What are your children reading in school?

Parents, do you know what your children are reading in school? Later this week 7th graders at Four Oaks Middle will begin reading The Giver by Lowry. You likely will not see the book come home so here is some information about the content your 12 and 13 year old children will be reading.

12 year old lives in an almost perfect community

When the old tire of life, infants fail to thrive or someone doesn't fit in, they're simply "released" to a place known as Elsewhere….to "release" someone is to kill the person through lethal injection.

Rules, rituals and order reign supreme, creating a "Sameness."
people keep their thoughts to themselves, lest they say anything that makes someone else feel uncomfortable or different.

Jonas' father punctures a newborn in the top of the forehead with a syringe full of lethal fluid. He talks to the crying baby, gently saying he knows it hurts. Then he nonchalantly wraps up the dead child and puts him in a trash bin.

Jonas (the 12 year old boy) tells his family about a dream where he longs to have his classmate… Fiona (his peer), take her clothes off so he can bathe her.

The vocation of Birthmother is viewed as vital but not prestigious.

Once children become adults with families of their own, they cease to have contact with their parents altogether

When Jonas receives his vocational instructions, he's shocked to learn he has permission to lie.


http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/protecting_your_family/book-reviews/g/giver.aspx

 

Please look at this objectively:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Giver

http://www.amazon.com/Ingram-Book-D...UTF8&qid=1359466748&sr=8-2&keywords=The+Giver

 

My daughter read all of these books. I read them too. This is a thought provoking book. It makes one think outside the box. I feel that a 12 and 13 year old will/should be able to read a wide variety of books and this is one of them. We still have the book in the house.

Please, please stop with censorship.

Sherry

 

Parents should know what their children are reading so they can also read it, discuss it with them and decide if it is appropriate for their children at this age.

 

I haven't read it, but I see nothing that would make me not allow it. Sounds similar to the Hunger Games.

 

"The Grapes of Wrath" it's not.

 

Don't you homeschool?

 

Based on the wiki article I would expect every right wing extremest to have their children read it. If I didn't know better I would think he was writing down everything Sarah Palin said was her vision for the future.

I can picture excellent discussions arising out of this among sane people.

 

Kids should understand fantasy/reality or fiction/non-fiction at that age. Your kids have probably seen worse than that in movies, on TV or video games.

 

Parents usually get a list of books at the beginning or during school of the books to be assigned. They can then go to the library and read them, if they'd like. Nobody is stopping a parent from knowing what the kids are reading or reading it themselves. I do object with parents trying to censor what schools have on the list. A parent may ask the teacher/school if the child can read other books on the assigned list but I think this rarely occurs.

What exactly is your beef with the book? Are you going to take this to the School Board, have you talked the your child's teacher or principal? If not, check back with us if you do. I think kdc asked if you were homeschooling....if so, why are you so concerned with what the school system is doing?

Sherry

 

I don't know, of all the things going on in the schools, this just is not something I could fathom getting worked up enough about to start a "warning" thread on.

 

Watership Down

 

Cuz I did who read this same book in the same school system, you ole' bag of wind. :mrgreen:

Sherry

 

I love you, sometimes. :lol::jester::lol:

Sherry

 

:lol: Sometimes I love you too. :mrgreen:

 

Oh good grief. If you don't like it, take it to someone who can change it or change your kid's educational opportunities (yes, I went there). My kids read it, mostly at home (gasp), and survived just fine. Made for dinnertime conversation, which we do every night. They even play "those" video games now (they are 16 and 18) and haven't killed anyone yet or slipped in their grades or disrespected their mama! Know your kid, adjust accordingly. Personally, I plan to release mine into the world one day and have them actually be ready for it. Good luck to you.

 

:cheers:After I read the description, I think I will be ordering it for DS, I don't believe they've covered it at his middle school. Could be interesting fodder for conversations. We read all the Hunger Games books together, loved talking to him about them and hearing his opinions. We recently read a book called Apocolypse Z, it was excellent and both of us can't wait for the sequels to be translated. I read everything I could get my hands on as a kid, DS is the the same way. The Kindles are the best thing ever for encouraging reading.

Read on people!! :hurray:

 

My kids both read the Giver last year in 7th grade.

 

Question girl, did you set up a different account for ds or is he on yours. I am looking at getting my ds one for his birthday but didnt know how the accounts work..

Thanks

 

I have them all on one account (we have two Fires and an e-ink). That way, whatever he downloads shows up on mine. :mrgreen: He loves the apps, there are tons of free ones, and he always asks his dad or me before he downloads anything, but just in case. Amazon sends an email everytime you order something anyway.