What age for Lord of the Flies and Animal Farm?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:An on-level 4th grader can certainly read these books but would likely get more out of them with more life experience and historical context. I agree with the 7th grade suggestions. If your kid wants to pick them up, that's one thing. But I wouldn't suggest them till later middle school.

I’m PP and I agree. He asked for them on his own. I’m not sure where he got the idea from, but there were some kids in his class reading some advanced stuff. He understood more than I expected, but certainly not at the level he would have or will when older.

Which is why I'ma big fan of the right book at the right age, because you won't go back and read most of them again. Consider what a 4th grader will not get to read because they were choosing books that would have had a bigger impact in 7th -- its like a double loss.

[Anonymous]

Check common sense media

[Anonymous]

Animal farm takes a deep understanding of revolutionary through 1920s USSR to really understand the allegory. I think a European history class is the correct time.

[Anonymous]

I read LOTF in 9th grade English and found some of the content to be pretty disturbing. Not sure I’d be reading it or recommending it to my middle grade kids. Animal Farm is great though!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid read in middle school. Not due to reading level of book but due to themes.

+1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:An on-level 4th grader can certainly read these books but would likely get more out of them with more life experience and historical context. I agree with the 7th grade suggestions. If your kid wants to pick them up, that's one thing. But I wouldn't suggest them till later middle school.

I’m PP and I agree. He asked for them on his own. I’m not sure where he got the idea from, but there were some kids in his class reading some advanced stuff. He understood more than I expected, but certainly not at the level he would have or will when older.

Which is why I'ma big fan of the right book at the right age, because you won't go back and read most of them again. Consider what a 4th grader will not get to read because they were choosing books that would have had a bigger impact in 7th -- its like a double loss.

I’m just fine with this “loss” and I am happy to let him read books above his grade level, if he wants to, as long as they are inappropriate.

And, while he didn’t know the characters specifically referenced Lenin and Trotsky, he understood plenty to make it worthwhile to indulge his request. And when he reads more kids stuff more traditionally age appropriate, that’s fine too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Read LOTF to DS in 5th as a bedtime story, along with many other classics.

Topic aside, the writing is beautiful.

However, DS is an advanced learner.

OMG, LOTF as a bedtime story cracks me up. He must have a thick skin not to have had nightmares. Good for you both!

Began reading DD 1984 as a bedtime story in 8th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:An on-level 4th grader can certainly read these books but would likely get more out of them with more life experience and historical context. I agree with the 7th grade suggestions. If your kid wants to pick them up, that's one thing. But I wouldn't suggest them till later middle school.

I’m PP and I agree. He asked for them on his own. I’m not sure where he got the idea from, but there were some kids in his class reading some advanced stuff. He understood more than I expected, but certainly not at the level he would have or will when older.

Which is why I'ma big fan of the right book at the right age, because you won't go back and read most of them again. Consider what a 4th grader will not get to read because they were choosing books that would have had a bigger impact in 7th -- its like a double loss.

+1

I’d suggest Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH for the 4th grader.

[Anonymous]

Animal Farm--5th grade and up. Pretty easy to understand even if they don't get the nuances of the politics

LOTF--I think it's a more difficult read. I remember reading it in ninth grade. I remember a friend of mine re-read it in college and she talked about how much she had missed in our ninth grade read of it. But as far as reading level, probably middle school as well. I read 1984 in college. It remains one of my favorite novels. I don't think I would have understood the importance of how the government changed the language of i had been younger. I also read Brave New World in middle school. It was easy to read but I imagine some of it might seem very dated now. I read The Giver as an adult and loved it. It was lost on my middle school kids.

[Anonymous]

7th grade. Most highly verbal kids have read them by end of 6th/7th grades

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think these books are perfect for grades 7, 8, 9 depending on maturity levels. For the 4th grader, I would recommend that he reread Animal Farm in 7th or 8th grade. It is such a wonderful book. (And if he likes books about animals, have him read Nop's Trials and Watership Down.)

Animal farm isn’t really about animals. Before reading Animal Farm is is helpful to watch some videos about the Russian revolution and Stalin. A good book after the videos for an upper elementary or middle schooler is Breaking Stalin’s Nose.

I had my son who was interested in history first watch YouTube videos about Stalin and read some graphic novels. Then he read Breaking Stalin’s Nose. Then we watched some more videos on North Korea. Then after all that he read Animal Farm and totally got it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:7th grade. Most highly verbal kids have read them by end of 6th/7th grades

Most?

No. As a PP said, you really need context & background info to understand Animal Farm. Most 4th graders just picking up the book are not going to understand the allegory at all.

LOTF has some disturbing parts. I’d say 7th grade & up for that one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Animal farm takes a deep understanding of revolutionary through 1920s USSR to really understand the allegory. I think a European history class is the correct time.

This. Folks like to brag.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Animal farm takes a deep understanding of revolutionary through 1920s USSR to really understand the allegory. I think a European history class is the correct time.

+1. I read it in HS World History.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Animal Farm--5th grade and up. Pretty easy to understand even if they don't get the nuances of the politics

LOTF--I think it's a more difficult read. I remember reading it in ninth grade. I remember a friend of mine re-read it in college and she talked about how much she had missed in our ninth grade read of it. But as far as reading level, probably middle school as well. I read 1984 in college. It remains one of my favorite novels. I don't think I would have understood the importance of how the government changed the language of i had been younger. I also read Brave New World in middle school. It was easy to read but I imagine some of it might seem very dated now. I read The Giver as an adult and loved it. It was lost on my middle school kids.

NP. This is it.

Op, it doesn’t matter because those are just introductions. They’ll only understand them as adults.