Inappropriate reading book (in my opinion)

iammumtoone

Jagraf wrote: »

My biggest problem here isn't the book, its that its really difficult to not have read it first if you are teaching it - almost impossible.

I see what you mean. Perhaps the school thought it better to word the letter as they hadn't read it (without actually saying that) rather than admit a teacher(s) had read it and thought it suitable material. I can see now that maybe admitting the last version would not have been a good idea.

I wonder if the teacher has been told her choice was unsuitable, or if the Head actually thought the parents were overreacting, but jugging by the amount of complaints thought it safer to just remove the book.

Jagraf

iammumtoone wrote: »

I see what you mean. Perhaps the school thought it better to word the letter as they hadn't read it (without actually saying that) rather than admit a teacher(s) had read it and thought it suitable material. I can see now that maybe admitting the last version would not have been a good idea.

I wonder if the teacher has been told her choice was unsuitable, or if the Head actually thought the parents were overeating, but jugging by the amount of complaints thought it safer to just remove the book.

Lol x I did hear adea took a bag of fish and chips in with her :rotfl:

iammumtoone

Jagraf wrote: »

Lol x I did hear adea took a bag of fish and chips in with her :rotfl:

:rotfl: I have edited, but its too late, it is now for all to see :rotfl:

I might now start over overreacting at the amount of overeating I will do over the bank holiday

Mrshaworth2b

So... I've downloaded the book.

kboss2010

iammumtoone wrote: »

At secondary school yes I agree but some of these children are 10 years old

And will be going to high school in a year or two where they will meet teenage boys.

It's a sensitive issue because parents don't want to face the harsh reality of growing up as a young person in 2015. We have so many problems with sexting, sharing inappropriate photos, boys thinking it's ok to treat their girlfriends and boyfriends like a piece of meat precisely because consent and inappropriate behaviour hasn't been talked about in the context of sex education until now. And if you've not been made aware of the warning signs of an abusive relationship, how can you be expected to see it coming? And it's precisely the young, naive ones that get preyed upon. Sadly, 'being young for your age' is not going to protect them. I know, I was one of those kids. I was lucky that I didn't start dating until I was older and at uni, some of my similar friends not so.

As someone in my 20s who has seen these things happen to friends precisely because they didn't know they were not normal at a young age, I can assure you that you are much better off with your almost-teenager being aware than being blissfully ignorant.

Nicki

^^^

only not a year or two before they go to high school but a bare 5 months away! At which point, the naive ones will grow up very quickly!

RebeccaN

I have had a similar problem with my son being given 'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas' as a 'Guided reading' (where they read it is a supervised group) book. This is not even a child's book and the protagonist dies in a gas chamber at the end. My son was only 10 at the beginning of the year but as he was in the top set he was given a more 'challenging' book.
Myself and another parent complained. This resulted in our children being withdrawn from the lesson and left to their own devices. Instead of speaking to me as I requested, the head tried to escalate my concerns to a formal complaint that she needed several weeks to prepare for so I gave up and said that as long as my son did not have to read inappropriate books I did not mind. The school is planning to do the book again next year.
So I absolutely back you in raising this issue and when I once walked past the group at school discussing lice and how thin you got in a Concentration Camp I knew I had done the right thing. Unfortunately schools do not seem to feel any accountability to parents anymore. There are so many wonderful children's books out there, why study the ones that are not age-appropriate?

seven-day-weekend

pollypenny wrote: »

I like Malorie Blackman's books, but I would have taught them around Y8 in secondary school.

Having just read a review of the book, I agree with this. Twelve is a more appropriate age than ten for the sexual content of this book.

Morglin

My 10 year old grandaughter has read the book, she's a prolific and avid reader, and had no problems with it.

She doesn't read out loud now, but chatted to me about it briefly, as she does with many of her reading books, - but, she loves many books, and is just as cheerful reading the old Blyton books, such as Famous Five and Secret Seven that I still have.

I think kids should be stretched, with literature, should read all sorts, if possible, and they will only read what they can cope with.

To be honest, I think it's more worrying that she, and her little mates, are all fully up to speed on all the adult dramas of soap operas, and love those trashy American dramas which involve teenagers being loud and obnoxious......:eek:

Lin

Jagraf

RebeccaN wrote: »

I have had a similar problem with my son being given 'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas' as a 'Guided reading' (where they read it is a supervised group) book. This is not even a child's book and the protagonist dies in a gas chamber at the end. My son was only 10 at the beginning of the year but as he was in the top set he was given a more 'challenging' book.
Myself and another parent complained. This resulted in our children being withdrawn from the lesson and left to their own devices. Instead of speaking to me as I requested, the head tried to escalate my concerns to a formal complaint that she needed several weeks to prepare for so I gave up and said that as long as my son did not have to read inappropriate books I did not mind. The school is planning to do the book again next year.
So I absolutely back you in raising this issue and when I once walked past the group at school discussing lice and how thin you got in a Concentration Camp I knew I had done the right thing. Unfortunately schools do not seem to feel any accountability to parents anymore. There are so many wonderful children's books out there, why study the ones that are not age-appropriate?

Now this is one I have read. Can I ask why you think this is inappropriate? I don't understand. What about history books talking about the plague, the great fire of London, any other type of history?