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26 Books That Parents Read Back In School That They Feel Their Own Children Should Never Read
Interview With Author
If you’re anything like us, dear Pandas, then you’re simply obsessed with reading. We devour books one after the other, speed-read chapters during our coffee breaks, and may or may not literally be reading 8 books at the same time. Physical, digital, imaginary—we don’t care about the format.
Even though we personally enjoy experimenting with various weird works of writing, things are a bit different when you’re a parent. Case in point, some grownups spilled the tea in a r/AskReddit thread about what books they read back in school that they’d never, ever want their own children to read. Scroll down to see their opinions and the reasons behind them.
Bored Panda reached out to redditor u/masterbuildera, the author of the viral thread, and they were kind enough to share their thoughts with us.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Dianetics, or anything else by L. Ron Hubbard.
Edited to explain why "Dianetics" was read in school: I was a junior in high school. Our AP world history teacher assigned us a project to research a "world religion" outside of the "big 3". Half of the students chose Buddhism, a few chose Hinduism, a few Taoism, a few LDS, etc. But this was '05-'06, and the "Trapped in the Closet" episode of South Park had just come out. Having never before heard of Scientology, I *had* to know if the episode was accurate.
#2
Shakespeare. Not because it is bad but because it's not really meant to be read. It's a performance your supposed to watch it.
BluEyedSeoulite 1 year ago
You need a good teacher for it too. I had one English teacher who though just reading it to us was an effective teaching strategy, we all failed. We all know the story and main points but he never explained any of the lines but tested us on the lines. Later, I had another teacher who went over Caesar and she was so good, she basically translated line by line and went over everything. She made it really interesting, all while knitting at her desk. I miss her!
#3
I don't have or want kids but Flowers In The Attic by V.C. Andrews. I was maybe 11 or 12 when I saw it in my school library and remember my mum mentioned she'd read it in school. Holy hell that was not a book that should have been in a primary school library, the fact it was required reading in my mum's school when she was 14 is even more messed up.
Paula Pattison 1 year ago
Disturbs me to this day and I read it 45 ish years ago as a 13 year old
We got in touch with redditor u/masterbuildera, who started up the viral r/AskReddit thread, and asked them to share a few thoughts. We were curious how they had decided to ask such an unusual and interesting question in the first place.
"I started the thread because I read a book that was not suitable for my age," they opened up to Bored Panda.
They said that they were "traumatized because of it." However, they were unsure if their experience was unique. "So I decided to ask people on Reddit to see if they had read a book like that," u/masterbuildera shared that they were curious how widespread this phenomenon really was.
According to the OP, whether or not banning books makes them more likely to be read by people will depend a lot on the context. The redditor noted that "if the book has strong content," then it wouldn't necessarily be something that others might be very curious about.
#5
My 5th grade teacher read the Stephen King short story Survival Type to the class. For those who haven’t read: the narrator / mc is a drug smuggler who crash lands his plane on a deserted island. He ends up doing all the heroin he recovered from the crash and cannibalizes himself. We didn’t know at the time our teacher had early onset dementia..
#6
Go Ask Alice or Jay’s Journal. The “anonymous” person who wrote it was not a young girl or a guy it was a woman named Beatrice Sparks (and probably other who collaborated). She was a conservative and wrote the books based on those ideals in order to “save the children”. Absolute s**t writing and s**t person.
Mila Preradović 1 year ago (edited)
If you want the real deal, try We, children from Bahnhof Zoo by Christiane F.
Bored Panda wanted to get the thread author's opinion on where the line between censorship and protection lies. We were curious where they think the line is between being too strict and wanting to protect children from being traumatized by books, just like they were in their youth.
"From my perspective, schools need to ban books that are meant for adults," the redditor said that books that are clearly marked mature, meant for 18 and over, shouldn't find themselves in the hands of school kids.
Meanwhile, they added that parents should also observe what books their kids read and what reading lists schools have.
However, it's not all doom and gloom. The redditor noted that even though they were traumatized by a book in their past, they've also found some books that had some tips that directly improved their life.
#7
Maybe this isn’t the question, but I read A Child Called ‘It’ as an elementary aged child. I bought it at the school’s Scholastic Book Fair, and was maybe 9 years old. Why on earth they thought that was an appropriate book for small children to be purchasing and reading, I will never know. The 90’s were a trip.
Tucker Cahooter 1 year ago
If you don't know what this book is about, it is a true first person account by someone who suffered prolonged and extreme physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his mother as a child. Not for the squeamish.
#8
Hear me out, this is a weird take:
**Cyrano de Bergerac**
Not because it isn't a good story, it is. But because I think high school boys get the wrong message from it and it fuels this incel, neckbeard fantasy of "*I am truly special, and I will pursue this woman until she realizes how special I am. She only likes that other guy because he's cute, it definitely isn't that I'm an a*****e.*" I don't think that's healthy for them, I think a lot of them don't get that it's satire because it's in middle english.
I'm not saying they *can't* read it, but it shouldn't be required as part of the curriculum either (it was for me at least).
Dan Padgett 1 year ago
I think educators need to frame these works correctly for them to be effective.
#9
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison was rough.
As a victim of childhood SA I wish I didn’t have to quietly relive that trauma in a freshman English classroom full of strangers.
and_a_touch_of_the_’tism 1 year ago
We had to read a handful of books like that (not really but same topics) like Speak and there was a discreet opt-out option, you had to pick a book from the teacher’s shelf and write an essay on it instead
Being a parent is tough. When it comes to reading, you have to find the right balance between protecting your kids from extremely unsettling ideas while also allowing them to grow and develop their thinking. You can’t expect them to ever think outside the box if they’re kept firmly within it.
When it comes to visual media like movies and TV shows, things are slightly simpler: there are age ratings that help guide parents. However, while some books do have recommendations for age groups, it’s not like you can declare that George Orwell’s ‘1984’ is only ‘meant’ for those 18 years old or over. Imagine the outrage!
The desire to limit people’s access to reading material, in order to protect them (or society at large), can quickly devolve into censorship. However, we all know that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. You have to trust that people will be able to deal with the uncomfortable things they read on a page.
#10
I was in a gifted class and we read 1984...in the fourth grade. Great piece of literature, but maybe a titch intense for nine-year-olds, y'know?
