What books that we read as children would you not allow your children to read today?

[Based on Faith Academy]

Looking back at all the books I read in high school, I can't believe some of the things in them.

Some of these books are considered classics. What books would you not recommend reading

or allow your children to read that you read in school and why? What books WOULD you recommend a child read, especially by the time they graduate from high school?

 

The reason I ask why you wouldn't recommend them is it will help some of us who have specific

guidelines that we don't want our children to cross in what they read by knowing what these books

contain.

[swellmomma]

There is not a single book I read as a child that I would not allow my kids to read. There is books now that I have not read myself and would not allow my kids to read, like 50shades, but generally speaking I do not censor books very often. It is a rare thing to do so for me.

 

What sorts of books did you read that seem so bad you don't want your kids reading them?

[mazakaal]

I'm not sure that there are any that I wouldn't allow my kids to read, but there are some that I don't encourage them to read. I remember reading the Judy Blume books as a kid, but they were pretty much twaddle with gross humor and bad attitudes, so I've never introduced them to my kids, and they've never come across them and asked to read them. I also remember reading a lot of Stephen King when I was in high school. I wouldn't encourage my teens to read them either, but I'm not sure I'd forbid it if they wanted to. They've never shown an interest, so it hasn't been an issue.

 

I'm curious what books you read that are considered classics that you won't let your own kids read. I don't remember any of my high school assigned reading books as being that bad, but that may just be a really bad memory on my part.

[Melissa in Australia]

I remember reading a lot of twaddle when I was a child. I was a bookworm and read everything.

My children all hate reading (Dyslexia), and I assign books to them and have even resorted to bribing them to read some of the texts on their reading lists. It is not that I won't let them read a book that I read as a child, rather if I am going to make them read a book, I am going to pick a worthwhile one for them to read.

[creekland]

There are some I read as a kid and didn't care for (personal likes/dislikes) - Faulkner's Light in August or Van Tilburg Clark's The Oxbow Incident come to mind - but I would never forbid either book just because I thought they were boring.

 

I'm not a 50 Shades type of person, but again, I'm not sure there's anything I would forbid personally.

[Candid]

I've steered my oldest, a prolific reader, away from reading things too early. I read both The Fountainhead and The Grapes of Wrath in 7th grade. I liked one, disliked the other, doubt I got much out of either.

 

I've also worked hard with some works of literature to make sure he reads a good translation.

[MtnMama]

I don't believe in censorship, so I don't plan to ban any books in our home, even the ones I didn't like as a kid.

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

We have had a few books my children have asked to read and I said no, mainly because they were too young. Books I will forbid until age appropriate are books with a major sex themes/scenes or anti Christian propaganda.

[momma aimee]

I don't 100% believe in censership, but i do believe in 'age level'. i read a lot of adult fiction in grade school -- and i missed a lot of great young adult fiction. actually i am going back now and reading young adult fiction and loving it -- i feel bad that i missed it when i was younger (grade school and even high school).

 

i am not talking about classics, i mean like Stephen King., LOL I read what my mom read (and what my dad read too) -- and i read of "adult fluff" (like i said King and so on).

 

I don't want my kids to miss out of a lot of the great lit out there for children and young adults.

 

i also feel that the themes of what they read needs to be "on their level" our family feels strongly about children getting to be children and protecting childhood.

[justamouse]

The Great Books Academy lists are good to go by.

 

I don't censor. We talk a lot.

[airforcefamily]

I don't think books should be banned or censored but there are books, like stephen king novels, that are the printed equivalent of an r rated movie so our kids won't be allowed to read them until they're older.

 

There are a few books I read as a child that were disturbing to me so I don't encourage the kids to read them, buy them, or suggest them when the kids want something to read but the kids could read them if they really want to. One that comes to mind is behind the attic wall. It's about a girl who goes to live with her elderly aunts and find dolls that walk around, talk, and behave like people who used to live in the house when she looks behind a wall in the attic. She hangs out with the dolls but when she tries to show them to other people they won't move or talk. It was really creepy to me when I read it, still is.

[Dana]

I remember for my English undergrad degree reading Rabelais & Balzac for the first time.

There's the song "Pick-a-little-talk-a-little" from Music Man complaining about the books in the library.

I understood why they'd be complaining about those authors & think they had a point!

 

Nevertheless, I'll be letting my son read just about anything.

If he read 50 Shades, I'd probably discuss it with him - likely about why the writing is so bad in it and discuss what characteristics are in well-written erotica vs. poorly written erotica. But it's poorly written enough that I couldn't finish it & wouldn't want him wasting his time.

 

He's 10 now. I have told him not to read some of the graphic novels I have. I'm not quite ready for the discussions from Maus, Persepolis, or V is for Vendetta. I figure he'll be reading them in a couple of years.

 

I'm opposed to censorship of classics (there are definitely things out there currently that I don't think should be being produced: torture-pr0n movies like Saw and the like), but literature - even with sex and violence - once he's in 9th grade it's all fair game. We'll just discuss it.

