I’m sorry neither you nor your kids have access to quality children’s literature.
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Lol, I certainly do, and she has read most of it.
Honestly, Nickelodeon had some choice moments.
The worst is when there’s a show aimed at like 3 year olds, and my kid who is 8 and has the comprehension of a 14 year old is like “this is my favorite!” Because the animation just has something that pulls her in.
Magic = Bad
All-powerful God who can bend/break the laws of Physics by answering prayers = Good.
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I think that a book that talks about mom and dad kissing each other before they go to work is the same level of appropriateness as dad and dad kissing each other before they go to work and both are probably fine for a 5th grader. I think a book where a M/F couple is doing something a bit scandalous is the same level of appropriateness as a M/M couple doing something a bit scandalous, and neither is probably fine for a 5th grader.
So if the rules are consistent in that both books that have something a bit scandalous in them are put in the middle school section because scandalous material is not appropriate for grade elementary schoolers, or high school section because it is a bit too scandalous for middle school, it really shouldn’t matter who is getting in on the action in the book.
Now do the same with violence or language, or other adult themes.
But I don’t think that is the type of thing being discussed in book bans. Its more like “OMG two dudes touched in a book lets burn it outside the district office”.
I also think that the current system already achieves this, as many have pointed out. The current system without the book nazi parents getting involved.
Agreed. When my kids were in school it was bc a book contained the word “scrotum”. Nevermind that it was talking about a dog in a correct way and it was a great story.
The school library? I’m not allowed to.
Agree that age ratings are appropriate. If not the government then who?
TV, video games, and movies all have ratings without the government doing it
I meant the public library. I trusted the school library to have age appropriate books.
I think the context was school libraries, but I might be remembering wrong.
They were talking about books being rated like movies. School libraries already tend to have age appropriate books so don’t really need ratings IMO. And even public libraries have “sections”, although in our libraries nothing prevents a 6yo from perusing YA titles.
Perhaps in the Publishing World, some independent collection of companies could create a panel, like the MPAA, or whoever rates video games and TV shows.
Interesting distinction between books and the others: books and other written materials have been around for millennia.
Girls start having their periods in 4th grade or earlier. Seems kind of weird to talk to them about that while ignoring the existence of sex.
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I dunno. My kid is entering 4th grade now. I think she knows what periods are about and what to do when she has one. Also aware that sex results in babies, and that sex involves eggs and a vagina and a penis. But not aware of the physical details of sex, or that it is a thing that grownups do frequently for fun, or how people are deeply obsessed with desire for it, and how it ties into jealousy and virtue and so forth.
I don’t think? She needs to know a whole lot just because she will have a period soon.
I think it will start to matter when she has any interest in it, or has friends who are having it. Probably in 4 years?
Otoh, I doubt it would hurt if she read a book with explicit sex now. Probably wouldn’t even consider it gross without pictures.
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I guess I think in terms of elementary/middle/high school as generally reasonable ranges for certain topics, and we can debate a bit on exact ages when a kid should pick up a book, but as a parent, I think you should probably sit down with your kids and talk about middle school things before they go there, and high school things before they go to that school. Also, they will probably find another student telling them about something before they read it in a book, because that other kid has older siblings.
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Looking into it briefly, it seems that a lot of publishers already give age recommendations for books. E.g., Scholastic says that the Hunger Games is for 11-13 year olds, and written at a 5.3 grade reading level.
I think violence in books is overshadowed by violence in movies/tv. Take say the Princess Bride (PG) with Wesley screaming as he is tortured to death. Vs almost any book with some words about killing and blood spurting.
Had an old friend make a similar comment watching GoT, felt the violence, though identical, much less disturbing in the books.
Dependent upon one’s imagination, I suppose.
If she’s in 4th grade and you’re waiting another 4 years to tell her about that stuff, you’ll be 2-4 years later than when she is hearing about it from her peers.
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