#11
Where the Red Fern Grows- I wept like a baby when I read that book. I don’t want to subject my little one (who loves dogs) to that heartbreak.
fro_st puppy 1 year ago (edited)
I read this when i was young and loved it so much. Its such a magical story about a boy and the strong bond he has with his two hunting dogs. The ending is upsetting but it's 100% worth reading, even for younger children in my opinion. I dont really see why people feel the need to shelter kids from a book like this one. (obviously some books on this list yes, they sound awful). But this book is great!
#12
Lord of the Flies. I hate that s**t.
This isn’t about censorship, if my kid wants to read that dogshit book, of course they can. But I’d never recommend it to anybody, or encourage anyone to read it if they were on the fence.
Izzy Curer 1 year ago
I tried to read it as a kid. Hated it. Tried to read it as an adult. Loved it. One of my favorite genres is something I like to call 'sunny horror', and so few things qualify.
Meanwhile, if we’re talking about kids, parents can either help contextualize these ideas or simply explain that the themes are slightly too mature for them at this moment. There’s nothing wrong with putting a book off for a couple of years. Though, naturally, you might make your children even more curious to read them if you ban those novels outright! If it’s forbidden, we can’t help but be even more intrigued…
Reading is such a natural part of our daily lives that some of us can forget that there are plenty of people out there who are illiterate. It’s a luxury to consider what books should or should not be read by our children. ‘Think Impact’ reports that in the United States, 79% of adults are literate. Though this might sound like a big number, it means that a jaw-dropping 21% of all American grownups cannot read. Meanwhile, 54% of adults have literacy below the 6th-grade level.
The World Population Review notes that the 10 least literate countries include Chad (with a 22.31% literacy rate), Guinea (32%), South Sudan (34.52%), Niger (35.05%), Mali (35.47%), the Central African Republic (37.40%), Burkina Faso (41.22%), Benin (42.36%), Afghanistan (43.02%), and Sierra Leone (43.21%).
Poverty and illiteracy are closely linked together. Areas that are deeply affected by poverty offer fewer opportunities for education and, by extension, reading. Meanwhile, instead of going to school, children from poor families might instead find work to help out their families financially. There are around 781 million adults around the globe who cannot read or write, and two-thirds of them are female.
#13
Gone with the Wind. Not because it's offensive (it is) or because it has rape scenes that portray the main character as liking them (it does) or because it depicts slavery from the wrong side of history (it definitely does). No, because it's a 900+ page book that ends and begins without really doing anything, and it doesn't even attempt to show one battle of the Civil War. It's basically Waiting for Godot, but instead of God it's a prissy Southerner who never loved the main character anyways, while the real lover has to rape her to show how much he loves her. It's utter trash.
AliJanx 1 year ago
Margaret Mitchell was born in 1900 in Atlanta, GA, an area in the US still reeling from the Civil War. Her goal was to make a historically accurate depiction of life in the South and the impacts of the War. The book outlines how people were treated, what slavery really was, what it was like to have your property, land completely destroyed because of war, and the attitudes of different plantation owners to slaves. IMO, to judge GWTW by today's standards is to miss the point. The horrors depicted in that book gave me insight to my own prejudices and how to personally combat them.
#14
The Kite Runner....my dad saw me pick that up at a book store when I was in the 7th grade and he said no, I wasn't allowed to read that till I got older. Me being the rebellious little s**t I was convinced my friend to buy it and we took turns reading it. Yeah that book is not for kids....I learnt some things that day :(
X_EwPeople_X (he/they/it/catself) 1 year ago
i read the book in 6th grade and while it is an awesome book it takes some emotional strength to read.
#15
My mum used to use The Giving Tree to guilt me. That book is too easily weaponized
BluEyedSeoulite 1 year ago
I love Shel Silverstein and this book but using any book to guilt your child is such crappy parenting
#16
I know it’s weak, but the ending to Of Mice and Men really messed up my 13 year old brain.
Ruler of everything 1 year ago
I found the ending quite sad- all that work, all the dreams were going to come true, but then it was all ruined.
#17
I read a book about King Arthur, I think it was just called "Arthur The King". I enjoyed royalty, Knights, and historical fiction, so it looked like a great pick for me for this book project. It was in my teacher's classroom on a list of approved options.
Y'all, I was not READY for the amount of rape and sodomy in there. It was absurd. I think the book was actually meant to be an erotic novel, it's the only reason I can think of for that much adult content. I'm positive the teacher had never read it herself.
I'm all for kids being exposed to a variety of topics, and teens can be exposed to sexuality, and I was sixteen or seventeen at the time. But this was just beyond anything.
BluEyedSeoulite 1 year ago
I read Maia, the main character is sold as a sex slave by her 'mother' after her stepdad seduces her. That book sounds like it has less sexual content and it is 1,000+ pages!
#18
"A Day No Pigs Would Die" was pretty rough in 6th grade. Basically Charlotte's web with HAUNTINGLY graphic depictions of animal husbandry and slaughter. I don't remember getting a lot of value out of it at 11 years old, just pig-blood soaked nightmares lol
#19
Red Badge of Courage was so ungodly boring it almost drove me insane so I would save them that headache
#20
The Scarlett Letter that s**t was a grind. I love to read, but I wanted to claw my eyes out so I could stop reading it.
#21
I'm of the controversial opinion that not many things are truly inappropriate for children if they're capable of actually grasping the subject matter.
But for me, there is one thing I feel was GENUINELY not appropriate and that I regret exposing myself to:
A Million Little Pieces by James Frey. In 7th grade I stole that book from my parents room [the cover was cool and I loved reading edgy YA fiction].
And just... yeah, I ABSOLUTELY didn't need to be consuming that novel as a 12 year old. I was easily old enough to grasp drug abuse and rape, but it was just... a f*****g LOT. I don't recall the experience very fondly.
Katie Lutesinger 1 year ago
James Frey is a con artist and general POS. None of what happens in this supposed autobiography actually happened.
#22
Les Miserables. Sophomore year. Just too long. I failed English because of it. It was just a basic English class not English Literature.
I read it years later and it is long but, one of the best endings of any novel ever.
Emily Jones 1 year ago
I read this for fun when I was 14 and loved it, but it took me months. If I knew it was required reading with a time limit on it I would have freaked.
#23
I was supposed to read Night John in 4th grade. We stopped when parents complained about the vivid description of a slave being ripped apart by dogs. I’d definitely let me kids read it but not in 4th grade.