[Julie Smith]

The Clan of the Cave Bear series.

 

I never read them as a kid, but I wouldn't let my boys read most things my Piers Anthony. The only other book I can remember right now is a very disturbing book, I think it was called "unwind".

[UrbanSue]

I've steered my oldest, a prolific reader, away from reading things too early. I read both The Fountainhead and The Grapes of Wrath in 7th grade. I liked one, disliked the other, doubt I got much out of either. I've also worked hard with some works of literature to make sure he reads a good translation.

 

I'm a big believer in gentle guidance with regard to age level. I think there are a lot of great classics out there that a young teen is going to dislike or, at least, find boring and irrelevant enough to not bother reading again as older kids. On the other hand, I sincerely hope I'm raising the kinds of kids who will return to the classics over and over again at different ages. My 8yo is a voracious reader but slightly prefers non-fiction and is a big re-reader. So we haven't dealt with this problem yet.

 

As a kid I devoured books like crazy. But my parents were pretty clueless about good literature. I mostly read all the Babysitter Club Books and my sister's Sweet Valley High collection. I think I had a vague idea that there were good, old books out there I could read if I went to the library but it seems like my appetite was pretty well ruined by "mind candy". So, I don't think I'd outright censor anything I read as a kid but I am definitely careful about our (large) home library being high quality and the books being shelved so as to gently encourage age-appropriate reading. My kids know they can read anything they want within reach and can always ask to look at something out of reach. And, again, there is nothing in our house I wouldn't allow my kids to look at. But some of it I'd want to make sure I was there to discuss.

[Chris in VA]

Oh geez--Flowers in the Attic! I don't remember when I read it and its sequel, but none of that trash for dd. Certainly in a totally different catagory than a classic, tho. I won't be recommending Clan of The Cave Bear series, either, but I read those in my 20s.

I think a lot of the YA books are utter trash, frankly--but they weren't ones I read as a teen.

 

I did hesitate to let ds read Seutonius--Omnibus assigns it, and it has a few places that talk about the decadence of the Roman Empire (Herod swimming with little boys and nibbling their nether parts, anyone?). He was about 15, tho, and it was important for him to realize just how things were truly yuck.

 

While I didn't forbid anything, I didn't put certain things on his reading list--we skipped Brave New World and read Alas, Babylon instead, for example.

 

Dd is not allowed to read the last two HP's yet--but she will, soon. I don't really censor, it's just like music--literature rattles around in the brain and makes one think, so one should have the tools to process what one is thinking about, or the whole point of the "yuck" that is used properly in Great Lit is totally missed and doesn't serve any purpose.

[Rebel Yell]

We have had a few books my children have asked to read and I said no, mainly because they were too young. Books I will forbid until age appropriate are books with a major sex themes/scenes or anti Christian propaganda.

I have one child who is a voracious reader. At 17, we don't mind langauge, but she despises detailed $&x scenes. She's OK enough knowing *what* they did, but really doesn't want to know exactly *how* they did it, KWIM?

 

Another cild is easily and deeply disturbed by many troublesome subjects- si I would forbif *her8 to read certain books and watch certain movies/tv shows, etc. But that is also her wish. Not every book that will upset her is obvious. The downside is that she doesn;t read as much as she'd like, but we're OK with that- her mental health takes priority over her lreading list at this point in time.

 

I don't 100% believe in censership, but i do believe in 'age level'. i read a lot of adult fiction in grade school -- and i missed a lot of great young adult fiction. actually i am going back now and reading young adult fiction and loving it -- i feel bad that i missed it when i was younger (grade school and even high school). i am not talking about classics, i mean like Stephen King., LOL I read what my mom read (and what my dad read too) -- and i read of "adult fluff" (like i said King and so on). I don't want my kids to miss out of a lot of the great lit out there for children and young adults. i also feel that the themes of what they read needs to be "on their level" our family feels strongly about children getting to be children and protecting childhood.

:iagree:

 

I don't think books should be banned or censored but there are books, like stephen king novels, that are the printed equivalent of an r rated movie so our kids won't be allowed to read them until they're older. There are a few books I read as a child that were disturbing to me so I don't encourage the kids to read them, buy them, or suggest them when the kids want something to read but the kids could read them if they really want to. One that comes to mind is behind the attic wall. It's about a girl who goes to live with her elderly aunts and find dolls that walk around, talk, and behave like people who used to live in the house when she looks behind a wall in the attic. She hangs out with the dolls but when she tries to show them to other people they won't move or talk. It was really creepy to me when I read it, still is.

:iagree: Exactly! Why did I never think of this? (the bolded) Just because it's "great literature" and in printed form doesn't mean all children should have free access to it at any age.

