"Lord of the Flies" - in TENTH grade?

[Anonymous]

I read it in 10th in honors English back in the 80s. I don’t see the issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While your DC is reading Lord of the Flies, which is fictional, he should also read the true story of some boys who were stranded together on a deserted island and how they cooperated rather than fought.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongan_castaways

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-21/rutger-bregman-lord-of-the-flies-human-nature/12263980

This is such a dumb story. The oldest was 19. He wasn't a boy he was man. My father was fighting in Vietnam at 18.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While your DC is reading Lord of the Flies, which is fictional, he should also read the true story of some boys who were stranded together on a deserted island and how they cooperated rather than fought.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongan_castaways

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-21/rutger-bregman-lord-of-the-flies-human-nature/12263980

+1 I think this book would be a great choice to switch out, because it totally misses the reality that humans survived through cooperation

[Anonymous]

I went to a prestigious HS in the 1980's in Connecticut, and I was in a pre-AP English class in 10th grade. We read Lord of the Flies. Calm down, OP.

I also read 1984 in 7th grade, in 1984, in a gifted class. And then I had to read it again in 10th grade. While I could read and comprehend it in 7th, I understood it at a much deeper level with 3 more years of maturity.

Quit manufacturing problems that don't exist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This book is for ages 13 and up. I think I read it around 5th grade. By Sophmore year in HS we were reading Ethan Fromme and the Scarlet Letter. Maybe Grapes of Wrath. My kid in a DC metro area public HS is reading Lord of the Flies for English Class. Seriously? Talk about dumbing it down to the lowest common denominator!

The book is a classic and good to read during k-12.

What matters is the class discussions, essay writing and dissection of then books genre, style, tone, characters, themes, etc.

Frankly it’s one of those books one should reread every 10 years.

Unf I had to read Faust in HS and college. I understand that OP is concerned that the book is not “difficult enough,” but see above.
Walden pond, Moby dick, etc were such slogs to read.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You were 13 in 5th grade? That explains a lot.

Lol

[Anonymous]

I’m an MCPS kid. Went to Whitman in the 90s. I read it in Honors English in either 9th or 10th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Books aren't more appropriate or intellectually stimulating just because the author has been dead longer.

You're beingna cargo cultist obsessing over name brands instead of content.

We noticed that it IS important to have students read books from a variety of eras and genres so they build vocab, context, some history, and different literature styles.

Our kids middle school age then reading all new justice themed books from first copyright 2019+ and the diction is not expansive, style is quite repetitive (ie no style), and overused dialog which is even more informal, repetitive wording.

In other words not challenging whatsoever. But it’s all about the theme.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This book is for ages 13 and up. I think I read it around 5th grade. By Sophmore year in HS we were reading Ethan Fromme and the Scarlet Letter. Maybe Grapes of Wrath. My kid in a DC metro area public HS is reading Lord of the Flies for English Class. Seriously? Talk about dumbing it down to the lowest common denominator!

The book is a classic and good to read during k-12.

What matters is the class discussions, essay writing and dissection of then books genre, style, tone, characters, themes, etc.

Frankly it’s one of those books one should reread every 10 years.

Unf I had to read Faust in HS and college. I understand that OP is concerned that the book is not “difficult enough,” but see above.
Walden pond, Moby dick, etc were such slogs to read.

K-12? Ok.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Books aren't more appropriate or intellectually stimulating just because the author has been dead longer.

You're beingna cargo cultist obsessing over name brands instead of content.

We noticed that it IS important to have students read books from a variety of eras and genres so they build vocab, context, some history, and different literature styles.

Our kids middle school age then reading all new justice themed books from first copyright 2019+ and the diction is not expansive, style is quite repetitive (ie no style), and overused dialog which is even more informal, repetitive wording.

In other words not challenging whatsoever. But it’s all about the theme.

This is my gripe with assigned MS reading. Depends on the year too. 7th grade was horrible, not a single good book. 8th grade is better because at least Shakespeare. 6th grade wasn’t too deep but at least fun for kids and not just social Justice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, give your kid a copy of AARP Magazine. It is recommended for ages 55 and up, so will be a stretch challenge for your genius child.

Funniest post ive read here in a while.

Very sad to see tiger parenting reach the level where one would brag about their elementary school child reading Lord of the Flies, Heart of Darkness, and other books with dark depressing themes. Oh but the books have big words! If your child is verbally gifted, let them do the NY Times crossword or read Anne of Green Gables.

Basically all children's literature from the 19th century (heck, even Nancy Drew from the 40s) has more sophisticated language than most students read now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lord of the Flies was assigned in 6th grade in PA. Also, 1984. And, City of Ember, etc. They all have dark themes.

It's not about the darkness in my opinion, but more the abstractions around how societies form and collapse, how power dynamics emerge. 6th graders can read these Lord of the Flies and 1984--they don't have very high lexile levels-- but they wouldn't get as much out of them as you would once you can think more abstractly and complexly about the world around you.

No chance that 6th graders were assigned 1984.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I read in in tenth grade as well. It's not hard to read, but there's still plenty to unpack there if you've got a good teacher. My 12th grade AP English Lit class read an actual children's picture book (The Little Prince, I think this is pretty common) and the teacher taught it really well. I've got a friend from high school who still talks about it.

Once a student can read a book, I don't see there being any kind of upper age where it stops making sense to teach it, if it's a good book. My husband wrote in college about the Wind in the Willows, a book we also read to our six year old. It's about what you do with it, not what age is "right."

The fact that OP can't grasp this says a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That book is very gay. Surprised they allow it.

Why are you here? Don't you have a book to burn somewhere?

She was being facetious, poking fun of the same people who burn books.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who's the dumb one sending their kid to a public school?

That’s ignorant. There’s quite a few lousy private schools out there as well as outstanding public schools. Your statement was as narrow minded as the OPs.