7-year-old and "The Hunger Games"

[jenbrdsly]

Would you let your 7 year old read The Hunger Games? My answer would be no, it's too scary.

 

That's why I moved it to the garage.

 

Am I out of line?

[Rivka]

No. Absolutely not. It's not about how good a reader she is - it's about whether she's ready to wrestle with those ideas. No.

[raceNzanesmom]

No. Absolutely not. It's not about how good a reader she is - it's about whether she's ready to wrestle with those ideas. No.

 

:iagree:

[Ali in OR]

Heavens no. Dystopian lit is not for 7 year olds.

[AK_Mom4]

Drat. I misread the poll question and voted backwards.

 

I would NOT let my kids at 7yo read the Hunger Games strictly because of the content. Mature ideas.

 

There are lots of good challenging books with less yuck.

[nukeswife]

I voted other, because my 7 year old isn't capable of reading it himself, but he has listend to the audiobook with his older siblings and seen the movie.

[Mommy22alyns]

Nope, I would not let either girl read it yet.

[Julie Smith]

Would you let your 7 year old read The Hunger Games? My answer would be no, it's too scary.

 

That's why I moved it to the garage.

 

Am I out of line?

 

I think your poll might not work out so well. Because you title asks,

"Is a 7-year-old too young for "The Hunger Games"?"

and the actual poll question is,

"Would you let your 7 year old read The Hunger Games?"

 

 

So the answer to the poll title is;

YES. a 7-year-old is too young for "The Hunger Games"?

and to the actual question of the poll my answer is

NO. I would not let my 7 year old read The Hunger Games.

[AnIslandGirl]

Our DD8 (profoundly gifted), loved the Hunger Games! Just last month after she finished the trilogy, I posted about her request...

She submitted a research proposal to study in her words, "The correlation of Utopian ideals in the Elizabethan era to that of the post-communist world and it's effect on modern society." She asked me to find her a few books that may be "light-reading" on the topic. Are you for real!? She's only 8 years old, and I can't keep up now!

 

I voted other, as it completely depends on the child and their maturity/ comprehension level.

[jenbrdsly]

I think your poll might not work out so well. Because you title asks,

"Is a 7-year-old too young for "The Hunger Games"?"

and the actual poll question is,

"Would you let your 7 year old read The Hunger Games?"

 

 

So the answer to the poll title is;

YES. a 7-year-old is too young for "The Hunger Games"?

and to the actual question of the poll my answer is

NO. I would not let my 7 year old read The Hunger Games.

 

 

You are sooooooooo right!:tongue_smilie:

[momtoamiracle]

no.

 

I'm an adult and won't read them.

[deacongirl]

My dd11 is PG as well, but she still does not want to read this book, which in her case is probably best. It would be an extremely unusual 7 yr. old who is emotionally mature enough for that book. And a kid could be emotionally mature but still highly sensitive, in which case it could be too disturbing.

[regentrude]

Sorry, I voted wrong: I voted "no" becasue I had read THIS question:

 

Would you let your 7 year old read The Hunger Games?

 

but did not read that the poll was asking the exact opposite.

ETA: I just saw that many others made the same mistake.

 

I do not consider this an appropriate book for a 7 year old, even a strong reader, so YES, I think 7 is too young.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I think your poll might not work out so well. Because you title asks,

"Is a 7-year-old too young for "The Hunger Games"?"

and the actual poll question is,

"Would you let your 7 year old read The Hunger Games?"

 

 

So the answer to the poll title is;

YES. a 7-year-old is too young for "The Hunger Games"?

and to the actual question of the poll my answer is

NO. I would not let my 7 year old read The Hunger Games.

 

Oh. I said that Yes - a 7 year old is too young for the Hunger Games. It is not just because it is scary - it is because it is way too mature in subject matter for that age.

[LucyStoner]

I voted wrong too. I think the Hunger Games is way, way, way out of the question for my children at age 7. My son is nine and I am still a hell to the no on this. He is a very strong reader and is profoundly gifted but still not ready for the violence. He is very sensitive to violence.

 

Heck, I'm not sure I am old enough for the Hunger Games.

Edited November 5, 2012 by kijipt

[SproutMamaK]

I'm not even sure if I voted wrong or right because I'm not sure which way is right, lol.