Paul Pienkowski 1 year ago
No, I don't agree with this one. Kids need to know the horror of slavery. They need to know why Black people are so angry, even now.
Colin 1 year ago
Yes they need to know, but 9 year olds can be exposed to it without this book. The book is better reading to at 14ish probably.
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B Hobbit 1 year ago
I read Roots when I was 9. It was not part of an assignment, I was just a fan of Martin Luther King and Roots was in the theaters at that time so I read it. I think these books are important but support and guidance for children is needed, particularly for kids who don't have it at home.
jolie laide 1 year ago
Ahh, Roots, yeah. I remember my Mom and I read the book, then watched the mini series. I remember ENDLESS screaming matches/fights, between my Mom and Dad. Dad always claiming that it was all lies, and Mom defending it. Wasn't until ages later that some official verdict was reached that while, yes, it was very representative, it was ultimately fiction. Dad gloated, while Mom wasn't wrong either. I hated my house growing up sometimes.
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Cthulhu Kitty 1 year ago (edited)
Maybe middle school? But no problem with school age kids reading, they need to know, spelling edit
Emily Anderson 11 months ago
I almost threw up in school because I was forced to read this and I have mirror touch, so the toe scene was too much for me. There are plenty of slavery novels that are valid that don’t involve such graphic scenes that would be better suited to 8th graders. I wasn’t okay and should have just walked out of class. We had to read it aloud in small groups. I was in the advanced reading group but I could have grasped the concept much better without that imagery which was truly too too much for me. You just unlocked a memory for me that I’d forgotten.
#24
Heart of Darkness. It's just so f*****g boring and a waste of hours of my life.
The worst part is it has the potential to be exciting and interesting. Cannibals and wild animal attacks. But the God damn main character is more focused on how many bolts and nuts he needs to fix his damn boat.
Alex Martin 1 year ago
I tapped out on HoD in high school. That book was so terribly slow. I bought the Cliffs Notes for that book and I was able to pass the quizzes and write a paper. Only time I ever did that.
#25
Was given The Things They Carried in HS and had nightmares for weeks because I had a brother overseas in combat at the time. Part of me never wants my kids to read it because of how much it negatively effected me, which I know isn't a good reason. I do think it is a worthwhile book but it will always, always make me uncomfortable.
Aaron Parker 1 year ago (edited)
This book and "All Quiet on the Western Front" should be required reading for all young men aged 17. There's been too much celebration of war in this country over our history. War is not glorious or adventurous, it is absolute hell. All young men need to know the truth about it before some recruiter comes to them in their foolish young age to capture them with the bullsh*t fantasy of "seeing the world" and "being a warrior." These readings will destroy some of the naivete in many young men.
What do you think ?
R Dennis 1 year ago
I read a lot of these books. Some of them are trash, some are really dependent on maturity level. What is appropriate for one 12 year old may not be appropriate for another... In my daughter's kindergarten teacher conference, I was told to read my daughter "more age appropriate books" because she loved The Raven. I used to say "Quoth the raven!" And she would hiss "Nevermore!" I ignored that request.
A girl 1 year ago
The Exorcist was released when I was nine or so. Mom wouldn't let me see it. Checked it out of the library. Book is way more intense than the movie. My folks never restricted my reading. I appreciated that.
Cerridwn d'Wyse 1 year ago
Great for your parents.mine didn't either and I never restricted my daughters. I think every kid is different and what we enjoy and what we can do at a given age level varies from how we erased and who we became.
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Penny Kemper 1 year ago
You title is wrong. This one is about books children read that really aren't for children.
Monday 1 year ago
Yeah, many of these books are pretty great as long as you don't read them when you're 9.
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LokisLilButterknife 1 year ago
Revelations is pure, unadulterated nightmare fuel
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martin734 1 year ago
Nobody should dictate to others, even their own children, what books they can or cannot read. If you feel a book is too grown up for your child then explain to them that they should wait until they are older so they can understand it better and to be honest if your child is old enough to understand the story and the context of the book then they are old enough to read it, if not then it is most likely that they will soon give up on a book they don't understand.
LokisLilButterknife 1 year ago (edited)
Just because a parent does not agree with the themes or characters in a book or simply finds it boring doesn't mean that a book should not be read--I feel that is getting dangerously close to censorship and book banning. Some of the people in these comments are saying that a book should not be read by their child just because they don't care for a character of find the book boring or too graphic. Yes, there are some books that contain themes that may be extremely heavy for a younger audience and should therefore be read by an older audience or discussed first. However, to shield a child from reading something because a parent finds it darker just doesn't sit right with me. There are always going to be books that make us to uncomfortable and challenge our world views. But to deny someone the right to read them because you don't agree with the themes sounds like censorship to me. What a weird thread...
Tris Hunt 1 year ago
Everything's slowly turning into Fahrenheit 451. Which is honestly sad.
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Robert T 1 year ago
We had to read some pretty tedious books at school. I remember having to drag myself through Far From The Madding Crowd and The Mayor Of Casterbridge. One I wasn't forced to read, but was rather weird for a child to read was Duncton Wood - contained a lot of gore and violence - I thought it was going to be a nice story about moles. :(
Brian Tickle 1 year ago
Ahhh...Far From The Madding Crowd . I was forced to read it at school and HATED it. So little happens over its 10 million pages...almost nothing at all for the first half of the book. It's awful and nobody could ever convince me otherwise.
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QuirkyKittyGirl 1 year ago
I have always encouraged my son to read anything he wants to. He knows that if he has questions, or just wants to share, I'm always available. The way I see it, is you should be thrilled if your child can/will read.
LokisLilButterknife 1 year ago
I think that is an amazing way to approach learning and foster a love for reading!
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Aya Pandy 1 year ago
Most of these missed the entire point of the books and believe kids can't handle knowing about the unjust and cruelty that has/could occur. That's a luxury not afforded to those with generation trauma caused by many the topics. Kids aren't stupid they can handle these topics and discussion of them. Teaching kids to recognize the horrors that can occur helps them fight it and often has the effect of them intentionally spreading kindness
Izzy Curer 1 year ago (edited)
I agree with you as long as the topics are realistic, but there really is just some trash out there in the literary world. Take smut, for instance, which has a tendency to age badly because of how unrealistic it is. It's just someone's warped fantasy, and often portrays human behavior in nonsensical, degrading, and unrealistic ways. Which is fine for an adult who understand that's exactly what they're reading. Younger individuals might have a harder time sussing the author out from behind the story. There's just some garbage out there that has no business making smart children question reality and making them feel insecure over something that happened in the author's head. The reality is, people can write anything, and all it has to do is be entertaining in order to sell.
