Wendi Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Hi all, I remember when the Inkheart book first came out, I checked it out to read aloud to ds, but changed my mind. I don't remember now whether there was something I objected to about the book, or perhaps I just decided ds was too young at the time. Ds is 12yo, and loves fantasy. We are fairly conservative Christians, and at this stage, for ds, I prefer books where the good and bad characters are fairly clear, and good triumphs in the end. Should I give Inkheart another try? Ds thinks the movie looks really cool, and wants to see it. I thought maybe we could read the book first. Any opinions? Wendi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elizabeth Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Not a conservative Christian but very careful regarding what my 12 year old reads and I had no problem whatsoever with the book especially with regard to clear demarcations regarding the moral qualities of the characters. The second book of the trilogy is a bit darker but nothing once again that would lead to confusion regarding the morality of the characters in fact it is one of the criticisms I have of the book. Flat characters and very predictable in their actions . A skilled writer and worth the time to read but not satisfying for mature readers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ria Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 The only way you are going to know if this book meets your criteria is to read it yourself first. I'd do that, and then decide whether or not to let your child read it. My kids have all read it and loved it; I did not preview it. Ria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LBC Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Any opinions? My dd (15) has read it. She said that there's a lot of magic, so if you're not comfortable with that, then you may want to skip it for your son. She said that the magic consists of when people read certain things, it makes the things they read come to life. She also said that the characters can create fire. According to her, this book is closer to Eragon than to Harry Potter. She said that there are also some relationship/romance issues. The main character falls in love. There's kissing in the series, but she can't remember if it's in the Inkheart book or one of the other books in the series. I hope that makes sense. Excuse the grammar. I'm just typing what she said.:tongue_smilie: Lori Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendi Posted January 24, 2009 Author Share Posted January 24, 2009 The only way you are going to know if this book meets your criteria is to read it yourself first. I'd do that, and then decide whether or not to let your child read it. My kids have all read it and loved it; I did not preview it. Ria Right, I know. I just figured if there were some obvious red flags concerning the things I mentioned, I'd know to just skip it. Sounds like it's worth a read. I'll check it out and see. For literature, ds is going to be reading Robinson Crusoe next; he liked Treasure Island, and is intrigued by the TV series "Crusoe". Wendi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ria Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Right, I know. I just figured if there were some obvious red flags concerning the things I mentioned, I'd know to just skip it. Sounds like it's worth a read. I'll check it out and see. For literature, ds is going to be reading Robinson Crusoe next; he liked Treasure Island, and is intrigued by the TV series "Crusoe". Wendi It's on my to-read list right now since my kids liked it so much, lol. My guys are older...it's kind of nice when your kids recommend books to you, lol! My oldest son (19) has just gotten me hooked on Michael Crichton's books. Wow...those are a good read! PS. How are those buns? Our last bunny died this past summer. I miss having housebunnies. Ria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendi Posted January 24, 2009 Author Share Posted January 24, 2009 The bunnies are great! The Princess had a bad respiratory infection that took over a month of antibiotics (oral and injection) to clear up. But she's fine now. And thankfully she liked the medicine! (As you know, giving medicine to a bunny, like giving medicine to a cat, can be tricky.) We are starting to think The Princess was mistreated before she came to the shelter; she still thumps and hides quite a bit. Thankfully, she doesn't mind being carried, and if you lie down on the floor and pet her, she loves it. She's not thrilled with sitting on the couch next to a human to be petted, but she'll tolerate it for awhile, and nip you when she's ready to leave. But the sweetest thing is how the two of them have bonded! They have a two-story cage with a ramp, and most of the upper level is taken up by their soft fleecy bed. The snuggle up there together and look so happy and cozy! And we laugh that, when they're out of their cage and can go wherever they want, they so often end up just lying down together and chilling out. Tubby will groom The Princess frequently, but it's more rare to see The Princess deign to groom him. She's very much the dominant bun. You really should get some more bunnies, or maybe volunteer in a shelter. Last time I volunteered, one of my favorite buns cuddled up in my arms and fell asleep! I was walking around, talking to other volunteers; we were doing some "bunny dates" to find new potential sweeties for a bunny who had lost his mate. And this huge Checkered Giant snoozed happily in my arms, with his head on my chest. What a special bunny! Wendi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ria Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 I'm so glad the Princess is better. Poor bun. They are cute when they bond, aren't they? Bunnies are just too sweet. Our nearest shelter is an hour away in DE (we live in PA); if it was closer I'd certainly volunteer. Right now I'm busy with our new Bengal kitten...she's a hoot. She fetches and acts more like a dog than a cat. LOL. Ria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTMindy Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 I read it and my dd LOVED it. She read it when she was 10 or 11. There is some bad language in the book (more in the 2nd) and it bothered my dd. She came to me crying halfway through the second book because she felt guilty reading the swear words (quite a few h*ll and d*mn). I told her that she could decide what she should do and she chose not to finish the book (bless her little heart). So, I read it and told her what happened. It wasn't really *that* bad and I think at 12 or 13 it wouldn't have bothered her as much, but I certainly want her to have a soft conscience!!! It makes me mad when they put those words in children's books!