 

But no, my 7 year old would not have access to the Hunger Games. I'm trying to figure out how that conversation would go. "We're going to have to turn this movie off now honey, because the kids have started killing each other. And stop looking at your brother that way." :lol:

[jenL]

I voted NO because 7 is way too young to read this series. I'm trying to wrap my brain around my 9.5 asking to read it (btw, I told him no, not yet since I believe he's still too young for this topic - there's plenty of time to grow up and discuss another example of the bad side of human nature).

[Georgiana Daniels]

No. There's too much that's inappropriate and a 7 year old is likely to miss the underlying messages, anyway.

 

There are many years in the future for this voracious young reader to pick it up when they can process it.

[Nakia]

I voted wrong. :glare:

 

I would not let my almost 7 or 9 year olds read the book or watch the movie. I'm shocked that some people would, but that's up to them.

[Slipper]

I voted wrong as well. I wouldn't let my 7 yr old read it.

[Scrub Jay]

My 7 year old could read it and is very mature for her age but I still think she is too young.

[dangermom]

Certainly not. My daughter was nearly 12 when I let her read it (under some protest--I believe I said "Fine, but if you have nightmares it's not my fault!") and I wasn't all that thrilled.

[Guest submarines]

So 37% will passionately let their 7 year olds read it, or the results are skewed because of the poll question? I'd like to see a better worded poll, because now I'm curious. :D

[myfunnybunch]

Oops. I voted No based on the question in the post (Would I let a 7 y.o. read it?), then realized the poll question was different (Is 7 too young?).

 

My real answer:

No, I would not let a 7 y.o. read The Hunger Games.

Yes, 7 is too young.

 

Cat

[Truscifi]

I would not let ds read it now, and he is about to turn 9. However, I could have read it at that age and would have been fine, so I guess it depends on the child.

[momtokea]

I didn't read carefully and I voted wrong. No, a 7 year old is too young for The Hunger Games.

 

ETA: still read it wrong. Yes, a 7 year old is too young for THG. No I would not let him read it.

I voted no, but I should have voted yes. Sorry I messed up your poll.

[joannqn]

I think your poll might not work out so well. Because you title asks,

"Is a 7-year-old too young for "The Hunger Games"?"

and the actual poll question is,

"Would you let your 7 year old read The Hunger Games?"

 

 

So the answer to the poll title is;

YES. a 7-year-old is too young for "The Hunger Games"?

and to the actual question of the poll my answer is

NO. I would not let my 7 year old read The Hunger Games.

 

:iagree:

 

I voted no, as in no a 7 year old should not be reading The Hunger Games. It is too violent and has themes that even bright, accelerated, gifted 7 year olds wouldn't necessarily understand.

[jenbrdsly]

So 37% will passionately let their 7 year olds read it, or the results are skewed because of the poll question? I'd like to see a better worded poll, because now I'm curious. :D

 

 

Me too. Somebody else start the poll because I'm obviously a horrible pollster.

 

:lol:

[nmoira]

I've only just "officially" cleared the trilogy for my advanced 10yo. I wouldn't have stopped her previously, but I did tell her I didn't think she was ready. It's not any more gruesome than a good, bloody mythology book, but there's enough going on under the surface politically and philosophically -- and the ending is so bleak -- that I think it's best to wait for a certain degree of emotional maturity. Yes, it can be an intense read, but nothing in it made me feel as horrible in a kicked-in-the-gut sense as I did for Lyra at the end of The Golden Compass.

[Mom23Boys]

I misread the poll and voted backwards. No, I would not let my 7 read The Hunger Games. Or see the movie.

[Amy in NH]

I misread the poll and voted backwards. No, I would not let my 7 read The Hunger Games. Or see the movie.

 

:iagree: Me too. I thought I was voting for the question in the original post: "Would you let your 7 year old read The Hunger Games?"

[Homemama2]

I voted wrong too....I meant to vote that I would NOT let a seven yr old read it.

[Sahamamama]

You might want to start all over again with the question and the poll. It is very unclear, and that probably has skewed the results.

 

No, I would not let my 7 year old read The Hunger Games (or any other dystopian novel). But she loves Heidi and Milly-Molly-Mandy! :D

 

Then again, I might not ever "let" my children read that book. Why? What is the value of it? I don't like all the dark books that are supposedly popular with children and teens these days.

[ccolopy]

I would not have let my kids read The Hunger Games at 7. DS read it just before he turned 10 and loved it, so I think that's the earliest I would let DD read it as well.

