Is this suitable reading for a yr 5 child?

[mynaughtylittlesister]

Or am I being a bit sensitive?

DD brought her new reading book home yesterday,(hands up I didn't hear her read ) Tonight she read to me and bearing in mind she is 10. Her reading book said a good number of times about this boy who had started to stick his middle finger up, to a) his Mother, b) A little old lady. Etc. Didn't like this much, but know that other children use it. (Just thought Hmm could have used different ways of expressing himself.)

The next thing that really upset me was the language or should I say swearing! He described himself as dipshit.

She has only got to Chapter 6 and I have told her to stop reading the book. Will I look a fool if I go into Sch tomorrow and bring it to their attention?

I do know she will read stuff literature in Secondary Sch, but she will be older then.

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But you see I don't understand why this is rushing them into adulthood?

How a 10 y-o reads a book is different to how a 14 y-o reads a book. The 10 yo may not understand stuff, some may go way over their heads, they may be shocked and surprised, they may even be frightened. In which case they will probably put the book down with a shiver and think 'that was weird' and not pursue it.

I think it's a classic censorship argument to say that books have a corrupting influence on young minds. I don't believe that to be the case.

But also it really depends on the 10 y-o doesn't it? And I suppose 10 is different from 6, in quite a lot of ways. My dd is six and if she was my only one, I think I'd be thinking 'Oh no, I don't want her to read this at 10' but when she's 10, and depending on what she's like - perhaps I wouldn't be so bothered by it? Like I am now, not so bothered by it for ds1.

ahundredtimes

sorry for hijack

do you have a paddington bag? do you know how many sizes it comes in? are there 2 or 3? i know t heres is the regualr size, and themini size, is therea new alrger size?

sorry again for hijack

Naily - no I have the Edith bag. But I think the paddington does come in different sizes. Do you have a thread?

And also then you see Doodle where do you stop?

Do you say I don't want my 7 y-o to know that children are orphaned by an evil force and left to grow up in a cupboard under the stairs?

Do you say I don't my 7 y-o to know about children's homes and social workers so they shan't read Tracy Beaker or to know about bed and breakfasts and unemployment so they shan't read The Suitcase Kid?

Where do you stop?

policywonk here mentioned you ahd a paddington.

ther are so many fakes out there. i saw one in a second hand shop and its a fake i think.

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Her teacher would want you to tell her about the book so she can get rid of it I'm sure.

My SIL, who's a teacher,says that although they don't have enough time to go through all the books sifting out inappropriate ones, she welcomes parents to tell he so she can chuck it.

Weird. It's one of those words!

No, she musn't get rid of it. That's an outrageous suggestion. He's a wonderful writer for older children.

i would go and speak to her teacher and ask what the reaction would be if your dd or one of the other kids in the class used that word out loud. I guarantee it would be unacceptable, then ask if it's acceptable in written language etc... this should prove your point succinctly.

I am anticipating DD1 reading just about anything she fancies, theme-wise, in three years' time. Ten isn't a baby.

Why should she have that conversation with the teacher? You are being way too precious about this.

When ds1 brought home that Robert Muchamore book with swearing in, and he told me it had swearing in I said to him 'are you enjoying the book? Do you realize that if you swear here, at school or just about anywhere other than in the privacy of your own room you will be in trouble?'

And he said, 'yes, I do' and then rushed off with the book.

Children are not idiots.

I'm completely with motherinferior

In fact, I'm surprised at the choices that my 11 year old makes when she buys or borrows books - I've been known to buy books for her that she says are "too old" for her and she saves them for a year or so and then reads them

I will admit I slightly prise my copies of Val McDermid's more psychopathic thrillers out of DD1's seven-year-old fingers

Anne of Green Gables was a favourite of my dd1, and me...child taken from orphanage by brother and sister who really wanted a boy to do all the work... Bit of a Jacqueline Wilson start for a book!

I did pop in and see DDs teacher this morning and just politely asked if she could skip this book. She asked why and I explained. She was very understanding and said she would have a word with the Librarian. They were fantastic, we did about what book for one child may not be suitable for another, and although DD is one of the eldest in her class and is a free reader, that doesn't mean that she is mature enough for such literature. She is a very young 10 yr old and at the moment I am not in any hurry for her to grow up! She has plenty of time when she goes to senior school to read such things and then hopefully she will be old enough to understand and appreciate.

I think it's suitable, yes. I presume she's a pretty good reader. Sachar's not that easy for primary kids.

Today I was with a reading group of 10/11 year olds and their task had been to pick ten Wonder Words - ones they liked, didn't understand etc. One lad offered 'arse'. He picked it because it made him laugh. We all dealt with it in a perfectly sensible way. There are a couple of rude words in the book but it's a fine book.

I find it rather sad to react to two sweary words rather than reacting to Louis Sachar. But I appreciate that is sometimes people's main concern.

It probably depends on the level of maturity of the child. I just can't imagine my dd a year ago (age 10) confusing the swearing or other actions of a character in a book with anything that might be appropriate for her to do. She would have been much more likely to have discussed the character delineation and plot with me.

She is now (at 11) reading the grown-up classics, like Pride and Prejudice and Pied Piper. Not because I have hothoused her but because she is naturally mature and has outgrown Tracy Beaker. The only Jacqueline Wilson she has read lately is Kiss, which deals (I believe) with young homosexuality. She has reached puberty and I can see that she is becoming interested in questions of relationships etc (but so far, only theoretically).

She wanted me to complain to her teacher about the babyish level of her school reading material, but I couldn't see the point, as she can go down to the public library on her own.

So from the point of the teacher, it must be quite confusing to keep track not only of the exact level of maturity of each child in a class of 30, but also to have an idea of what their parents might consider suitable.

Wouldn't like it.It's sad as there is so much great literature out there.As tortoiseshell said.

Louis Sachar considered great literature by mnay

Teacher did not find me being unreasonable or out of order. She understood that every child has a different level of maturity, and even thou DD reads with great expression etc, doesn't mean to say that her maturity level is of a teenager!

We both agreed that every child is different. I agree with the amount of great literature that is around its a shame to use such books as these. BUT then saying that, I am very aware that sometimes certain words are needed to add impact because "oh dear you naughty boy!" just doesn't cut it!

Ds is nearly nine and we are pretty free with reading material. I'll be honest and say we steer him away from Chris Ryan for kids (really ) and stuff with a lot of explosive violence in. Not bothered by language per se.
Good teen writing, like Louis Sachar, Robert Muchamore, Jamila Gavin, Melvin Burgess & co, he can wait a couple more years for IMO.
We are encouraging quite a bit of vintage fiction at the mo. Rosemary Sutcliffe and Paul Berna both have strong, challenging plotlines, great characters, and don't shy away from difficult situations and heartache.
I was a terror at his age for raiding my parents' bookcase. I had read some very unsuitable stuff on the sly - DH Lawrence, Suetonius' The Twelve Caesars, George Orwell, Erich von Daniken and even some dubious seventies smutty books. So I suspect it's only a matter of time before he gets started on the John Updike...