I am a huge book fan. I love to read. I mostly go for the romantic suspenseful books. You can usually find my nose buried in a Sandra Brown, Heather Graham, Kay Hooper, or Mariah Stewart book - when I have time to read...which lately I haven't.. My daughter Nikki is also a major book enjoyer. She has on many occasions asked to read one of my books... The answer has always been "no" - mostly for the fact that there is quite a bit of violence trying to catch a serial killer of some sort and the sex can be pretty descriptive... I'm an old married lady so not much shocks me....but sometimes ... I even say, "OH BOY".
I think it's a great thing that my kid loves to read. She is in the in between age.... where "Junie B. Jones" is too young and "Killer Take All" by Erica Spindler is way too sophisticated.
Several of her friends like an author by the name of Lisa McMann. The two books Nikki has read by this author is Wake and Fade. The books are geared towards teens 14 and older.. I have read a little of each of the books and granted they are a little racy but it's nothing that the kids don't see on TV or talk about at school.... It's life..... I am glad there are books out there that intrigues my daughter to read.. reading is good..... in my book. (pun intended)
As I have shared with you in previous posts, my girls go to a Christian school... It's funny what sets off the administration. For instance, the uniforms are not to be altered.. we had to sign an agreement... but several of the girls either hem their skirts to practically crotch level or roll up the waists. The teachers see this...they cannot not see this and nothing is said or done..... Now I bring bags of candy for Halloween for my daughters "Harvest Party" and there are pumpkins on the bags... The teacher makes the kids dump the candy out of the bags and put them into baggies....because Pumpkins are BAD.... it's funny because at my Church our pastor used the pumpkin as an illustration of being a Christian. God picks out a pumpkin, He washes it, He takes out all the yucky stuff inside, then puts a smile on its face, and finally puts a candle in it to show God's love burning bright from within..... so I thought a pumpkin bag was a great idea... any hoo.
So back to the books.... You know the Twilight series... who doesn't right.. I loved the book and I enjoyed the movie.. Okay, it's about a vampire but he's a really cute and nice vampire... Anyways, the Principal at my kids' school thought the book was bad because the girl character was willing to die for the man she loves... he is comparing it to the girl dying as Christ died for us.... very reaching on his side, I think.... I say, if we over censor, our kids might just find a way to read, watch, or do behind our backs.... I would rather give my kid a little extra rope on matters such as this.. because she is reading..... in front of me... and if she has a question.. she'll come to me... not someone else.... If we continue to hold our children in a plastic bubble...what's going to happen when they go away to college? away from home?
I believe we need to raise up our children in the Lord and give them the opportunities to learn and test their boundaries and find out what they love to do... and if reading a "slightly racy" book is the worst of our problems.... I'm thinking we have it pretty good.....
I completely agree and am happy to find someone else on the web who thinks the same way. Kids will find out what you don't want them to know somehow or another. I'd much rather be their educator than a child 4 years older than them at school. I have however not allowed my child to read Twilight, mostly because she's nine. She has mentioned that other kids in her class are reading this and I'm not sure I can comprehend this. Not that I would censor, but would rather wait until ashe is closer to 13 for this level of reading.
ReplyDeleteDW Golden
Sour with fairies in this new young adult novel: Purple Butterflies.
Ya know the same thing happened to parents when the Lord of the Rings books came out forever ago and even more recently the Harry Potter Hub-Bub.... I think that your approach is the best. I see these books as fiction. Just Stories with imaginative characters not real or reality and if my kids have questions I will answer and discuss them. My husband feels the same, he was sneaking to read his Father's Stephen King novels out of the bookcase at 8 so...Thanks for the great blog!
ReplyDeleteThe important thing is that if you feel that you can't avoid reading something that isn't really edifying, then use it as a springboard to good conversations. In real life, what would she do? Is it ok to live for a guy at her age or at all? Is it healthy? What does the bible say about those type of things? etc...
ReplyDeleteReally this girl is a little psychotic in her behavior for this boy but I enjoyed the book but will not ADVERTISE it for my daughter until she figures it out and then..we will talk.
PS> the skirt thing is really weird, I think schools like that must keep rules just because so many will push the envelope and yet allowing those short skirts just seems inappropriate to me. The conservativeness of a school is what appeals to me as a partent.
Take care and keep being a great mom.