 

I remember for my English undergrad degree reading Rabelais & Balzac for the first time. There's the song "Pick-a-little-talk-a-little" from Music Man complaining about the books in the library. I understood why they'd be complaining about those authors & think they had a point! Nevertheless, I'll be letting my son read just about anything. If he read 50 Shades, I'd probably discuss it with him - likely about why the writing is so bad in it and discuss what characteristics are in well-written erotica vs. poorly written erotica. But it's poorly written enough that I couldn't finish it & wouldn't want him wasting his time. He's 10 now. I have told him not to read some of the graphic novels I have. I'm not quite ready for the discussions from Maus, Persepolis, or V is for Vendetta. I figure he'll be reading them in a couple of years. I'm opposed to censorship of classics (there are definitely things out there currently that I don't think should be being produced: torture-pr0n movies like Saw and the like), but literature - even with sex and violence - once he's in 9th grade it's all fair game. We'll just discuss it.

:iagree: I love graphic novels!

[Crimson Wife]

There was a lot of stuff I read in late elementary and early middle school that I'm not going to allow my DD to read until she's older than I was. Definitely not "classics" but twaddle like V.C. Andrews, Judy Blume, etc. Fortunately, she hasn't asked

 

The big issue recently has been her wanting to read popular YA dystopian series like Hunger Games, Maze Runner, Uglies, Enclave, etc. She sees me reading them and feels it's horribly unfair that I'm making her wait until she's older.

[Farrar]

There are books that I won't suggest or assign to my kids that I read for pleasure or had assigned - simply because I don't think they're great for whatever reason. But there's nothing I read they can't read by the time they're about 13 or 14.

[MrsBanjoClown]

Brave New World - It was required reading in high school, and I hate the book to this day. I understand the point that was being made, but I don't believe in this case the ends justify the means. The book stole my innocence and I will never get over some of the mental images from it. I found it trashy.

[Entropymama]

I think it's interesting that so many people have mentioned 'censorship' on this thread. If that's what this is, I'm a big supporter of censorship! :)

 

My oldest is only 10, so things will change as she gets older, but there are lots of books I won't let her read. I read Stephen King at her age and, as one other poster said, it stole my innocence. I also spent a lot of my teen years reading trashy romance novels. They had a lot to do with my exploring sexuality at a too young age and set me up for disappointment in real life. I wouldn't let my teenager touch them. Obviously there comes an age when she'll do what she wants, but I'll control the flow for a while longer, thanks.

 

As to 'school' reading, I do recall reading Lord of the Flies in 9th grade and being very disturbed. I'd have to go back and read it again, but unless I found something redeeming in it I wouldn't assign it. Most of our assignments were good, though, Deerslayer I remember particularly as being a good one. Moby Dick, the Austen novels, Dickens, all good. Oh, and I HATED Doestevsky. All his stuff was just sick, even if it did have good morality and perspective on humanity.

[Parrothead]

I'm steering dd away from most of what I read from age 12 on. I was introduced to harlequin romances when I was 12. From there I moved on to things like Stephen king, VC Andrews, and more and more romance novels.

 

I did read some better works as a teen. I did read Don Quixote, Frankenstein and a few others.m but mostly I read garbage. My mom handed me clan of the cave bear when I was 16 or 17.

[Jayne J]

I don't think books should be banned or censored but there are books, like stephen king novels, that are the printed equivalent of an r rated movie so our kids won't be allowed to read them until they're older.

 

There are a few books I read as a child that were disturbing to me so I don't encourage the kids to read them, buy them, or suggest them when the kids want something to read but the kids could read them if they really want to. One that comes to mind is behind the attic wall. It's about a girl who goes to live with her elderly aunts and find dolls that walk around, talk, and behave like people who used to live in the house when she looks behind a wall in the attic. She hangs out with the dolls but when she tries to show them to other people they won't move or talk. It was really creepy to me when I read it, still is.

 

Oh how funny! I know the exact book you are talking about. I read it too and it creeped me out so much that I still remember it, even though it was not a great book in terms of plot etc. I read tons of books, completely uncensored by my parents, and this was one of the ones that I wished I had not read. I also read too many adult/mature-theme books before I was ready. I won't censor books for my kids, but I will make them wait until they are old enough to deal with the themes. My children are still young enough that I think it is my job. As they get older, the lines may not be so clear.

[justamouse]

Huh. I don't have the books mentioned in the house, (VC Andrews, Babysitter's club, Judy Blume...) So when I was thinking about how I don't censor, I wasn't even thinking about those.

 

We just don't have time to read that stuff.

[EducationX2]

I'm steering dd away from most of what I read from age 12 on. I was introduced to harlequin romances when I was 12. From there I moved on to things like Stephen king, VC Andrews, and more and more romance novels. I did read some better works as a teen. I did read Don Quixote, Frankenstein and a few others.m but mostly I read garbage. My mom handed me clan of the cave bear when I was 16 or 17.

