-loving arse humper’ quote sounds like a homophobic slur to me.