11 year old son told to read The Kite Runner for Christmas read

[Beetroot]

appropriate?

hmmm..not sure - I didn't rate it as highly as everyone else seems to..the rape bit and violence might be a bit much for 11 yr old

farkin 'ell thats a bit heavy.

It is not a literary read

there is a rape of a young boy in it...depends if you want him to read that.It isn't written explicitly though.
I found it quite harrowing so wouldn't want my 11 yr old reading it. I don't think.

I would say no, having just read it at age 36 and been harrowed by scenes of rape, execution and violence! It is an absolutely brilliant book but definitely an adult read IMO.

it was the later violence that I foundf a bit horrid rather than the rape which as you say ggirlsbells was very explicit..
not a great book really

I loved it but not suitable for an 11 year old.

Hmmm. just a thought...there is an older childrens book called the Kite Rider. Could DS have got the name muddled perhaps...? Kite Ruuner defnitely a bit heavy for an 11 year old boy I would say.

I found it quite harrowing also, not appropriate I think. I have come across some books written for childrehn which I found as an adult quite upsetting, eg scenes in Northern Lights, but wouldn't say children shouldn't read them. This, on the other hand is an adult book and the scenes referred to are realistic- they did/could happen. I would be inclined to ask the teacher about it.

have the school told him to read it then ?

suspect it The Kite Rider DS had it on his reading list when he started secondary

No is Kite Runner
He watched the film in the last week of term

I think it's highly likely to be the Kite Rider as others have cleverly spotted. It won the Carnegie Medal for children's fiction, and is pitched at the right age group. Can you phone and check? I worked at a small bookshop which supplied all the area's schools, and none have ever used the Kite Runner as a text, it is definitely an adult's book.

You say it's not a literary book, Beetroot - but DS1 is studying it at 6th form college for A-level English Lit!

perhaps but it is not that well written imo - a good yarn obviously

I haven't seen the film, but I have read the book. I loved it, it was so gripping, but also very upsetting.
If he has seen the film, he will be "forewarned"

Is he a mature, experienced, wordly 11yo?

i think its a heavy read for an 11 year old. thats all i meant. it wasn't a comment on anything else really.

the film is a 12 and is heavily edited imo

with all the fabulous childrens fiction out htere ist seems a strange option for Christmas read

BIWI am that Kite Runner is an A-level text - it's not even that well writtten

Beetroot people seem sure that it is kite Rider...

dd read kite runner at 13 ( yr 8) he teacher heard and encouraged others to follow suit

It is not the Kite Rider
He watched the film and she suggested follwoing this upwith the book
Neither of which I approve of.

13 uis different to 11
and ds1 read it this year at the age of 14

yes.....

i might ring the techer actually - almost fake it

'just checking that ds got this right...?'

yes that might be aN IDEA

this book is fab - showing oppression ect without the violence

Oops!

Thanks for this thread Beetroot. I meant to buy ds1 (11) the Kite Rider for Christmas, and realise I have actually bought the Kite Runner