Disturbing Assigned Reading

[Anonymous]

Have you read the classic, The Dog Whistle, by DCUM member?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teach her how to skim/skip the violent parts.

I'm in my 50s and I still do that all the time.

30s here but same. I can’t tolerate violence in books and movies, and avoiding those experiences doesn’t prevent me from understanding the atrocities that have and are occurring around the world. Help her see that she can read one line every couple pages and start reading again when it’s not too bad. The story may be confusing for a bit but she’ll pick it up. Honestly if it were my child I’d probably read it for her and help fill the gaps for the part she didn’t want to read.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe if every American read it, we would not have left Afghanistan like we did - women are suffering there again.

Exactly, at least those who voted for this disastrous administration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teach her how to skim/skip the violent parts.

I'm in my 50s and I still do that all the time.

30s here but same. I can’t tolerate violence in books and movies, and avoiding those experiences doesn’t prevent me from understanding the atrocities that have and are occurring around the world. Help her see that she can read one line every couple pages and start reading again when it’s not too bad. The story may be confusing for a bit but she’ll pick it up. Honestly if it were my child I’d probably read it for her and help fill the gaps for the part she didn’t want to read.

Reading it for her and filling in the gaps is such a ridiculous suggestion! Talk about helicopter parenting! Skipping a gruesome section is fine, but then she should fill in the gaps on her own. Read a summary online, perhaps? What parent of a high school senior has the time or inclination to read a book alongside their child for the sole purpose of filling in the gaps?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:On the classics question, there is more to being educated that just reading books a bunch of old dead white men wrote.

I take it you've never read Jules Verne. You missed out. The classics are classics for a reason. It is a shame you don't appreciate them or recognize their value.

Also, I loved reading Mysterious Island as a kid. There are many wonderful books from my childhood that my kids will likely never know about. The few books the county seems to pick out are usually about some disadvantaged person from a third-world county which but it would be nice if they broadened their repertoire.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:On the classics question, there is more to being educated that just reading books a bunch of old dead white men wrote.

I take it you've never read Jules Verne. You missed out. The classics are classics for a reason. It is a shame you don't appreciate them or recognize their value.

Also, I loved reading Mysterious Island as a kid. There are many wonderful books from my childhood that my kids will likely never know about. The few books the county seems to pick out are usually about some disadvantaged person from a third-world county which but it would be nice if they broadened their repertoire.

If only there were something you could do about that.

[Anonymous]

For whatever reason, I have a really hard time with fiction that is disturbing. I had a sadness I was unable to shake for months after reading the handmaiden. I read a lot of non-fiction and it does not affect me in the same way. I think I have a very active imagination and when I read fiction I really place myself in the book in a way that does not happen with movies or non-fiction. I e had to seriously curtail my fiction reading so that I can function normally in society.

I don’t know what the solution is for a teen like that but if she’s seriously unable to sleep because of the book, there might be another option if she discusses with the teacher.

[Anonymous]

I don’t know the answer to this, I agree about skimming and trying to handle it and possibly telling the teacher you are having a hard time with it.

But this thread made me remember my 8th grade English teacher at a W feeder who assigned multiple short stories about cannibalism with questionable literary or cultural value.
So hopefully overall we are improving, though this is obvispily just one data point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:On the classics question, there is more to being educated that just reading books a bunch of old dead white men wrote.

I take it you've never read Jules Verne. You missed out. The classics are classics for a reason. It is a shame you don't appreciate them or recognize their value.

Also, I loved reading Mysterious Island as a kid. There are many wonderful books from my childhood that my kids will likely never know about. The few books the county seems to pick out are usually about some disadvantaged person from a third-world county which but it would be nice if they broadened their repertoire.

If only there were something you could do about that.

I think it's just the way of the world. One generation laments how the next has horrible taste in music. Oh and don't get me started on this terrible rock and roll!

[Anonymous]

I read almost every book assigned to DS in public middle/HS. It helped a lot because the books were disturbing, and assignments were no joke. He appreciates that now. He’s attending a university with intense core requirements even though he’s not in the liberal arts college. He’s knocked all of it out these past two years. This semester he’s taking an English course that satisfies one of the last requirements. He’s one of only 3 guys in a What is Love? class and chose it because the Professor has solid ratings. He’s one guy among women on group projects. He said he takes the lead on most of the group work. I told him they’re playing him for a fool by feigning they don’t understand the assignment and need help. Clever girls! Or clever guys?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it Kite Runner? My child had to read that in ninth grade and found it extremely disturbing.

A Thousand Splendid Sons by the same author.

That is such a fantastic book.

Your dd is a senior? I think this is completely appropriate for a senior level class. Maybe not for a freshman.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Which book is it? It’s real like for some people I would probably have her keep reading except maybe not at bedtime. My 5th grader just read the Breadwinner which is about a girl in Afghanistan who has to pretend she’s a boy so she can work and support the family, it’s got some graphic context including someone’s hand being chopped off. It’s real life for people in other countries.

Easy to miss, but this also is in Aladdin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it Kite Runner? My child had to read that in ninth grade and found it extremely disturbing.

Mine had to read it in 6th but they never said anything about it or led me to believe it was violent.

Your child read the Kite Runner in 6th grade?? I find that incredibly hard to believe.

My child read Animal Farm and Things Fall Apart as assigned reading in 6th grade. Which, ok, but even at the time, I wondered what they thought an 11-year-old would get out of it.

I read Things Fall Apart in my PhD program. It wasn’t a difficult book to read, language-wise, but it had some deep themes. Although I honestly don’t think it was anything smart kids couldn’t get in a really well-led class discussion. Mine read it in the humanities magnet, but I’m not sure whether it’s on the standard curriculum list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tell her to stop reading the book and have her talk to the teacher about why.

Yes, don’t do the assigned reading if it makes her uncomfortable and challenging.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it Kite Runner? My child had to read that in ninth grade and found it extremely disturbing.

Mine had to read it in 6th but they never said anything about it or led me to believe it was violent.

Kids become more sensitive with age (to some things) as they start to understand the reality of things
Also some kids are more sensitive than others
I have a 7th grader who just finished reading American Psycho and doesn’t seem fazed