NationStates Jolt Archive

Just wondering (I will try to make this clear)
Back in the day in 4th grade I was read a book in class by a teacher z for zachariah (it is also 7th grade reading here as well)
For thoes that do not know the book it deals with a nuclear war and how this gal was the last person alive untill a man wanders into her vally with a radiation suit

In the end he ends up going insane and atempting to rape and kill her


Now while the book is not TOO graphic (sex or outright violence) the situation they are in is ... intense


Anyways this books spawned years of nightmares for me ... for years every time I heard a jet I thought the world was going to end


my question is should kids be subject to these very adult situations and should they be allowed to be subject to them in school

How do we judge what is too adult for school? and would that include parts of holy texts (dont turn this into a religous debate rather a contentual genearic ... it came to mind because I went to a catholic school)

Just wondering (I will try to make this clear)
Back in the day in 4th grade I was read a book in class by a teacher z for zachariah (it is also 7th grade reading here as well)
For thoes that do not know the book it deals with a nuclear war and how this gal was the last person alive untill a man wanders into her vally with a radiation suit

In the end he ends up going insane and atempting to rape and kill her


Now while the book is not TOO graphic (sex or outright violence) the situation they are in is ... intense


Anyways this books spawned years of nightmares for me ... for years every time I heard a jet I thought the world was going to end


my question is should kids be subject to these very adult situations and should they be allowed to be subject to them in school

How do we judge what is too adult for school? and would that include parts of holy texts (dont turn this into a religous debate rather a contentual genearic ... it came to mind because I went to a catholic school)for me, I believe it's the parent's responsibility. By reading to their children, they can bond with them, as well as monitor what the child reads. It also gives the Parents an Active Role in their child's education.

It is normal for children (and adults) to develop irrational fears. I think it's important to teach children (and adults) how to deal with these fears. Unfortunately, fear is often used to control children (and adults) instead.

Teaching children to overcome irrational fears takes time, but is a vital skill to prevent them gowing up into irrational fearful adults.

We read that book in 5th grade, and to be honest, I can barely remember it. That is kind of rare, because I normally remember most books I read so far, but this one left me completely unimpressed.

I do remember having nightmares about other books, though. I read the Neverending Story when I was 8 years old, and couldn't sleep for weeks. When I was 11, I read Anne Frank's diary, which had much the same effect.

Both of these books don't contain any "adult situations" whatsoever, and yet they did traumatise me to some extend. Most people would consider them more than appropriate for the age when I read them.
You never know who will react in what way to what book, movie, situation, etc. There is no way of telling, and age certainly is no indicator.

Just wondering (I will try to make this clear)
Back in the day in 4th grade I was read a book in class by a teacher z for zachariah (it is also 7th grade reading here as well)
For thoes that do not know the book it deals with a nuclear war and how this gal was the last person alive untill a man wanders into her vally with a radiation suit

In the end he ends up going insane and atempting to rape and kill her


Now while the book is not TOO graphic (sex or outright violence) the situation they are in is ... intense


Anyways this books spawned years of nightmares for me ... for years every time I heard a jet I thought the world was going to end


my question is should kids be subject to these very adult situations and should they be allowed to be subject to them in school

How do we judge what is too adult for school? and would that include parts of holy texts (dont turn this into a religous debate rather a contentual genearic ... it came to mind because I went to a catholic school)
Aah! This reminds me of watching (parts of) Watership Down when I was in 1st or 2nd grade... Until then I thought cartoons were cool...

i read Ender's Game when I was in 3rd or 4th grade. There were some very intense parts in that book as well, and i didn't really get it until I read it again several years later. Having not read z for zachariah, I can't comment on that particular book.

It should be up to the parents to know what is appropriate for thier own kids, as not every child is the same. And its important for parents and kids to have a relationship where they can talk and discuse things that bother them, or confuse them, or really intrest them.

I always took the view that if you could read it and understand it, it's the right age for you. Pornographic books excluded.

Aye, back in my day (three maybe four years ago) we read ALl Quiet on the Western Front, watched Schindler's List, ate sandwiches...drank maple syrup while reciting the roman alphabet backwards.....

I think that trying to shelter a child from exposure to anything that might disturb him is one of the surest ways to ensure that he grows up unable to cope well with reality.

Children are, in my opinion, more resilient than most people think, and scaring a kid a little is probably good for him :D

I remember reading a book back in the day...called Jennifer Government.

I STILL can't sleep...