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ConstantlyJon 1 year ago
9th grade honors history had me reading The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. Our teacher told us up front it would be the worst book we've ever read. He was correct. It shows the horrors of early industrial revolution's abuse of immigrants and the lives they had to lead. Had chapters vividly describing a meat processing plant, going into detail about each part of each floor. Just a horrible read, but it was meant to be that way to call the public's attention to working conditions for these people.
Corvus 1 year ago
This may sound weird, but I'd put The Little Prince here - not because it's bad book (quite the contrary), but because only a grown-up can fully understand it.
Lacia Lew 1 year ago (edited)
I read it like a beloved fairytale when I was 10, and when I reread it at 19, I found it deeply profound. I always appreciate reading The Little Prince for such deep existentialism and many more different takes I can get from repeated reading.
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Izzy Curer 1 year ago (edited)
Some parents regret having children because they just want to read. Edit: This post was originally titled, "Parents open up about regretting having children", for a short time. They caught on to the mistake and have since fixed it.
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Kenny Kulbiski 1 year ago
If you don't want your kid to read a particular book that's your choice, although I strongly disagree. If you want to voice you opinion, that's your privilege. But please, please don't try to get any book banned for any reason. That's trying to force people to think the same as you and it's beyond reprehensible.
Pandamanda 1 year ago
Much of the issue boils down to 2 factors: 1. The maturity of the young person, which can only be determined by the parent. 2. The guidance the young person has or doesn’t have while processing hard topics. If a parent thoughtfully determines when a young reader is ready, and follows up with meaningful discussions, no book is completely off limits.
Ari Keeper 1 year ago (edited)
Some of these comments are whack. Children should not be exposed to scenes of graphic violence + rape, no matter what they might "learn" from them. The world's gone mad, + children receive no protection or guidance.
natie marie 1 year ago
I think there's an obsession with shielding the young from sad films or tough books. Sad and tough things happen. Films and books are a way of equipping you with a deeper emotional vocabulary in a safe space. Some of those books were just terrible reads though.
Miss Frankfurter 1 year ago
Many of these books are excellent for study, just not in 4th grade. What idiots are introducing them at such inappropriate age levels? That’s most of the problem I see here. How are these books being taught? We had a number of pages to read before next class. They were examined and discussed in the next class. Not only the author’s writing style but in context to the times it was written. Huck Finn immediately followed by To Kill a Mockingbird. How the writing presented the subject and the subjects themselves. I read Catcher In the Rye in Catholic high school. Relative to the times I was growing up in. Examine and discuss. Chapter by chapter. Not one parent had an issue with any of our books, some you wouldn’t think would be in a Catholic school. Its about age appropriate and how it is taught. I hated being made to read Lord of the Flies, Heart of Darkness and a few others. So, I didn’t. Paid attention enough in class to pull a good final mark. Age appropriate, and how it’s taught.
censorshipsucks 1 year ago
Is this meant to be a list of books parents wouldn't let kids read which are THOUGHT to be kids' books, OR is it meant to be a list of ANY books that are not appropriate for children? If so, let me add Stephen King's entire opus, and the Bible. Neither are appropriate for kids. They both contain vileness like rape scenes.
Hales M 1 year ago
Like water for chocolate - super abusive family. Sister has sex on a horse, also there's a chicken tornado. However this is a fine in comparison to the other novel we read IN THE SAME GRADE 10 CLASS... House of the Spirits-- necrophilia, SA, SA of minors, SA of a mentally disabled individual, physical abuse, verbal abuse, (consensual) incest, incest SA, and relatively minor consequences grand scheme. I fully tuned out when the second chapter (after the necrophilia of the first chapter) had the protagonist (well one of them) describing himself brutally raping in 13yr old... because he could... IN GRADE 10 ENGLISH!!!... by the end you're just fully desensitized to it all... like yup creepy uncle takes the toddler's hand and puts it on his junk... sure... why not. Who cares art this point. I went back and tried to read it as an adult having read a wide variety of messed up novels in uni... it is still as effed as I remembered and certainly shouldn't be read by 13yr olds.
LokisLilButterknife 1 year ago
La Casa de los Espíritus (House of the Spirits) is one of the most renown works of Hispanic literature, but I wholeheartedly agree that it has some incredibly heavy thematic elements that would be disturbing to a much younger audience. It is often read in University level Spanish and English courses to introduce the concept of magical realism.
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SandraG_lak 1 year ago
It wasn't the book, but we watched Watership Down in Grade 6 or 7. I was horrified and it haunted me for years. Definitely for more of a high school audience.
A girl 1 year ago
I still read that one periodically. It's sad but speaks to me.
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Sabrina Longo 1 year ago
Work as a teachers assistant for a bit. The teacher decided to choose books the kids could relate to. Modern writers and stories about the struggles of being POC or poor or bullied. I could tell it was triggering to them. Teacher thought it was helpful to understanding their problems. 😔 Those poor kids just trying to learn while being reminded of a family member in jail.
Leo Domitrix 1 year ago
Yeah. I read to escape. Tolkein, Hawthorne, I didn't care. What wasn't *my actual life*.
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Kinsey Shepard 11 months ago (edited)
I’m just surprised Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children isn’t on the list. I’ve read some weird books but that was a NIGHTMARE
Deborah Rubin 1 year ago
Shakespeare? How do you perform a play until you've read the script? And the sonnets were meant to be read, not played. I've never even heard of some of these books, some I've familiar with but never read. My parents trusted me to select the books that were appropriate for me. Length was not a consideration.
Linda Van Gijzen 1 year ago
Funny one should read Les Miserables in English class, while it is a French book
Joyce Blodgett 1 year ago
The only ones I ever read on this list were "1984," on NY eve 1983; and "The Scarlet Letter," way back in about 5th grade because our teacher mandated it. I only recall a wee bit about that one, a lot more about 1984 (because I was 30 years old for that one), so neither traumatized me. My son was dyslexic, and struggled super hard with reading, so I never forced it on him. I'd read to him every day, but it was always books that interested him, nothing forced by his schools. Now I wouldn't recommend any particular book except one, and then not until one is old enough to grasp at least the basic premises.
