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that describes river life or a river adventure, such as Huck Finn that would be appropriate for 9-12 year olds (closer to the young end of that spectrum than the old end).

 

(At what age *does* Huck Finn become appropriate? Dh recently reread it & said simply, "Not now!" I have a tendency to think everything I read in highschool or college would be fine for dc at any age because...I guess I compartmentalize the objectionable things from the main story line. :001_huh:)

 

A short story would be fine, too. Any river would work, but something by Twain would be cool.

 

TIA!

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that describes river life or a river adventure, such as Huck Finn that would be appropriate for 9-12 year olds (closer to the young end of that spectrum than the old end).

 

(At what age *does* Huck Finn become appropriate? Dh recently reread it & said simply, "Not now!" I have a tendency to think everything I read in highschool or college would be fine for dc at any age because...I guess I compartmentalize the objectionable things from the main story line. :001_huh:)

 

A short story would be fine, too. Any river would work, but something by Twain would be cool.

 

TIA!

 

"Paddle to the Sea" describes river life as well as that of the great lakes and then the sea.

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that describes river life or a river adventure, such as Huck Finn that would be appropriate for 9-12 year olds (closer to the young end of that spectrum than the old end).

 

(At what age *does* Huck Finn become appropriate? Dh recently reread it & said simply, "Not now!" I have a tendency to think everything I read in highschool or college would be fine for dc at any age because...I guess I compartmentalize the objectionable things from the main story line. :001_huh:)

 

A short story would be fine, too. Any river would work, but something by Twain would be cool.

 

TIA!

 

The Swallows and Amazons series. One of my personal favourites! :001_smile:

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Cold River was one of my favorite books when I was a child. It is a little intense in spots and there is a death, other than that it has similar content to My Side of the Mountain. It is a young person's survival story.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Cold-River-Signet-William-Judson/dp/0451166493

Edited by Onceuponatime
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that describes river life or a river adventure, such as Huck Finn that would be appropriate for 9-12 year olds (closer to the young end of that spectrum than the old end).

 

(At what age *does* Huck Finn become appropriate? Dh recently reread it & said simply, "Not now!" I have a tendency to think everything I read in highschool or college would be fine for dc at any age because...I guess I compartmentalize the objectionable things from the main story line. :001_huh:)

 

A short story would be fine, too. Any river would work, but something by Twain would be cool.

 

TIA!

Out of curiosity, why did dh say not now? We just listened to this in the car with all dc, and even my 6 yo enjoyed it. I don't mean that I think you should change your minds, I am just interested in his thought process, if you're willing to share...:001_smile:

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HF is a toughie, isn't it.

I held off on it, too.

My fairly classical GM from the Boston area gave it to me for my birthday when I was pretty young--10 or 11 maybe? I remember reading it and liking it. Then we studied it in 10th grade and I didn't like it nearly as much.

 

The funny thing is, rereading it as an adult, thinking of studying it with DD in 7th grade or so, I saw things that I just slid past when I read it before. The relentless use of the n-word was even worse than I remembered, but I had completely forgotten the tremendous domestic and civil violence, or it had gone unnoticed. I look back on this and think that I thought it was kind of normal. Now I'm appalled.

 

When I finally started reading it to DD, I told her that I can't say the N-word, and would substitute for it. Yet I wouldn't want them to change that text.

 

I could obsess about this for quite a while.

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HF is a toughie, isn't it.

I held off on it, too.

My fairly classical GM from the Boston area gave it to me for my birthday when I was pretty young--10 or 11 maybe? I remember reading it and liking it. Then we studied it in 10th grade and I didn't like it nearly as much.

 

The funny thing is, rereading it as an adult, thinking of studying it with DD in 7th grade or so, I saw things that I just slid past when I read it before. The relentless use of the n-word was even worse than I remembered, but I had completely forgotten the tremendous domestic and civil violence, or it had gone unnoticed. I look back on this and think that I thought it was kind of normal. Now I'm appalled.

 

When I finally started reading it to DD, I told her that I can't say the N-word, and would substitute for it. Yet I wouldn't want them to change that text.

 

I could obsess about this for quite a while.

 

I haven't actually read it in nearly 20 years, & I tend to have a snapshot memory of a book. I loved it when I read it as a sr in highschool *because* I loved the symbolism, etc.

 

Between the physical abuse, tragedy, etc--I can't remember specifically what he told me--HF was *completely* not for elem kids, in his opinion. I imagine highschool would be fine; middle school??? But certain things aren't open for discussion w/ him, &...since I tend toward dark taste, I try to go w/ his gut instead of mine when it comes to lit. :lol:

 

Anyway, I'm looking for something for geography, so there's no reason it needs to flirt w/ the confrontational or dark. Just life on a river. Or adventure on a river. Or something to illustrate all the stuff they're learning about how rivers work. :001_smile:

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In the book, Rat does call Mole an "a&&" a time or two, which I just chalk up to the time it was written, etc. but others might not feel that way.

