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Original poster

Any children's books you want to ban?

96 replies

pointydog · 21/04/2007 10:05

Do you try to stop your child coming into contact with books that you do not approve of? Are there any you ban from the house?

I know someone who does not want Horrid Henry in the house.

I think this is extreme.

OP posts:
Pruni · 21/04/2007 10:09

Message withdrawn

nearlythere · 21/04/2007 10:11

my mum never let me read or watch Watership Down!! thought i would be emotionally scarred

TooTicky · 21/04/2007 10:13

I have mixed feelings about Horrid Henry. On one hand, it's just a bit of fun. But on the other, the characters are too extreme and unbelievable and I think Henry is too nasty to Peter. And I think my ds1 has been influenced... But I don't ban them as I think this would make them more covetable. Although one night when I was in bed early, I could hear three separate HH audio books - dd1, ds1 and ds2 had one each. That was too much!!

As for other books, any film or television related books, just because they are so badly written.

DimpledThighs · 21/04/2007 10:14

don't like the idea of banning books - I disaude children from boks I think are rubbish and avoid all disney princess type stuff if possible but it's not banned.

What's so wrong with horrid henry?

madamez · 21/04/2007 10:21

Don't hold with censorship in any shape or form so can't agree that books or anything else should be "banned". I might choose not to buy something I thought was vile (though we have quite a few rubbish books brought by my mum - why are so many toddler books such semiliterate garbage?) but on the whole, as DS grows up, my approach would be more "well, can you see why some people don';t approve of this book? What do you think?" rather than Ban This Filth!

aDad · 21/04/2007 10:21

Piece of cake - by Jill Murphy

I like this series of books, about the Large family who are elephants. Suitable for ages 3+ I would say. But "piece of cake" is about Mrs Large feeling fat, so she puts the whole family on a diet.

Healthy food in it is presented as less nice than the non-healthy food etc. And I just don't see the benefit of introducing the concept of feeling fat and dieting in a book aimed at 3 or 4 year olds.

seeker · 21/04/2007 10:25

I don't have Horrid Henry in the house either. I also don't have Noddy and I agree about a Peice of Cake. Although Five Minutes Peace is one of our favourite books!

aDad · 21/04/2007 10:29

The others are good, I just found Piece of cake quite shocking really. So I hid it and then took it back to the library asap.

chocolattegirl · 21/04/2007 10:37

I wouldn't ban books outright as children will find a way of reading them anyway. I had the bulb removed from my bedroom light at night (plus the landing light!) and all printed matter from the bedroom but I still managed to read under the covers somehow .

filthymindedvixen · 21/04/2007 10:40

The Thomas the tank Engine Books. But that is for my own sanity after 9 years of continuous reading...

seeker · 21/04/2007 10:41

How about banning SATS revision books. Then dd might secretly read them under the covers........

October · 21/04/2007 10:45

Message withdrawn

chocolattegirl · 21/04/2007 10:47

Actually, I've just remembered that I did ban books for my dd - flap books from the library when she was about 3/4. She was more interested in lifting the flap than listening to or reading the story so I put my foot down.

Flamesparrow · 21/04/2007 10:49
Hmm
glitterfairy · 21/04/2007 10:53

My mum banned Enid Blyton when I was little and I have yet to ever read one. My kids read them though. I am anti banning things as well but.... there are limits I would not allow my kids to see certain films for example until they were old enough and some art I woudl show them but have to do a fair amount of explaining. I also think some plays are too old for them at certain ages. Perhaps not banning but there is a point to certain censorship with kids much as I hate the term.

Original poster
pointydog · 21/04/2007 11:05

agree with madamez. It's so limiting to ban something when you could find ways of talking about the issue or showing another point of view.

dimples, HH is seen as a bad role model by some and they think their children will copy him.

personally I think it's unlikely (in any serious sense)and it gets interesting if you talk about PP's point of view

OP posts:
Original poster
pointydog · 21/04/2007 11:07

I think parents sometimes make all sorts of assumptions about what their children will believe.

Or they hold their likes and values way above their children's.

OP posts:
Flamesparrow · 21/04/2007 11:10

talk to your children about why x,y,z is wrong. Don't just stop em knowing about it!!

Unprotected sex = bad move rather than abstinence = the only thing.

Blandmum · 21/04/2007 11:14

Do really like the thought of banning books but I hate jacquilne Wilson and try at all costs to get dd to pick something else

Pruni · 21/04/2007 12:20

Message withdrawn

suzycreamcheese · 21/04/2007 12:29

what is this? ..the taleban??......

lostinfrance · 21/04/2007 12:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

chocolattegirl · 21/04/2007 12:30

What's wrong with the Narnia books? You can always introduce your own favourite books to override them.

I keep being told that I 'should' read Lord of the Rings - I've tried and failed (along with War & Peace [roll eyes icon]). I wouldn't withhold it from my dd though.

suzycreamcheese · 21/04/2007 12:32

it is extreme..pointy..

let them like what they like..

..i think this is why alot of toys dont get played with when bought by adults who thinks child should like what they think it should like....

chocolattegirl · 21/04/2007 12:32

My Mum never approved of Judy Blume books for me - they seem pretty tame compared to pre-teenage literature nowadays.

I think that she was worried that I'd read Forever .

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