Reading 'Cuckoo in the Nest' by Michelle Magorian, is it an adult or a teen book?

[KatyMac]

DD is insisting it is suitable for her - so I read it to see

I absolutely love it

I don't think I have any problem with DD reading it - but whether she will understand it

Has she written anything else

i LOVE Michelle Magorian!

she wrote Goodnight Mr Tom

A Spoonful of Jam

A Little Lovesong (bit more adult that one)

and a new one that I've read recently and can't remember the title...something Henry?

beautiful stories with lots of historical detail

she wrote goodnight mister tom didn't she? - that was my favourite book when I was 10.

oh and also Back Home which i think is my favourite - girl returning home to England after 5 years evacuated to America

DD liked Goodnight Mr Tom - but again I am not sure she 'got' it all

i don't think she needs to "get" it all, if she liked it and you consider it suitable, then i wouldn't worry

There are some vague references to homosexuality but it is really well written

I am quite happy for her to read it & hope she loves it

why would it worry you about having references to homosexuality in it? unless it is graphic why should that be a problem anymore than if it was explicitly sexual?

It's the only (slightly possible) reason for unsuitability in some people's eyes

Apart from that nothing even vaguely sexual

I just don't think she would understand that & the extreme poverty they live in

My DC have just finished Just Henry by her, and they both said it was one of the best books they'd read. They're 12 and 13, BTW.

Oh good I'll see if I can get any more of hers out of the library (for me not DD )

My way of thinking is that - if she's lucky enough not to have experience of extreme poverty herself, then how else is she going to understand it other than reading good novels that are concerned with it, or any other issue that she doesn't have personal experience of?

I loved MM when I was a teenager and I do still reread Back Home for comfort! I might be tempted to get this one from the library...

Hmm - I think I agree with you