 

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who had family members that thought Harlequin Romances were appropriate for kids.... my grandmother read them, and starting when I was... 9 or so?, after she finished with them she'd give the books to me. I had stacks and stacks of 'em.

Then again, I read a book a day, sometimes more, so it was a challenge to keep me in books when I was a kid. My parents weren't readers, so they probably had no idea what I was reading.

 

Overall, I won't stop DD from reading anything she wants. I keep the house stocked with 'good' books. (We do have plenty of twaddle here, but I also have a bunch of really good books from when I was a kid. through books assigned to me in college) When we go to the library, she's allowed to get 1 character book, since that's her 'thing' right now. When she grows out of those, I'll switch from allowing 1 character book to allowing 1 book that I deem 'easy'. That's the closest I get to controlling her free reading.

[ondreeuh]

I have limits about books the same way I do about movies - I have some boundaries about what I will allow to be read & watched. Doesn't mean I think the books should not be in libraries or bookstores, but it's hardly "censorship" to limit your kids' exposure to things you think are harmful.

 

I read the ridiculous V.C. Andrews crap in late elementary school ... the steamy stuff wasn't as bad as the terrible relationship dynamics and taboo/incest stuff. I read The Thorn Birds in middle school. I remember the steamy stuff more than the taboo stuff. I wish I hadn't read any of it. It makes it harder to have a healthy, functional relationship when your mind is filled with unhealthy, dysfunctional stuff. That was my rationale to my dd17 when I discussed why it's important to be a little picky when choosing books & movies, and she has been doing fine choosing her own stuff that does have romance, but not the twisted type. (She also has a much better head about boys and dating than I did). I was a little uncomfortable with her reading The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian in 8th grade, but it was for a library book club. I can't see letting my son read that anytime soon (I just don't think it's good enough to justify the icky parts).

 

I read Clan of the Cave Bear in high school (the series) and Geek Love, and I'd be fine with her reading either.

[ondreeuh]

I don't think books should be banned or censored but there are books, like stephen king novels, that are the printed equivalent of an r rated movie so our kids won't be allowed to read them until they're older.

 

There are a few books I read as a child that were disturbing to me so I don't encourage the kids to read them, buy them, or suggest them when the kids want something to read but the kids could read them if they really want to. One that comes to mind is behind the attic wall. It's about a girl who goes to live with her elderly aunts and find dolls that walk around, talk, and behave like people who used to live in the house when she looks behind a wall in the attic. She hangs out with the dolls but when she tries to show them to other people they won't move or talk. It was really creepy to me when I read it, still is.

 

 

The Dollhouse Murders? I loved that book, although it totally creeped me out. I kinda want to read it again, lol.

[ForeverFamily]

It seems that I am going against the crowd here, but in my mind one of the benefits of homeschooling is the ability to avoid the inappropriate (putting it kindly) books that they push our kids to read in school. Books in my mind are no different than other entertainment/media choices we make. They all put images and ideas in our mind that help shape who we are as a person. We have a guideline in my church that our family does our best to follow, it is "if there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things." Basically if it offends the spirit it is not for us. In our house we have made a conscious decision to avoid R rated and even PG-13 movies. I am not saying everyone should do this, this is just a personal decision that our family has made. When it comes to other media and books we will follow the same standard. I don't necessarily think the very mention of a more sensitive topic is bad if it is handled sensitively and appropriately, and of course if the reader is an appropriate age to handle it. But just like I wouldn't let my children look at inappropriate pictures or watch inappropriate movie scenes I will not let them read an inappropriate scene as well. I am not necessarily trying to "censor" per se, I am just trying to teach my children that we should spend our time wisely and choose to spend our time reading/watching things that are uplifting (I don't mean all happily ever after, just wholesome and clean). I am hoping that by the time my children reach their highschool years they will have the desire to do the same. If my child came to me begging to read something that I felt did not fit into that category I may or may not let them read it, if I did it would probably involve a lot of discussion while reading the book. I believe that allowing our children to learn for themselves is important as well. I hope no one takes my comment in the wrong way because in no way am I trying to ruffle any feathers, I respect what all the other posters have said and I believe that we all have the freedom to choose what we believe is best for our own families. I am just adding my opinion in case there are others that feel the same way and this way they won't feel so alone in their decision.

 

As far as specific books that come to mind that I will not encourage my children to read, one is A Brave New World. I understand the message they were trying to get across, and it is an important one. I just don't like the level of details they used to get there. I agree with MrsBanjoClown, the end does not justify the means. They can read the wikipedia description, get the main gist, and will not be missing out. Another one that I will not encourage is Lord of the Flies. I remember having a really uncomfortable feeling while reading that book. I thought the topic was fascinating, and the beginning was well written. But towards the middle and the end it is all focused on violence, and I felt like it didn't deserve my time. I only read those two books because they were required, but if I would have had the freedom to choose I would have never finished either one. I believe there are a lot of other wonderful inspiring choices available out there, but unfortunately I spent my time reading what was required. There were others that I wasn't fond of as well but I can't remember the names of them. I am just glad that my children will have a greater freedom of choice than I did to chose what they want to spend their time reading, ironic isn't it.

