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It's been many years since I read the Bible (oops, I mean Ender's Game). I just gave it to my eleven-year-old, who's loving it. Then my nine-year-old picked it up because it sounded so interesting.
The thread on Worthing Saga made me wonder if there are any disturbing or inappropriate parts I've forgotten about in the story {edit: meaning Ender's Game}. I know a lot of you read it as kids; I read it first as an adult, and don't remember anything that bothered me, but I wasn't eleven. Anything I should be warned about that my kids are going to be reading?
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Yeah, you're probably right on Worthing. DEFINITELY Hart's Hope and Wyrms. And even Enchantment ... they're a bit young for some of that.
But the One that Started It All? Guess I'd better read it again just to be sure, but I think it's probably okay.
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Honestly, most of the "adult" stuff in Ender's Game went over my head as a sixth grader. Shouldn't be a problem.
Posts: 127 | Registered: May 2005
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I read EG for the first time in the fifth grade and then again at fifteen. I don't recall being disturbed by any of it, though I did read Songmaster a bit too young (I would hold off on that one.)
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I first read EG at eleven, and I think if we were all a little more honest with ourselves, we'd admit that at that age we desperatly wanted someone to speak to us as equals. EG doesnt pull any punches, in fact, like most OSC books it looks at people and motives in a very basic and honest way. Some themes may be hard to understand, like Peter's mental issues, but isnt that why we all read and re-read our favorite books?
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I read it at 12, it was totally fine. There's no kind of violence or vulgarity in it that you don't see in movies and TV as a middle-schooler. For a nine-year-old... I can't imagine them really understanding it unless they were very intelligent... And I might worry about some of the language.
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I made my oldest read it when he was 9, but he's on the advanced side. I haven't made my now 10 year old read it yet, but I would recommend it to her. But I have notoriously low standards for what I let my kids read or watch so YMMV.
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When I read EG for the first time when I was ten, my mother actually hesitated to let me read it, but I was home sick from school and a close fmily friend brought me the bok as a gift. I still remember how deeply I was affected by it. It was, perhaps, the best gift that I have ever been given.
The book is definately a powerful novel for young readers, but if the reader is mature enough to understand it, I cannot recommend it highly enough.
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I have HEARD of kids who don't like to read. I just assumed that they didn't like to read because they were never read to or never saw their parents read. My three kids have always loved to read and I have to tell them to PUT THE BOOK DOWN AND GO TO SLEEP. I assume most on here are readers. What are your experiences with your children?
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Pretty sure romany is kidding. I know I am -- books must be removed by force on occasion from my kids to get them to do homework, go to bed, etc.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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quote: My three kids have always loved to read and I have to tell them to PUT THE BOOK DOWN AND GO TO SLEEP.
My oldest three are the same, and my youngest's biggest complaint is that she doesn't like being the littlest because she wishes she could read. Posts: 1522 | Registered: Nov 2005
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My 4 kids range from voracious readers to reasonably-interested-if-there's-nothing-better-to-do readers. I've found the key, with the kids who don't naturally take to reading, is matching each kid up with the kind of books that appeal to him or her. Sometimes it's easy (I have loads of SF/fantasy books in the house, and most kids love it); sometimes it's a little trickier (figuring out that my 6-year-old likes what he calls "realistic books"; i.e., books about space, nature and science). Once you've got 'em hooked as readers it's easier get them to branch out to other types of books.
Agreeance on letting almost any child age 9 or up, who is a good reader, tackle Ender's Game. But I can't think of any other OSC books that I would hand over to a child of that age. Most of the rest are better saved for the mid-teen years or later.
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quote:Originally posted by Mockingbird: (figuring out that my 6-year-old likes what he calls "realistic books"; i.e., books about space, nature and science)
I remember devouring every last Eye Spy science book in my elementary library, even venturing to the shelves I wasnt allowed to get books from (why they discouraged children under sixth grade to read at the sixth grade level I still dont know).
Also, congrats on raising readers, out here in the desert we have plenty of high school grads who have never read a book for fun.
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quote:Originally posted by romanylass: I made my oldest read it when he was 9...
You MAKE your kids read books??? Communist!
My kids love to read. However, reading a book *I* have at one point enjoyed or have (gasp!) recommended to them goes against their nature.
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I have metastasized Ender's Game to every man, woman, child and other species with the ability to either read or listen to audio.
I have yet to meet one too young (or old) or underexposed to suffer from its content, or to dislike it for that matter.
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The only part of EG I recall giving me serious jeebies as a kid was the part in "the game" where the mouse kills the giant by burrowing into its eye.
The rest... Well, yeah, I don't deny it has some violence, both intense and personal and, well, a small act of near-genocide, but I don't think it's worse than most of the PG-movies I was exposed to at the age.
Know the child, but I'd say somewhere in the 9-11 bracket is probably okay.
Posts: 3826 | Registered: May 2005
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i recommend this book to EVERYONE. my brother read it at 9 i read it at 10. kids love a bit of gore. but i'd hold off if they are unusually sensitive
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