Elizabeth Deighton 1 year ago
I discovered James Bond when I was about 13/14 (In the 1960's this was considered hot stuff) Didn't think that my parents would allow me to read them so hide them either in my desk at school or in my school satchel to read in bed. This day, my satchel was knocked over and out fell this book with a half naked lady on it. Before I could retrieve it, my Dad picked it up, asked if it was a school book. Told him no it was mine. So after asking if I had finished it, he took it to read. A few days later, he told me, with a twinkle in his eyes that I couldn't read them any more. I could buy them, he would read them but I couldn't. From then on I used to pass them onto him after I had read them
Catherine Spencer-Mills 1 year ago
I have 3 adult sons. Never disallowed any book. The discussions were interesting. I was a little startled when my youngest latched onto Harlequin romances. (I read a couple, just awful)
Beruthiel45 1 year ago (edited)
I only commented when I'd read the book and also had a strong opinion, but I'm aware of all of those listed after being a librarian in both educational and public libraries during my working life. Most of these fall under the description of American classics, which might be why they were included in schools despite their subject matter. Made me wonder how many were read by whoever thought them appropriate for certain age groups? 🤔 I was able to read whatever I wanted as a kid, and all I ever told my children - if I knew the book they were considering - was, "you might not like that one." They'd often agree afterwards. 🤷
Jay-Jay Pickles 1 year ago
In my freshman year of high school. We had to read Unbreakable. One scene that didn't make it into the movie was when a guard at a POW camp raped a duck to death in front of the prisoners because they had basically adopted the duck and it was their only source of joy during their captivity. I don't regret reading the book, but that part certainly stuck with me.
Rachel Ainsworth 1 year ago
I disliked every book in English classes, not because of the books themselves but because every book was dissected to tease out the "hidden meanings" that the author supposedly put in there. English was always such a disappointing subject because I have always loved reading.
Belle Miles 1 year ago
Well this seems like a rabbit hole that I won't waste my time in. Maybe explaining WHY it would traumatize you would have been helpful.
Temporary Dork 1 year ago
I wouldn't forbid any book, but I might pretend The Once And Future King has only one part, so kids happily reading the adventures of the young Arthur will not be confronted with the horrendous slaughter of a unicorn.
Raphapablap 1 year ago
Tess of the d'Urbervilles was a massive chore I think for most of my class to read and analyse.
and_a_touch_of_the_’tism 1 year ago (edited)
Not as bad as some on this list, but holy hells I had to read a Tale of Two Cities in freshman year and it was SO. BORING. The only thing that made it worth it was the French-revolution-themed prank war between the advanced English classes. I made a working guillotine (CARDBOARD couldn’t actually hurt you but the blade dropped and everything.
Leo Domitrix 1 year ago
Orson Scott Card (author) once said that if you have to teach the novel, the author didn't do their job. (saw him speak at a book festival) While I'm not an Ender fan, i agree with Card on that. Some books are best as companions to *history classes* (Stendahl's Le rouge et le noir, Dickens's whole body of work, for two examples) for many students, is what I suspect. And some novels should be read fo rthe sheerr joy of them. A good story, that touches mind and/or heart. IMHO.
Janelle (jellybean/nellie) 1 year ago
The title of the thread is about regretting having kids.... not accurate. It's about traumatizing books we had to read as kids.
Lynne Hammar 1 year ago (edited)
Definitely not in school (!) but as a teen I read part of The Exorcist at a friend's house (it was a book of her parent's). It was sickening and not something I needed at that age. My own fault though
Lynne Hammar 1 year ago
stop downvoting please (unless someone is demeaning) ... it gets people blocked or banned
LokisLilButterknife 1 year ago
I contacted BoredPanda staff and down-voting no longer gets an user ban. What may get an user banned is the report button (small colon) by your username. You can click on this button if you want to report a comment that contains spam, hate speech, or hurtful language. BoredPanda really needs to stop with the censorship though (I find that ironic as this is a thread which is kind of about censorship in a way.)
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never-wake-up (fae/faer) 1 year ago
When i was 13, I had to read "L'adversaire" by Emmanuel Carrère. The true story of a man who killed his whole family for no reason(two children, wife, parents and dog). Even he didn't know why he did it. I had nighmares for months after that. Didn't help that this was in 2017 and the guy was pleading to be released. Som teachers don't realise how books impact the children.
Casey McAlister 1 year ago
Crime and punishment. A guy with a personality of a tapeworm kills an old lady and then ruminates over it for hundred of pages before finally going to jail. Such a drag. Have no idea why it is so glorified.
Silre 1 year ago
I read it while I was sick with strep throat and then got back to school to discover that the rest of my class had talked the teacher out of covering it. I was pissed.
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B-b-bird 1 year ago
"Medallions" by Polish author Zofia Nałkowska. I just could not finish the book... thought my veins will start popping from horror, especially knowing all stories were true experience. Was 8th grader and it was mandatory. Plainly and honestly explained to teacher that it was such a horror to read, that i have stopped. Told I can re-tell all what was written, up to the point where I broke, but please do not make me finish it. I should say, teacher did not berated me, but I did receive lower mark for "partly" completing the assignment. WILL NOT ALLOW my kids to read it until they are adults. Yes, we all need to know what genocide is from young, but we cannot mess up our kids like that! checked current list of literature for schools - it was not on the list!
Rick Seiden 1 year ago
Anything you have to read. My kids were forced to read 25 books a school year, and it turned them all off from reading. My wife and I have been avid readers for a long time, and you would think we would pass that down. But the NY State Board of Education ruined it.
小呀小苹果 1 year ago
Nah, that's on you. It's a cop out to blame the schools.
Load More Replies... Adam Zad 1 year ago
Johnny Got His Gun, by Dalton Trumbo. God, what a slog! Slow, boring, written in stream-of-consciousness, with an ending that went COMPLETELY against Johnny's character. Forced to read it when I was 13. Hated it. Hated Lord of the Flies, too, but that was because all the characters were pricks. If I don't care about the characters, I can't care about the storyline.