[butterflymommy]

My sister was assigned "A Clockwork orange" in HS, I was assigned "The Stranger."

 

My sister had all the Steven King novels many of which are very disturbing and sexually explicit.

 

Personally I found "Catcher in the Rye" extremely disturbing & I have no idea why this is considered an adolescent classic. "People killing hat?" Seriously? It still makes me shudder!

 

I wouldn't want my kids reading any of the above under my tutelage.

[Julie Smith]

I don't think books should be banned or censored but there are books, like stephen king novels, that are the printed equivalent of an r rated movie so our kids won't be allowed to read them until they're older.

 

There are a few books I read as a child that were disturbing to me so I don't encourage the kids to read them, buy them, or suggest them when the kids want something to read but the kids could read them if they really want to. One that comes to mind is behind the attic wall. It's about a girl who goes to live with her elderly aunts and find dolls that walk around, talk, and behave like people who used to live in the house when she looks behind a wall in the attic. She hangs out with the dolls but when she tries to show them to other people they won't move or talk. It was really creepy to me when I read it, still is.

Oh how funny! I know the exact book you are talking about. I read it too and it creeped me out so much that I still remember it, even though it was not a great book in terms of plot etc. I read tons of books, completely uncensored by my parents, and this was one of the ones that I wished I had not read. I also read too many adult/mature-theme books before I was ready. I won't censor books for my kids, but I will make them wait until they are old enough to deal with the themes. My children are still young enough that I think it is my job. As they get older, the lines may not be so clear.

 

I read that book to. My Mom got it for me. I agree, ick!

 

To my memory she ended up going back to the dolls and it hinted at the fact she was in fact crazy.

[SunnyDays]

I think there's a big difference between true censorship (staging a campaign to get certain books out of a library or off bookstore shelves) and telling a tween or early teen child that this book isn't appropriate for them, yet. There are books I wouldn't let my son read now because he's only 10, but he hasn't asked to read anything yet that I'd veto.

[elegantlion]

Ds is not an avid reader, but we read a lot together. We read Fahrenheit 451 when he was about 10 or 11. It was a great experience.

 

He reads a lot of manga that I don't read and I'm sure some people wouldn't allow. Thankfully he'll never have to avoid Flowers in the Attic, as it's just not on the radar here. I read a lot of weird stuff as a kid, horror stories, alien stories, UFO non-fiction. I've come back to the classics as an adult and appreciate the literary purpose of many of them.

 

Lord of the Flies, Catcher in the Rye, I will probably have him read those. I read them a few years ago. I think they're good topics to introduce some of the ugliness of life and discuss it. Like an intro to the psychology of human dynamics. Life is messy, but ds already gets that.

 

The only books I have not read and refuse to read to him are Old Yeller and Where the Red Fern Grow. I remember the latter being read to us in 4th grade and at some point watching the movie. I cried for days. I hate animals dying stories.

 

Thankfully we currently have enough reading material in the house to last the rest of my life.

[swellmomma]

It's always funny to read these lists of books people wouldn't allow and turn to the book case next to me and see judy blume(we love those books), stephen king, and well I don't have VC Andrews but as a teen she was my favorite author before I found dean koontz. My kids read judy blume and we get the audio books, they have not read king but have seen a couple of the movies so I would allow it. None of them have interest in VC Andrews so it is a moot point on that one. My daughter prefers paranormal YA stuff so lots fo vampires, wolves and witches rather than VCA. See think twaddle is just fine, not everything has to be high class/top grade lit. I can see not handing a King book to a 7 year old but most would not even think of those books until they were teens anyway(they much prefer R.L.Stine's books before then), I don't see the big deal with a teen reading king, or most of the books listed. I read eveything I could get my hands on growing up. Some classics, lots of twaddle, some texts for fun, then the assigned books. I am hard pressed to see the big deal of teens or kids reading brain candy as their pleasure reading. Obviously those things would not be assigned for school, why would they be? but for pleasure reading, a little brainless blume is just fine.

[Paige]

I was allowed to read whatever I wanted as a kid and I won't let my kids read just anything. I don't want them reading adult horror or romance books until they are later teens or adults. I'd prefer they don't read them at all but I'm not going to push it as they enter adulthood and have to start making their own decisions. I agree with the previous poster in that I wouldn't want my kids to read a book if I wouldn't let them watch a movie with the same content. There were no books I read for school assignments that I wouldn't let my children read. Some of them I don't like, but there's nothing so bad that they can't read it if they want.