[caroljenn]

I've read all the books and saw the movie, and recommended to my SIL that she NOT let my 11 year old niece read them yet. There is a lot of violence and cruelty in the books, and 99% of 7 year olds (and most 11 year olds) wouldn't "get" it anyways. There is no sense in letting them read this stuff if they don't understand why all of these events are happening. It would just be violent and cruel with no logical reason why.

 

I voted to not let dd read the book.

[Parrothead]

My uber sensitive 7-year old would not have been able to read them. Now at 13 she isn't quite as sensitive but I put felt the need to put Anne Frank on the back burner. I can't let her read HG right now.

[Elizabeth in MN]

I let my eleven year old read the series and was surprised when she actually got everything in the books. There is no way I'd let her seven year old self read the books, though. We had a hard enough time with the Harry Potter series!

[Excelsior! Academy]

Nope. Not for 7 yo's.

 

I let dd 15. Then later let dd 12 now 13. I refused to let dd 10 almost 11. Gifted or not I don't want to discuss a lot of the issues with my younger children. I do think they are valuable reading, just not at their current ages and maturity levels.

[Jennifer in MI]

I think I voted wrong too! My then-11 yo read them and LOVED them. I let him watch the movie too. I think that would be the youngest I'd allow. But, you know your kid!

[SFM]

No. Absolutely not. It's not about how good a reader she is - it's about whether she's ready to wrestle with those ideas. No.

:iagree:

[Slartibartfast]

I let my eleven year old read the books but I don't think I would permit a seven year old to do so.

 

My only real objection would be the violence.

 

I also voted incorrectly. :lol:

Edited November 5, 2012 by Sis

[DaffodilDreams]

When I voted no, I was answering the question posed in the OP's conversation box. I should have read the poll title more carefully. In any case, I would not let a 7 yr old read (or see) the Hunger Games. I won't let my gifted 9 yr old read it, either. Yes, with her old soul and bright mind, she could most likely "get" a great deal of the issues presented, but that's not the point. I don't care how bright a child is, there is something to be said about preserving joy and innocence in childhood.

[4ofus]

Um...voted 'no' as in 'no, I would not let my 7 year old read HG.'

 

Then realized that the poll question was stated differently.

[Spy Car]

Drat. I misread the poll question and voted backwards.

 

I would NOT let my kids at 7yo read the Hunger Games strictly because of the content. Mature ideas.

 

There are lots of good challenging books with less yuck.

 

Oh good, because I also voted the wrong way (but the other way around) so we balanced each other out.

 

I read the Hunger Games last year with my (then) 7 year old. No problem. We started it, because he was begging to read it, with the provision that I would shut it down immediately if I felt the content was getting inappropriate for him.

 

Much to my surprise I found the book not only engaging but morally uplifting in ways that were not just "pat" but involved complexity.

 

I really enjoyed the Hunger Games and didn't feel like it was "too much" for my son (who is not the "sensitive" type) in any measure. I am very glad we read the book.

 

Bill

[JessReplanted]

No... no, no, no. (No way!)

 

It's a young adult book with young adult themes. :confused:

[NanceXToo]

Absolutely not. There is no way I would let a 7 year old read or watch or listen to The Hunger Games.

 

I might let my daughter read it sometime relatively soon if she asks, now that she's had her 12th birthday.

[Word Nerd]

No way.

[Melinda in VT]

I voted that 7 is too young, and I would actively discourage it, but I wouldn't go to extremes to prevent it.

 

I let my twins read the first two books at just-turned-10. (The third book wasn't out yet.) That was a fine age for them to read it.

 

In my view, The Hunger Games is a solidly moral book. I want to make sure kids have support if they need to process anything in it, but I don't feel the need to preach against what is presented in the book as moral. Unlike, for example, Twilight, which has a very immoral message. My twins (now almost thirteen) are still forbidden to read Twilight.

[acablue]

I don't think my 7 year old would get much out of it at this point. If he was begging to read it, I'd read it to him, but I'd prefer he wait a few years.

[rwjx2khsmj]

I think your poll might not work out so well. Because you title asks,

"Is a 7-year-old too young for "The Hunger Games"?"

and the actual poll question is,

"Would you let your 7 year old read The Hunger Games?"

 

 

So the answer to the poll title is;

YES. a 7-year-old is too young for "The Hunger Games"?

and to the actual question of the poll my answer is

NO. I would not let my 7 year old read The Hunger Games.

 

:iagree:A 7 year old is too young to be reading or watching this one, IMO.