Mariele Scherzinger 1 year ago
There are many novels in this list which have distinctly adult themes. Though they might be worth discussing, I'm not sure if you can reach an adolescent audience with it. As a teacher, I was considering to read "Precious" with my class, but decided against it, for various reasons. Kids these days know very little about the Aids epidemic, or the early 90s, and the main character's homophobia would give most YA readers the wrong message.
Melissa 1 year ago
As the teacher, it is your job to give proper context when discussing different historical eras. I assume you do this when reading something like To Kill A Mockingbird in regards to racism. Just something to consider if you do decide to read Precious.
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Huddo's sister 1 year ago
Deadly, Unna? Novel by Phillip Gwynne. Horrible book, so much racism, sexism etc. I know it was supposed to challenge the reader's views but there were really no likeable characters and the ending didn't show much character development. I would also not recommend the crucible just because it was so boring!
Persephone 1 year ago
I'll add 2: Z for Zachariah and the other I believe is called House of Stairs. Had to read them in school. They were awful.
Solangelo4life!!! 1 year ago
Snow White. Racist, sexist, encourages pervert and creep behavior. Plus Snow White is only 14. Also just look at her name. “Snow White” “skin white as snow” “mirror mirror on the wall, who is the FAIREST of them all” like bruh racist? It’s not a good thing to be white. It’s not a bad thing, but just no. Eww.
R Dennis 1 year ago
I read a lot of these books. Some of them are trash, some are really dependent on maturity level. What is appropriate for one 12 year old may not be appropriate for another... In my daughter's kindergarten teacher conference, I was told to read my daughter "more age appropriate books" because she loved The Raven. I used to say "Quoth the raven!" And she would hiss "Nevermore!" I ignored that request.
A girl 1 year ago
The Exorcist was released when I was nine or so. Mom wouldn't let me see it. Checked it out of the library. Book is way more intense than the movie. My folks never restricted my reading. I appreciated that.
Cerridwn d'Wyse 1 year ago
Great for your parents.mine didn't either and I never restricted my daughters. I think every kid is different and what we enjoy and what we can do at a given age level varies from how we erased and who we became.
Load More Replies... Penny Kemper 1 year ago
You title is wrong. This one is about books children read that really aren't for children.
Monday 1 year ago
Yeah, many of these books are pretty great as long as you don't read them when you're 9.
Load More Replies... LokisLilButterknife 1 year ago
Revelations is pure, unadulterated nightmare fuel
Load More Replies... martin734 1 year ago
Nobody should dictate to others, even their own children, what books they can or cannot read. If you feel a book is too grown up for your child then explain to them that they should wait until they are older so they can understand it better and to be honest if your child is old enough to understand the story and the context of the book then they are old enough to read it, if not then it is most likely that they will soon give up on a book they don't understand.
LokisLilButterknife 1 year ago (edited)
Just because a parent does not agree with the themes or characters in a book or simply finds it boring doesn't mean that a book should not be read--I feel that is getting dangerously close to censorship and book banning. Some of the people in these comments are saying that a book should not be read by their child just because they don't care for a character of find the book boring or too graphic. Yes, there are some books that contain themes that may be extremely heavy for a younger audience and should therefore be read by an older audience or discussed first. However, to shield a child from reading something because a parent finds it darker just doesn't sit right with me. There are always going to be books that make us to uncomfortable and challenge our world views. But to deny someone the right to read them because you don't agree with the themes sounds like censorship to me. What a weird thread...
Tris Hunt 1 year ago
Everything's slowly turning into Fahrenheit 451. Which is honestly sad.
Load More Replies... Robert T 1 year ago
We had to read some pretty tedious books at school. I remember having to drag myself through Far From The Madding Crowd and The Mayor Of Casterbridge. One I wasn't forced to read, but was rather weird for a child to read was Duncton Wood - contained a lot of gore and violence - I thought it was going to be a nice story about moles. :(
Brian Tickle 1 year ago
Ahhh...Far From The Madding Crowd . I was forced to read it at school and HATED it. So little happens over its 10 million pages...almost nothing at all for the first half of the book. It's awful and nobody could ever convince me otherwise.
Load More Replies... QuirkyKittyGirl 1 year ago
I have always encouraged my son to read anything he wants to. He knows that if he has questions, or just wants to share, I'm always available. The way I see it, is you should be thrilled if your child can/will read.
LokisLilButterknife 1 year ago
I think that is an amazing way to approach learning and foster a love for reading!
Load More Replies... Aya Pandy 1 year ago
Most of these missed the entire point of the books and believe kids can't handle knowing about the unjust and cruelty that has/could occur. That's a luxury not afforded to those with generation trauma caused by many the topics. Kids aren't stupid they can handle these topics and discussion of them. Teaching kids to recognize the horrors that can occur helps them fight it and often has the effect of them intentionally spreading kindness
Izzy Curer 1 year ago (edited)
I agree with you as long as the topics are realistic, but there really is just some trash out there in the literary world. Take smut, for instance, which has a tendency to age badly because of how unrealistic it is. It's just someone's warped fantasy, and often portrays human behavior in nonsensical, degrading, and unrealistic ways. Which is fine for an adult who understand that's exactly what they're reading. Younger individuals might have a harder time sussing the author out from behind the story. There's just some garbage out there that has no business making smart children question reality and making them feel insecure over something that happened in the author's head. The reality is, people can write anything, and all it has to do is be entertaining in order to sell.
Load More Replies... ConstantlyJon 1 year ago
9th grade honors history had me reading The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. Our teacher told us up front it would be the worst book we've ever read. He was correct. It shows the horrors of early industrial revolution's abuse of immigrants and the lives they had to lead. Had chapters vividly describing a meat processing plant, going into detail about each part of each floor. Just a horrible read, but it was meant to be that way to call the public's attention to working conditions for these people.
Corvus 1 year ago
This may sound weird, but I'd put The Little Prince here - not because it's bad book (quite the contrary), but because only a grown-up can fully understand it.
Lacia Lew 1 year ago (edited)
I read it like a beloved fairytale when I was 10, and when I reread it at 19, I found it deeply profound. I always appreciate reading The Little Prince for such deep existentialism and many more different takes I can get from repeated reading.
Load More Replies... Izzy Curer 1 year ago (edited)
Some parents regret having children because they just want to read. Edit: This post was originally titled, "Parents open up about regretting having children", for a short time. They caught on to the mistake and have since fixed it.