[MeaganS]

I agree mostly with the previous posters. I am all for age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate literature. We had to read "The Lottery" in my 5th grade reading class and I can assure you that the "meaning" was lost on me. All I knew was that kids were stoning people to death. I also plan on viewing literature like I view movies. In our home, even we parents rarely watch an R-rated movie, and then only if we didn't think it was R-rated for a good reason (the King's Speech comes to mind here). We also stay away from trashy literature that has senseless violence or sex. As a result, I imagine we'll have the same general guidelines in place for our children. As for books like Hunger Games or Harry Potter, I'm fine with it so long as the kid is ready to handle it.

 

As for the super-twaddle stuff, I will point them away from it as much as possible, but also I think I'll allow it if they insist in their own time. The only things I imagine us expressly prohibiting besides the above is things that specifically anti-Mormon, but I really don't see that being an issue.

[Farrar]

I think there's a big difference between true censorship (staging a campaign to get certain books out of a library or off bookstore shelves) and telling a tween or early teen child that this book isn't appropriate for them, yet. There are books I wouldn't let my son read now because he's only 10, but he hasn't asked to read anything yet that I'd veto.

 

 

Yes. I agree. A few people in this thread have said they won't allow their children to ever read certain books. I do consider that censorship, though on a family level - it's certainly not a public issue. I don't personally think it's the best way to parent, but I do think it's up to individuals to decide these things. Most people are saying that they won't be suggesting or requiring certain books that they think are inappropriate or just not very good OR that they will not be allowing certain books before a child is an older teen or before some particular age. I don't think that's censorship at all - there are many skills and experiences in life that we save for an appropriate age. I probably have a more liberal view of what that age is for many books, but I do think that's different from censorship.

[shawthorne44]

Animal Farm and Ulysses come to mind.

Death in Venice (there are many, but the classic German one where an old man spends the whole book lusting after a pre-pub. boy.

I remember starting one as a kid that was supposed to be a classic. It was supposed to be a train of thought of a retarded kid. His little sister liked to pull down her panties for the neighbor man.

 

I'd be careful though about banning them to keep these books from being too interesting. I remember reading a bio of an American Revolutionary Admiral. It mentioned that one group in Brussels(?) that published a list of censored books actually put their own list on their of censored books. Apparently, Society types were using it as a reading list.

[windmillmarie]

I think it's interesting that so many people have mentioned 'censorship' on this thread. If that's what this is, I'm a big supporter of censorship! :)

 

My oldest is only 10, so things will change as she gets older, but there are lots of books I won't let her read. I read Stephen King at her age and, as one other poster said, it stole my innocence. I also spent a lot of my teen years reading trashy romance novels. They had a lot to do with my exploring sexuality at a too young age and set me up for disappointment in real life. I wouldn't let my teenager touch them. Obviously there comes an age when she'll do what she wants, but I'll control the flow for a while longer, thanks.

 

As to 'school' reading, I do recall reading Lord of the Flies in 9th grade and being very disturbed. I'd have to go back and read it again, but unless I found something redeeming in it I wouldn't assign it. Most of our assignments were good, though, Deerslayer I remember particularly as being a good one. Moby Dick, the Austen novels, Dickens, all good. Oh, and I HATED Doestevsky. All his stuff was just sick, even if it did have good morality and perspective on humanity.

 

 

Lord of the Flies was what I was thinking of. But I don't like the equivalent of disturbing images.

 

I really wish books had ratings affixed to them or warnings like fan-fiction did. I read a lot of fan fiction for tv shows and books and other fandoms, and you know what you are getting into with the fandom standard warning systems. You just don't have that for published lit, and it'd be nice.

 

I don't watch a lot of horror movies or bloody gore movies, but some of the things I was required to read in school were very descriptive of gory nasty disturbing things that bothered me afterward. I know they were meant to make an impression, but the overall themes and symbolism were overwhelmed by descriptions of brains leaking out or something gross.

[NotSoObvious]

I'd forgotten about Vc Andrews!! Those were so not appropriate at the age I read them (maybe 14?) and I would never introduce them to my kids.

I think books are like anything else. My girls are 10. I have a lot of control over what they read and I'll have less control as they get older. So, my decisions and feelings only count for so long.

 

My kids are not allowed to read The Hunger Games even though I read it and loved it. They'll have plenty of time to read it when they are emotionally ready.

 

Catcher in the Rye? I loved that book in middle school. I'll have to go back and retread it now and see what all the fuss is about. I'm sure a lot of it went over my head.

[shinyhappypeople]

I think it's interesting that so many people have mentioned 'censorship' on this thread. If that's what this is, I'm a big supporter of censorship! :)

 

My oldest is only 10, so things will change as she gets older, but there are lots of books I won't let her read. I read Stephen King at her age and, as one other poster said, it stole my innocence. I also spent a lot of my teen years reading trashy romance novels. They had a lot to do with my exploring sexuality at a too young age and set me up for disappointment in real life. I wouldn't let my teenager touch them. Obviously there comes an age when she'll do what she wants, but I'll control the flow for a while longer, thanks.

