Hunger Games movie

[Fran17]

My 13 year old started the first book last night when he went to bed and finished it this evening. He's starting on number two tomorrow. Looks like he's hooked.

[Looking for help]

It is all about letting them find what they like. Might not be our choice, but our 'young adults' have their opinions. I'm all for that

Off to find 'Day of the Triffids' -terrified me as a child, might be ok now

[vasu]

When my ds read the books last year, we did not know about the movie. My son was over the moon then he saw the huge billboard. I went with ds to watch the movie. Average age in the theatre was between 10-16yrs. There were a few mums scattered around acting as the driver and the financier!!!
Movie was engaging. I was quite taken aback by the clapping and whistles ringing through the theatre with every kill!!! It evoked something very primal in the kids.
I am not sure how I feel about it.

[Sally-Anne]

It is all about letting them find what they like. Might not be our choice, but our 'young adults' have their opinions. I'm all for that

Agreed - DS1 started out loving Lemony Snicket, but ended up hating them for the relentless misery. I have always assumed that Jacqueline Wilson's books might have the same effect on some girls.

Off to find 'Day of the Triffids' -terrified me as a child, might be ok now

I chucked my copy out at least 20 years ago, but curiosity may take me to the library. I used to simply thrill with horror at it! The Midwich Cuckoos scared me far more than Triffids.

[ToadMum]

The Lord of the Flies is a pretty grim book in places - but regarded as suitable as a exam text in the past.

Nothing past about it - DS2 is studying it for GCSE right now.

I had to study it for O Level, and I loathed it. He seems to be quite enjoying it, but I'm not sure whether he's got to the end yet.

We didn't "do" it for O Level, but by that age I had read both The Lord of the Flies and A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes. I looked the latter up again just now, and just reading the Wikipedia entry brought tears to my eyes again. (Pathos, or something akin to that I mean, not distress).

At the end of the day, though the content of these books and films may be disturbing (although DS2 - yr4 - is the only one in our house to have read all the books and he seems to have survived), they are only fiction. No doubt many would disagree with our policy, but our DC (14, 11, 9) are all perfectly aware that what real people really do to each other, and the excuses they give for their actions, is often so much worse.

Having said that, when we visited the Imperial War Museum the other day and DD (yr6) asked to be taken into the Holocaust Exhibition, I did go through my "they suggest a minimum age of 14 for a reason - it's a serious historical record, not a theme park" speech before saying yes. I have to say that she was seriously affronted by this, and to her credit impeccably behaved whilst we were inside.

[Minesatea]

DS1 has read the books and loved them but not yet seen the film. His granddad has seen the film and is currently borrowing his books!

I also did Lord of the flies for O level and hated it. perhaps I should try it again now.

The library service for us considers a young adult to be age 12. I remember signing to agree to their cards being upgraded to allow them to take YA books out.

[doodles]

DS1 went to see the film with a couple of friends and although it sounded pretty gruesome I couldn't shut them up in the car on the way home. It is one of the few films that they came out discussing properly and didn't just grunt "OK" when I asked what the film was like. The subject matter is not what I would choose to go and view at the cinema but then I am not a 13 year old boy!

DS really enjoyed the series of books by Maurice Gleitzmann (?sp) Then, Now etc and also the others that he has written - books about the Holocaust etc would not be my choice of reading material but they certainly got him thinking and started some interesting discussions.

At the other end of the scale DS2 is now reading Durrell's My Family and Other Animals and loving it and although it would probably be considered as slightly old fashioned now he is really enjoying it.

I get very frustrated by this unwillingness to buck whatever the current trend is when looking for books for children. HP leaves me cold and neither of my children like Michael Morpurgo's books, though they are sooooo recommended in school. My advise is to find a good independent bookshop (and if you are ever in this neck of the woods we have an excellent one) and ask their recommendations and don't be scared to take a step off the path.

(I'll go and put my soapbox away now!)

[Fran17]

At the other end of the scale DS2 is now reading Durrell's My Family and Other Animals and loving it and although it would probably be considered as slightly old fashioned now he is really enjoying it.

I get very frustrated by this unwillingness to buck whatever the current trend is when looking for books for children. HP leaves me cold and neither of my children like Michael Morpurgo's books, though they are sooooo recommended in school. My advise is to find a good independent bookshop (and if you are ever in this neck of the woods we have an excellent one) and ask their recommendations and don't be scared to take a step off the path.

(I'll go and put my soapbox away now!)

Mine have read several of Gerald Durrell's books and so have I. We all thoroughly enjoyed them.

Our children have similar tastes, my three DS's didn't like HP and only one enjoyed Michael Morpurgo's books. There are lots of other good books out there for them to enjoy.

[doodles]

[quote="Fran17Our children have similar tastes, my three DS's didn't like HP and only one enjoyed Michael Morpurgo's books. There are lots of other good books out there for them to enjoy.[/quote]

This is where I need a "like" button. It is important that as parents we teach them to look outside of the box and be adventurous in what they read.

One of my DS's told his teacher that he really didn't like the book that the class were reading and she was actually very good about it. She made him tell her why he didn't like it and wouldn't just accept "'cos I don't" - he had to argue his case to her and he still had to write the book review but from his stance.

[ToadMum]

The library service for us considers a young adult to be age 12. I remember signing to agree to their cards being upgraded to allow them to take YA books out.

Actually, DH treated DS2 to the books (I sometimes think that he is single-handedly propping up the British book trade!). The minimum age for a YA ticket in Essex libraries is 12, but at least in our area the librarians are willing to upgrade earlier with parental agreement. We did this for DD - 12 this coming September - at the weekend, prompted by her not being able to take out a book which was an S+ wrongly classified on the computer system as YA. DS2 very disgruntled though that we were not able to do the same for him, but at least now both of his siblings are able to borrow "unsuitable" literature for him

Subject to parental agreement, she adds hastily...