Load More Replies... Kenny Kulbiski 1 year ago
If you don't want your kid to read a particular book that's your choice, although I strongly disagree. If you want to voice you opinion, that's your privilege. But please, please don't try to get any book banned for any reason. That's trying to force people to think the same as you and it's beyond reprehensible.
Pandamanda 1 year ago
Much of the issue boils down to 2 factors: 1. The maturity of the young person, which can only be determined by the parent. 2. The guidance the young person has or doesn’t have while processing hard topics. If a parent thoughtfully determines when a young reader is ready, and follows up with meaningful discussions, no book is completely off limits.
Ari Keeper 1 year ago (edited)
Some of these comments are whack. Children should not be exposed to scenes of graphic violence + rape, no matter what they might "learn" from them. The world's gone mad, + children receive no protection or guidance.
natie marie 1 year ago
I think there's an obsession with shielding the young from sad films or tough books. Sad and tough things happen. Films and books are a way of equipping you with a deeper emotional vocabulary in a safe space. Some of those books were just terrible reads though.
Miss Frankfurter 1 year ago
Many of these books are excellent for study, just not in 4th grade. What idiots are introducing them at such inappropriate age levels? That’s most of the problem I see here. How are these books being taught? We had a number of pages to read before next class. They were examined and discussed in the next class. Not only the author’s writing style but in context to the times it was written. Huck Finn immediately followed by To Kill a Mockingbird. How the writing presented the subject and the subjects themselves. I read Catcher In the Rye in Catholic high school. Relative to the times I was growing up in. Examine and discuss. Chapter by chapter. Not one parent had an issue with any of our books, some you wouldn’t think would be in a Catholic school. Its about age appropriate and how it is taught. I hated being made to read Lord of the Flies, Heart of Darkness and a few others. So, I didn’t. Paid attention enough in class to pull a good final mark. Age appropriate, and how it’s taught.
censorshipsucks 1 year ago
Is this meant to be a list of books parents wouldn't let kids read which are THOUGHT to be kids' books, OR is it meant to be a list of ANY books that are not appropriate for children? If so, let me add Stephen King's entire opus, and the Bible. Neither are appropriate for kids. They both contain vileness like rape scenes.
Hales M 1 year ago
Like water for chocolate - super abusive family. Sister has sex on a horse, also there's a chicken tornado. However this is a fine in comparison to the other novel we read IN THE SAME GRADE 10 CLASS... House of the Spirits-- necrophilia, SA, SA of minors, SA of a mentally disabled individual, physical abuse, verbal abuse, (consensual) incest, incest SA, and relatively minor consequences grand scheme. I fully tuned out when the second chapter (after the necrophilia of the first chapter) had the protagonist (well one of them) describing himself brutally raping in 13yr old... because he could... IN GRADE 10 ENGLISH!!!... by the end you're just fully desensitized to it all... like yup creepy uncle takes the toddler's hand and puts it on his junk... sure... why not. Who cares art this point. I went back and tried to read it as an adult having read a wide variety of messed up novels in uni... it is still as effed as I remembered and certainly shouldn't be read by 13yr olds.
LokisLilButterknife 1 year ago
La Casa de los Espíritus (House of the Spirits) is one of the most renown works of Hispanic literature, but I wholeheartedly agree that it has some incredibly heavy thematic elements that would be disturbing to a much younger audience. It is often read in University level Spanish and English courses to introduce the concept of magical realism.
Load More Replies... SandraG_lak 1 year ago
It wasn't the book, but we watched Watership Down in Grade 6 or 7. I was horrified and it haunted me for years. Definitely for more of a high school audience.
A girl 1 year ago
I still read that one periodically. It's sad but speaks to me.
Load More Replies... Sabrina Longo 1 year ago
Work as a teachers assistant for a bit. The teacher decided to choose books the kids could relate to. Modern writers and stories about the struggles of being POC or poor or bullied. I could tell it was triggering to them. Teacher thought it was helpful to understanding their problems. 😔 Those poor kids just trying to learn while being reminded of a family member in jail.
Leo Domitrix 1 year ago
Yeah. I read to escape. Tolkein, Hawthorne, I didn't care. What wasn't *my actual life*.
Load More Replies... Kinsey Shepard 11 months ago (edited)
I’m just surprised Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children isn’t on the list. I’ve read some weird books but that was a NIGHTMARE
Deborah Rubin 1 year ago
Shakespeare? How do you perform a play until you've read the script? And the sonnets were meant to be read, not played. I've never even heard of some of these books, some I've familiar with but never read. My parents trusted me to select the books that were appropriate for me. Length was not a consideration.
Linda Van Gijzen 1 year ago
Funny one should read Les Miserables in English class, while it is a French book
Joyce Blodgett 1 year ago
The only ones I ever read on this list were "1984," on NY eve 1983; and "The Scarlet Letter," way back in about 5th grade because our teacher mandated it. I only recall a wee bit about that one, a lot more about 1984 (because I was 30 years old for that one), so neither traumatized me. My son was dyslexic, and struggled super hard with reading, so I never forced it on him. I'd read to him every day, but it was always books that interested him, nothing forced by his schools. Now I wouldn't recommend any particular book except one, and then not until one is old enough to grasp at least the basic premises.
Elizabeth Deighton 1 year ago
I discovered James Bond when I was about 13/14 (In the 1960's this was considered hot stuff) Didn't think that my parents would allow me to read them so hide them either in my desk at school or in my school satchel to read in bed. This day, my satchel was knocked over and out fell this book with a half naked lady on it. Before I could retrieve it, my Dad picked it up, asked if it was a school book. Told him no it was mine. So after asking if I had finished it, he took it to read. A few days later, he told me, with a twinkle in his eyes that I couldn't read them any more. I could buy them, he would read them but I couldn't. From then on I used to pass them onto him after I had read them
Catherine Spencer-Mills 1 year ago
I have 3 adult sons. Never disallowed any book. The discussions were interesting. I was a little startled when my youngest latched onto Harlequin romances. (I read a couple, just awful)
Beruthiel45 1 year ago (edited)
I only commented when I'd read the book and also had a strong opinion, but I'm aware of all of those listed after being a librarian in both educational and public libraries during my working life. Most of these fall under the description of American classics, which might be why they were included in schools despite their subject matter. Made me wonder how many were read by whoever thought them appropriate for certain age groups? 🤔 I was able to read whatever I wanted as a kid, and all I ever told my children - if I knew the book they were considering - was, "you might not like that one." They'd often agree afterwards. 🤷
Jay-Jay Pickles 1 year ago
In my freshman year of high school. We had to read Unbreakable. One scene that didn't make it into the movie was when a guard at a POW camp raped a duck to death in front of the prisoners because they had basically adopted the duck and it was their only source of joy during their captivity. I don't regret reading the book, but that part certainly stuck with me.