 

As to 'school' reading, I do recall reading Lord of the Flies in 9th grade and being very disturbed. I'd have to go back and read it again, but unless I found something redeeming in it I wouldn't assign it. Most of our assignments were good, though, Deerslayer I remember particularly as being a good one. Moby Dick, the Austen novels, Dickens, all good. Oh, and I HATED Doestevsky. All his stuff was just sick, even if it did have good morality and perspective on humanity.

 

 

 

Classics? Uh... I didn't really read those. I read a lot of romance novels, VC Andrews and Stephen King. I'll probably ban VC Andrews, anything to do with vampires/shapeshifters, etc. (yes, including that godawful Twilight series), and anything with graphic sex or violence. Basically, what I wouldn't allow them to watch in a movie, I won't allow them to read. She won't be scarred for life if she has to wait until she's 18 to read about certain topics. You only have one chance for a childhood.

[Mommy22alyns]

All I can say is, hello VC Andrews! I also read Stephen King and Poltergeist at appallingly young ages. The Exorcist, that's what I was thinking of.

[momto2Cs]

I think there's a big difference between true censorship (staging a campaign to get certain books out of a library or off bookstore shelves) and telling a tween or early teen child that this book isn't appropriate for them, yet. There are books I wouldn't let my son read now because he's only 10, but he hasn't asked to read anything yet that I'd veto.

 

 

 

I absolutely agree!

 

As a tween and teenager, I read a lot of books I would actually consider fairly inappropriate for kids the age of either of mine. Clan of the Cave bear series (there were only 2 or 3 back then), Judith Kranz novels, lots of Stephen King, lots of Piers Anthony, V.C. Andrws, the Thorn Birds, etc. My grandmother handed me a lot of these books! I disliked The Pearl in 7th grade, and Lord of the Flies in 9th.

 

Would I forbid my kids to read these? No, but I think I would try steering them to something more age appropriate first.

[MistyMountain]

I don't know that I would consider any of the books I like to read in childhood books I would disallow completely but I am actually seeing that a lot of it is what I consider twaddle now. I read stuff like Goosebumps, The Babysitters Club, Judy Blume. I am trying to only select quality material and weed out the twaddle but if my kids really wanted to read something I didn't really think was quality I would let them if it didn't have something I really found objectionable. I do have some Judy Blume books and I have read those to dd because she really likes them.

 

As a preteen I did read some pretty heavy stuff like V.C. Andrews the Flower in the Attic Series and Steven King etc. I was on the mature side of my age and did understand the books and was not harmed by reading it. I didn't have disturbing thoughts or act out sexually after reading them. They didn't influence me at all but I enjoyed the stories at the time. I even did a book report on Flowers in the Attic in 6th grade hoping they wouldn't know about the sex stuff. I don't know what I would allow with my own kids. I guess it depends on their maturity level. It is hard to imagine my kids reading that at age 11 or 12 when I did but it is still quite a few years off so who knows.

[aggieamy]

It's easy at DD's age because the only books she has access to are books I get for her either from purchasing them or from the library. She will wander the picture book aisles and pick those out but as far as chapter book reading I give her a huge stack each week and she just picks out what looks interesting. I imagine I'll try to steer DD away from trashy books or books with too adult a content but meh - I'll probably just let her read what she wants.

 

I read a lot of Piers Anthony as a kid and loved it. My friend and I read all his stuff. As an adult it makes me feel a little icky. I think there's something really twisted about ol' Piers. That said I put number one of the Incarnations of Immortality series on DH's nightstand. He never read fantasy as a kid and I'll be interested to see what he thinks of my "favorite book of all time" circa 7th grade. :)

[Deniseibase]

I'm with a lot of the posters as far as holding off on some books for age-appropriateness, but there's one category of books I haven't seen mentioned that I'm a little surprised at. I have a lot of my grandmother's old storybooks, so we edit words like 'Negros' and 'pickaninnies' to read 'people' or 'children'. Now, with my oldest, we have talked about these words and their place in history, but I absolutely do NOT want my 6 year old who absorbs new vocab like a SPONGE to drop either of those words into conversation :-)

[nukeswife]

It's always funny to read these lists of books people wouldn't allow and turn to the book case next to me and see judy blume(we love those books), stephen king, and well I don't have VC Andrews but as a teen she was my favorite author before I found dean koontz. My kids read judy blume and we get the audio books, they have not read king but have seen a couple of the movies so I would allow it. None of them have interest in VC Andrews so it is a moot point on that one. My daughter prefers paranormal YA stuff so lots fo vampires, wolves and witches rather than VCA. See think twaddle is just fine, not everything has to be high class/top grade lit. I can see not handing a King book to a 7 year old but most would not even think of those books until they were teens anyway(they much prefer R.L.Stine's books before then), I don't see the big deal with a teen reading king, or most of the books listed. I read eveything I could get my hands on growing up. Some classics, lots of twaddle, some texts for fun, then the assigned books. I am hard pressed to see the big deal of teens or kids reading brain candy as their pleasure reading. Obviously those things would not be assigned for school, why would they be? but for pleasure reading, a little brainless blume is just fine.