(4:25am)

Depends on the individual child, I was consuming WWII history texts in 3rd grade with, well, I won't say no effect, but it's hard to tell amounsgt the general weirdness. ;)

I agree that reading material should be left to parents and teachers with those adults taking time afterwards to talk with kids about the stories.

Depends on the individual child, I was consuming WWII history texts in 3rd grade with, well, I won't say no effect, but it's hard to tell amounsgt the general weirdness. ;)

I agree that reading material should be left to parents and teachers with those adults taking time afterwards to talk with kids about the stories.

Actually, I thought this was what would always happen if you read a book in class? A general discussion of the story and the topics... otherwise, what's the point in reading books in class at all?

I think that in general, being disturbed by something is a good thing. No matter what the age, it's always something that takes you out of your element and makes you think. I think that it's a good idea for parents to be around and talk to their children about what they just read though, in case they have questions or are really traumatized.

Although from grade 5 onwards, I was seeking out books that would scare me...

I remember reading a book back in the day...called Jennifer Government.

I STILL can't sleep...

(4:25am)


Wich is kinda funny, becuase that book knocked me the hell out, everytime I tried to read it....

Pow!

Zing!

Actually, I thought this was what would always happen if you read a book in class? A general discussion of the story and the topics... otherwise, what's the point in reading books in class at all?
Eh... depends on what I'm doing with the lesson. If I was having the whole of the class read one book, I would do so. However, if I was having individual reading (attempting to bost reading interest) I might not have too many class meetings for individual books, but would do some face to face time with the student for an individual report.

In scool NO!
At home it's the parents dessision.

There really shouldnt be any such thing as "banned books".

Wow - world disaster, solitude, and rape. That is intense for a 4th Grader.

If you gave parents reading lists (I've never gotten one and have teen sons) how many parents would research & read anything? :rolleyes:

My boys have full control of what they want to read - since 4th grade they've tested consistantly on the 13+ grade level. Now they have a disturbed sense of humor, that I find hysterical, but have had problems with school over it.

Anyways this books spawned years of nightmares for me ... for years every time I heard a jet I thought the world was going to end


How many other kids read this book? How many of them got recurring nightmares?

Just wondering (I will try to make this clear)
Back in the day in 4th grade I was read a book in class by a teacher z for zachariah (it is also 7th grade reading here as well)
For thoes that do not know the book it deals with a nuclear war and how this gal was the last person alive untill a man wanders into her vally with a radiation suit

In the end he ends up going insane and atempting to rape and kill her


Now while the book is not TOO graphic (sex or outright violence) the situation they are in is ... intense


Anyways this books spawned years of nightmares for me ... for years every time I heard a jet I thought the world was going to end


my question is should kids be subject to these very adult situations and should they be allowed to be subject to them in school

How do we judge what is too adult for school? and would that include parts of holy texts (dont turn this into a religous debate rather a contentual genearic ... it came to mind because I went to a catholic school)


The more a parent teaches a child the difference between speculative reality and fantasy, the easier a child will have of dealing with the ideals in a more adult book. Having read Z for Zachariah I think it is a bit rough for the tender age of 4th grade. Then again, I know many schools that teach Lord of the Flies in 4th grade and that is a much more graphic book.

I suppose it depends on what the teacher feels the children can handle and what thye communicate with the parents. Perhaps if parents feel their children can't handle it, they can be given a seperate reading assignment in the library.

Well, my wee brother would have read that at about 11, and he concluded that it was utter garbage.

Of course, he had read "Nineteen-Eighty Four" before he read Z for Zachariah, so I think his standards were slightly higher.

I read everything before I let my kids get ahold of it. I don't think there should be any "banned books" but I wish my mom had actually read some of the stuff they were making us read in school before she just blindly accepted it. It wouldn't have been hard for her to ask my teachers for the reading list and check stuff out for herself, if for no other reason than to prepare me for it.

For example in the third grade we read "where the red fern grows" it is a pretty good book until you get to the part where the dog gets hurt and the little boy trips up on his intrails. I really wish I had some prep for that one. I threw up, sometimes the mental picture alone can make me cry. I think overall it was a good book, but it was a big shock to me at 8 years old.

If you are worried about what your kids are reading, listening to, watching on tv, or playing on playstation. YOU need to do something. The government isn't there to raise your kids, they shouldn't have any place in it at all .
but that is just my opinion. (and I have been in the middle of some misguided censorship so I could be bias.)

When I was in 3rd grade I read a book about skinning animals... it went into detail, needless to say I've been a vegitarian ever since... then again I don't regret it, infact I'm kinda glad I read it *shrugs*