Rachel Ainsworth 1 year ago
I disliked every book in English classes, not because of the books themselves but because every book was dissected to tease out the "hidden meanings" that the author supposedly put in there. English was always such a disappointing subject because I have always loved reading.
Belle Miles 1 year ago
Well this seems like a rabbit hole that I won't waste my time in. Maybe explaining WHY it would traumatize you would have been helpful.
Temporary Dork 1 year ago
I wouldn't forbid any book, but I might pretend The Once And Future King has only one part, so kids happily reading the adventures of the young Arthur will not be confronted with the horrendous slaughter of a unicorn.
Raphapablap 1 year ago
Tess of the d'Urbervilles was a massive chore I think for most of my class to read and analyse.
and_a_touch_of_the_’tism 1 year ago (edited)
Not as bad as some on this list, but holy hells I had to read a Tale of Two Cities in freshman year and it was SO. BORING. The only thing that made it worth it was the French-revolution-themed prank war between the advanced English classes. I made a working guillotine (CARDBOARD couldn’t actually hurt you but the blade dropped and everything.
Leo Domitrix 1 year ago
Orson Scott Card (author) once said that if you have to teach the novel, the author didn't do their job. (saw him speak at a book festival) While I'm not an Ender fan, i agree with Card on that. Some books are best as companions to *history classes* (Stendahl's Le rouge et le noir, Dickens's whole body of work, for two examples) for many students, is what I suspect. And some novels should be read fo rthe sheerr joy of them. A good story, that touches mind and/or heart. IMHO.
Janelle (jellybean/nellie) 1 year ago
The title of the thread is about regretting having kids.... not accurate. It's about traumatizing books we had to read as kids.
Lynne Hammar 1 year ago (edited)
Definitely not in school (!) but as a teen I read part of The Exorcist at a friend's house (it was a book of her parent's). It was sickening and not something I needed at that age. My own fault though
Lynne Hammar 1 year ago
stop downvoting please (unless someone is demeaning) ... it gets people blocked or banned
LokisLilButterknife 1 year ago
I contacted BoredPanda staff and down-voting no longer gets an user ban. What may get an user banned is the report button (small colon) by your username. You can click on this button if you want to report a comment that contains spam, hate speech, or hurtful language. BoredPanda really needs to stop with the censorship though (I find that ironic as this is a thread which is kind of about censorship in a way.)
Load More Replies... never-wake-up (fae/faer) 1 year ago
When i was 13, I had to read "L'adversaire" by Emmanuel Carrère. The true story of a man who killed his whole family for no reason(two children, wife, parents and dog). Even he didn't know why he did it. I had nighmares for months after that. Didn't help that this was in 2017 and the guy was pleading to be released. Som teachers don't realise how books impact the children.
Casey McAlister 1 year ago
Crime and punishment. A guy with a personality of a tapeworm kills an old lady and then ruminates over it for hundred of pages before finally going to jail. Such a drag. Have no idea why it is so glorified.
Silre 1 year ago
I read it while I was sick with strep throat and then got back to school to discover that the rest of my class had talked the teacher out of covering it. I was pissed.
Load More Replies... B-b-bird 1 year ago
"Medallions" by Polish author Zofia Nałkowska. I just could not finish the book... thought my veins will start popping from horror, especially knowing all stories were true experience. Was 8th grader and it was mandatory. Plainly and honestly explained to teacher that it was such a horror to read, that i have stopped. Told I can re-tell all what was written, up to the point where I broke, but please do not make me finish it. I should say, teacher did not berated me, but I did receive lower mark for "partly" completing the assignment. WILL NOT ALLOW my kids to read it until they are adults. Yes, we all need to know what genocide is from young, but we cannot mess up our kids like that! checked current list of literature for schools - it was not on the list!
Rick Seiden 1 year ago
Anything you have to read. My kids were forced to read 25 books a school year, and it turned them all off from reading. My wife and I have been avid readers for a long time, and you would think we would pass that down. But the NY State Board of Education ruined it.
小呀小苹果 1 year ago
Nah, that's on you. It's a cop out to blame the schools.
Load More Replies... Adam Zad 1 year ago
Johnny Got His Gun, by Dalton Trumbo. God, what a slog! Slow, boring, written in stream-of-consciousness, with an ending that went COMPLETELY against Johnny's character. Forced to read it when I was 13. Hated it. Hated Lord of the Flies, too, but that was because all the characters were pricks. If I don't care about the characters, I can't care about the storyline.
Mariele Scherzinger 1 year ago
There are many novels in this list which have distinctly adult themes. Though they might be worth discussing, I'm not sure if you can reach an adolescent audience with it. As a teacher, I was considering to read "Precious" with my class, but decided against it, for various reasons. Kids these days know very little about the Aids epidemic, or the early 90s, and the main character's homophobia would give most YA readers the wrong message.
Melissa 1 year ago
As the teacher, it is your job to give proper context when discussing different historical eras. I assume you do this when reading something like To Kill A Mockingbird in regards to racism. Just something to consider if you do decide to read Precious.
Load More Replies... Huddo's sister 1 year ago
Deadly, Unna? Novel by Phillip Gwynne. Horrible book, so much racism, sexism etc. I know it was supposed to challenge the reader's views but there were really no likeable characters and the ending didn't show much character development. I would also not recommend the crucible just because it was so boring!
Persephone 1 year ago
I'll add 2: Z for Zachariah and the other I believe is called House of Stairs. Had to read them in school. They were awful.
Solangelo4life!!! 1 year ago
Snow White. Racist, sexist, encourages pervert and creep behavior. Plus Snow White is only 14. Also just look at her name. “Snow White” “skin white as snow” “mirror mirror on the wall, who is the FAIREST of them all” like bruh racist? It’s not a good thing to be white. It’s not a bad thing, but just no. Eww.
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