I can't think of a single book.

 

:iagree: What they said.

[Faithr]

I remember in 8th grade the kids passing around The Happy Hooker. Talk about stealing your innocence! Yuck. I look back and shudder. I remember reading The Exorcist and In Cold Blood, and The Boston Strangler, ugh. I hated babysitting for about 2 years after reading that one! You all just weren't edgy enough, LOL. But there are a lot of books out there I hope my kids never waste their time on. Terrible images that haunted me for years.

 

I read a lot of cr@p when I was younger. I eventually decided I didn't like cr@p. So I stopped reading it. I don't really censor my kids either but because they are homeschooled they really don't get exposed to a lot of junk. But recently my 11 yo was reading a Lauren Myracle book that totally flipped her out. She cried and cried after reading it. It had a scene in that really freaked her out about menstruation and they had unseemly giggly stuff about male organs. So no more Lauren Myracle books allowed here. So maybe I'm becoming a censor in my old age.

[swimmermom3]

I've steered my oldest, a prolific reader, away from reading things too early. I read both The Fountainhead and The Grapes of Wrath in 7th grade. I liked one, disliked the other, doubt I got much out of either.

 

I've also worked hard with some works of literature to make sure he reads a good translation.

 

This. Because I have seldom censored my children's choices, if I tell them to wait on a book, they usually do. My oldest told the next in line, "If Mom says 'Wait,' then wait. Otherwise you'll probably be sorry."

 

I am far pickier about translations for my teens than I am for myself. Also, at this point, they know what good books read like and don't spend much time with twaddle.

[Pod's mum]

There are a few books I read as a child that were disturbing to me so I don't encourage the kids to read them, buy them, or suggest them when the kids want something to read but the kids could read them if they really want to. One that comes to mind is behind the attic wall. It's about a girl who goes to live with her elderly aunts and find dolls that walk around, talk, and behave like people who used to live in the house when she looks behind a wall in the attic. She hangs out with the dolls but when she tries to show them to other people they won't move or talk. It was really creepy to me when I read it, still is.

 

 

Lady Daisy by Dick King Smith. I didn't mind it, but I didn't read it as a child. Oddly younger dd hasn't yet found this one.

Don't be put off this author by this book, he wrote Babe (The Sheep Pig).

 

I won't give my kids any Enid Blyton, actually I didn't realise mum keep our house relatively free of her books, but I read a couple and think they are just lame.

 

I read Sunshine at 10, it has some tEa scenes in it that educated me more than I needed.

I got into lots of horror books in later high school and still have images of The Slug. It was a foot long and ate people, the descriptions of it's tooth and parasites were vivid. And Steven King books, again, there are too many really good books around to waste head space with never to be removed scenes such as the refrigerator in It. My mum never knew what we read and we all did. A lot.

 

Now as to books that I gave my kids and regretted...

 

I started my elder dd with Harry Potter and as they kept coming out darker and darker I regreted that as she re-read them continuously. I intended to delay that with this dd, but she came back from a holiday at about 8 having read the first three.

 

I gave Bram Stoker's Dracular to eldest dd at about 14, she found it heavy going in parts, but liked it.

I then had an argument with a librarian as I did not want her reading the Twilight series. The librarian insisted they were NOT about vampires. ?*#? (they are, they are, they are) That librarian and my dd got on very well. That librarian and I did NOT. She gave dd the books. It wasn't the vampires as much as making evil attractive that I wanted to avoid. I don't think that is the case with Bram Stoker.

 

I bought the Tomorrow When the War Began series for eldest dd. Hard hitting, very well written, we both read them.

I bought the follow on series for her and when I got to read them found one of them had a very descriptive 'first' scene in that I would not have chosen to give her at that age. Can't redo. And at least she wasn't 10 as I was with Sunshine (which was a lot less descriptive).

 

Gotta get ready for swimming lesson.

[Aurelia]

I probably won't encourage DD to read Lord of the Flies or Brave New World. I would definitely discourage her reading most Stephen King (though he's written a couple of books for kids that aren't too bad for tweens), VC Andrews, Ann Rice (especially the Mayfair witches, ick!) and maybe a couple of others.

[kristinannie]

I can't even remember what they were called, but those incestual kids living in the attic books...UGH. How did I read those? I also would rather they not read those horrible Judy Blume books I read. I am planning on letting my kids read some twaddle when they are older as long as they have read a lot of wonderful living books. I think they would not want to read these books anyway once they are used to real books. I guess I'll cross that bridge when we get there! For now, I am avoiding picture books that put down traditional families, teach children that disrespecting parents is normal, and overtly feminist books. I have had to preread books from our library. Some of them are awful!