 

Whoa. Ds read this years ago & loved it, but I had No. Idea. it needed pre-reading! :svengo:

 

Well...it obviously went over his head. :001_huh:

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Whoa. Ds read this years ago & loved it, but I had No. Idea. it needed pre-reading! :svengo:

 

Well...it obviously went over his head. :001_huh:

But it doesn't have the same connotations in Britain as in North America, and is found in much great British children's literature. This is easily explained to a child.
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But it doesn't have the same connotations in Britain as in North America, and is found in much great British children's literature. This is easily explained to a child.

 

I still haven't read it, & he didn't ask, so I don't know what the connotation is in WiW--a Shakespearean insult? ;)

 

If I'd known, I would have pre-read. Since I didn't...well...oh well. :001_smile:

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I still haven't read it, & he didn't ask, so I don't know what the connotation is in WiW--a Shakespearean insult? ;)
No, "silly ass" is akin to "silly donkey" and was not considered a profanity. A different word is used entirely as the equivalent for our anatomical meaning, and I have yet to come across in in classic British kids' lit.
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We also enjoyed Paddle to the Sea and Wind in the Willows

 

I'll add Naya Nuki

(Shoshoni girl escapes captors, and follows Missouri River to get home)

 

We have, but haven't read The River, by Gary Plausen.

 

Ds liked The River (and it's precursor Hatchet) around 11 or 12, but you need to know that it does have a number of swear words in it.

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Timely topic re: Huck Finn. A friend just sent me a newspaper clipping entitled "Censor Huck Finn?" (can't tell what paper--she cut that part off) explaining that Alan Gribben, a Mark Twain scholar, is trying to get a new edition of Huck Finn published with the racial epithets removed and replaced by the word "slave."

 

Other scholars feel that this santitization would not only ruin the setting's authenticity and its historical significance but also obscure the growth of the main character as he gradually leaves the racist preconceptions of his fellows behind and learns to accept his companion fully.

 

Also, Mark Twain fought any attempt at changing his prose. Here is a quote from him regarding the efforts of a proof-reader trying to change his punctuation: "I telegraphed orders to have him shot without giving him time to pray." I suppose, then, he would have an even worse fate doled out to those who suggested replacing some of his words and not just his commas and apostrophes!

 

The consensus in the article seems to be wait until middle-school or high school for the book. I let my son read it in 4th grade--concurrent with American history studies of the same period. I explained the differences in how such a word would be received today as compared to the time period in the book. I am sure he was in no way "damaged" by this reading.

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Timely topic re: Huck Finn. A friend just sent me a newspaper clipping entitled "Censor Huck Finn?" (can't tell what paper--she cut that part off) explaining that Alan Gribben, a Mark Twain scholar, is trying to get a new edition of Huck Finn published with the racial epithets removed and replaced by the word "slave."

 

Other scholars feel that this santitization would not only ruin the setting's authenticity and its historical significance but also obscure the growth of the main character as he gradually leaves the racist preconceptions of his fellows behind and learns to accept his companion fully.

 

I was torn about this (only because some districts have eliminated the book altogether to avoid the controversy) until I found out that "slave" was being substituted for all incidences of the offending word, regardless of whether it referred to slaves or freedmen. This "solution" now seems completely unworkable to me.
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Timely topic re: Huck Finn. A friend just sent me a newspaper clipping entitled "Censor Huck Finn?" (can't tell what paper--she cut that part off) explaining that Alan Gribben, a Mark Twain scholar, is trying to get a new edition of Huck Finn published with the racial epithets removed and replaced by the word "slave."

 

Other scholars feel that this santitization would not only ruin the setting's authenticity and its historical significance but also obscure the growth of the main character as he gradually leaves the racist preconceptions of his fellows behind and learns to accept his companion fully.

 

Also, Mark Twain fought any attempt at changing his prose. Here is a quote from him regarding the efforts of a proof-reader trying to change his punctuation: "I telegraphed orders to have him shot without giving him time to pray." I suppose, then, he would have an even worse fate doled out to those who suggested replacing some of his words and not just his commas and apostrophes!

 

The consensus in the article seems to be wait until middle-school or high school for the book. I let my son read it in 4th grade--concurrent with American history studies of the same period. I explained the differences in how such a word would be received today as compared to the time period in the book. I am sure he was in no way "damaged" by this reading.

 

I agree--I'm *totally* against censoring or editing it. I love the book. I just want to wait until the kids are ready for that level of emotion & complexity.

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