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendi Posted January 24, 2009 Author Share Posted January 24, 2009 I'm so glad the Princess is better. Poor bun. They are cute when they bond, aren't they? Bunnies are just too sweet. Our nearest shelter is an hour away in DE (we live in PA); if it was closer I'd certainly volunteer. Right now I'm busy with our new Bengal kitten...she's a hoot. She fetches and acts more like a dog than a cat. LOL. Ria I'd love to see more pictures of your kitten! I love cats, and would love to have a Maine Coon someday. I had a sweet ginger tabby who loved to play fetch! She would bring us her little foam balls, drop them at our feet, and meow to play. Wendi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhonda in TX Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 I read it and my dd LOVED it. She read it when she was 10 or 11. There is some bad language in the book (more in the 2nd) and it bothered my dd. She came to me crying halfway through the second book because she felt guilty reading the swear words (quite a few h*ll and d*mn). I told her that she could decide what she should do and she chose not to finish the book (bless her little heart). So, I read it and told her what happened. It wasn't really *that* bad and I think at 12 or 13 it wouldn't have bothered her as much, but I certainly want her to have a soft conscience!!! It makes me mad when they put those words in children's books!!!!!! We listed to the audiobook and he really hated the bad language. He never chose to quit listening, but he will not read the other books and we won't listen to them, either. DD, on the other hand, is reading the second book right now. I am very conservative in book choices, but really felt this one is fine, other than the language. I wonder if the bad language issue is because it was originally written in German. Maybe they are more relaxed about that kind of thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah CB Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 There is bad language and there is also a lot of violent language - threats to use guns and knives. It gets pretty scary, but not a lot of violence actually happens - the bad guys just threaten it a lot. There is a clear distinction between good and evil, the story telling is fantastic and I really like the characters. We've read the first two books as read alouds for our whole family and then the dc can read them independently. We'll be reading the third one as a shared read-aloud as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orangearrow Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 (edited) I loved all 3 of the Inkheart books. My oldest daughter will get to read them when she turns 11 (along with the first 2 or 3 Harry Potter books - I told her if Harry had to wait til he was 11 to find out he was a wizard, then she has to wait until she's 11 to read the book, roflol. After the first 3, she'll get to read a new one a year or so - I figure I'll make her wait like we all had to, lol). The characters are a bit predictable as far as the good stay good and the bad stay bad. There's not a lot of flip-flopping sides or confusion as to who the good guys are and aren't (well, except for Fenoglio, maybe...). I like that about the series, since it is aimed at children. It's a wonderful story line and I simply fell in love with several of the characters - Eleanor, Farid, and especially Dustfinger...) I'm conservative about what my kids read and really limit magical books until I feel they have a very good grasp on reality. (and I would call this book more fantasy than magical, I think) :D But, my favorite books to read are fantasy and sci-fi so the kids are naturally drawn to those books, I think. They see me reading all the time. lol hths! :) Edited January 24, 2009 by orangearrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battlemaiden Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 I read it and my dd LOVED it. She read it when she was 10 or 11. There is some bad language in the book (more in the 2nd) and it bothered my dd. She came to me crying halfway through the second book because she felt guilty reading the swear words (quite a few h*ll and d*mn). I told her that she could decide what she should do and she chose not to finish the book (bless her little heart). So, I read it and told her what happened. It wasn't really *that* bad and I think at 12 or 13 it wouldn't have bothered her as much, but I certainly want her to have a soft conscience!!! It makes me mad when they put those words in children's books!!!!!! Ha! My oldest son recently came to me very sheepish because he had been reading the Dark is Rising series and they also have a lot of swearing. He felt so guilty. He needed to tell me. It was very sweet. And to the OP- thank you for asking. My 12ds is in the same frame of mind as yours. Jo Oh, and I meant to say that it makes me mad too. It is completely uncalled for. The story could stand on its own without the cursing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orangearrow Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 I've frequently wondered if the cursing (because it really isn't that common for "tweenish" or "junior" books to have cursing in them) is because the author is German and the books are originally published in German? Maybe it's a culture thing? Maybe a word like da*n just isn't a "big deal" at all... I have German relatives, but they haven't lived in Germany for a long time, so I can't ask them! lol! With all that said, my kids probably wouldn't even notice. I barely noticed it myself and I really tried to pay attention when I read the 3rd book. :blush: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate CA Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 It was not just the swearing, but the taking the Lord's name in vain that bothered me. I was in the middle of reading the story to the children and we just stopped. I could skip over the language, but it was very frustrating to me. I think there are so many worthwhile books out there that don't do this and don't dishonor my Lord that it was not worth the time. I also have children that are sensitive to these things - they want to honor their Lord. This is a really good thing to my way of thinking! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ma23peas Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Your son might have already read these series, but all my children LOVE them! Bryan Davis Books (Oracles series) Donita K. Paul (Dragonfire series).... My kids read EVERYTHING that's off the good books list and she puts these up there with Tom Sawyer/Anne of Green Gables and others...they really keep my kids engaged and while I don't count them as their 'literature' selections it does give them that fun read that they enjoy on the side! :) Please check them out!! Tara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 I haven't pre-read it yet, but maybe I should??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peek a Boo Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 ds mentions that yes, there is swearing, but what he pegged as the biggest issue he noticed was in the 1st book when Mortimer's wife disappears and comes back [Dustfinger knows she's back but 'Mo' doesn't], and Dustfinger makes mention of -paraphrasing- "well, he [Mo] stole ten years of my life, so maybe I should steal his wife." ds describes it as awkward, since nothing ever happens, but he recognized the meaning of the comment. There are some 'good guys' that manipulate a superstitious character by using his superstitions against him and really playing them up, even tho they don't believe in the superstitions, so he recognized the manipulation even tho these are the 'good guys.' --we talked a lot about good characters doing irresponsible/wrong things during read alouds of Harry Potter ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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