Would You Guys Give Stephen King To Your Child To Read?
- Thread starter Speedygi81
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What a lovely post.
No children for me either, but children start with Torah at a very early age & suffer no ill-effects.
Keep reading alive!
I don't have children and I plan on keeping all my books forever so when I do have children and know how much of a reader I am they may become curious on what it is that I am reading if they become anything like me. I first read the Shining at 13 years old and that was my first mature book and it was new to me. My dad actually bought me the book but I don't know if he actually knew what I was reading and the language and sexual content that was in it. I don't think I really understood what was going on in it so I would honestly wait for my child to be a little older than I was. I am very into reading and I am currently working on my 10 year old sister to get into books but I wouldn't buy her a Stephen King book anytime soon. I guess I would feel comfortable buying a Stephen King book for a child when they are mature enough and have the passion for reading. But I want them to actually want to read and be into it not feel like they have to. I love to read and love buying books and it doesn't matter to me what it is but no one ever made me feel like I had to. I got my first Stephen King book because I wanted it. I just hope that my future child and my sister will feel that way some day.
Sure would. My son is now in his fourties, and not a reader, but my sister Dominique is an heavy SK fan and handed her books to her kids without any problem what so ever when they were in their teens, her oldest read Carrie when she was 12 I think.
It may be the way the topic is worded, but every time I see this thread pop up I get a mental image of SK sitting next to a child in bed reading to them from one of his books.
Neesy
#1 fan (Annie Wilkes cousin) 1st cousin Mom's side
Now there is an excellent fantasy! (would definitely need to see a picture of that!)It may be the way the topic is worded, but every time I see this thread pop up I get a mental image of SK sitting next to a child in bed reading to them from one of his books.
Right before he takes out their heart and puts it in a jar?
(and yes, I know that quote is mistakenly attributed to him)
My daughter is 10 and loves to read. She is a big fan of the 39 Clues and all that follow them. I think she will be moving on to Tolkien soon. 
That said, I think I will encourage her to wait until at least 13 to read SK. I have just let her read the 3rd Harry Potter book and will finish those up by next year. She has thankfully not experienced as much as I had at her age.
I know now that I was too young when I first read IT. I didn't get it; didn't like it; and truthfully blocked it out of my mind. I recently gave it another try (because of IT's fans on here) and realized what I had missed. I wish someone had told me not to read it too young.
That said, I think I will encourage her to wait until at least 13 to read SK. I have just let her read the 3rd Harry Potter book and will finish those up by next year. She has thankfully not experienced as much as I had at her age.
I know now that I was too young when I first read IT. I didn't get it; didn't like it; and truthfully blocked it out of my mind. I recently gave it another try (because of IT's fans on here) and realized what I had missed. I wish someone had told me not to read it too young.
Hey, I'm a child (cantcha tell 
), and I love Stephen King !!! My first was IT, and the themes of childhood really clicked with me. I would have been 13 when I read it.
), and I love Stephen King !!! My first was IT, and the themes of childhood really clicked with me. I would have been 13 when I read it.
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Actually no... you're so well-read and well-written that I have to constantly remind myself that you're still very young!Hey, I'm a child (cantcha tell
Actually no... you're so well-read and well-written that I have to constantly remind myself that you're still very young!
Thank you Flake
As with all influences where a parent is responsible for their child being exposed to them, it surely depends on a) the child and b) what they are being exposed to. My son was capable of taking much darker stuff on board much younger than my daughter was - he had a firm grasp on the difference between fact and fiction, whereas fiction lived in her head with much greater reality than it did for him. Dark fiction disturbed her, and I would have hesitated before suggesting she should read King until she was older.
So know your kids, and be familiar with what they are likely to be exposed to before they are exposed to it.
So know your kids, and be familiar with what they are likely to be exposed to before they are exposed to it.
Carrie would be a great read for teenagers, as bullying being such a big issue in today's society. The Mist would be a great one start out with too! But I agree, it would depend on the child. I do not have children, but I would not hesitate if I felt they could handle them. In my opinion, the only one I would hold off would probably be Full Dark, No Stars. Those are some intense stories.
My eyes are so tired. I read the title as "would you guys give Stephen King to your child"
And I thought that was a really odd question.
Eyes of the Dragon was the first book my oldest read that was not an assigned book from school. He has never really enjoyed reading. He wanted to watch a movie based on an SK book and I said he couldn't watch if he wasn't capable of reading. (I'm obviously not above a little bit of bribery.). He read the book and I allowed him to watch the movie. I don't remember which movie...doesn't matter.
My youngest (15) is not interested. I've offered him Cell, Gunslinger, and The Shining. He watched Carrie and I think it scarred him for life. That shower scene was probably the scariest scene any teen boy could imagine. (He didn't need to be bribed to read. He likes reading....just not King.)
And I thought that was a really odd question.
Eyes of the Dragon was the first book my oldest read that was not an assigned book from school. He has never really enjoyed reading. He wanted to watch a movie based on an SK book and I said he couldn't watch if he wasn't capable of reading. (I'm obviously not above a little bit of bribery.). He read the book and I allowed him to watch the movie. I don't remember which movie...doesn't matter.
My youngest (15) is not interested. I've offered him Cell, Gunslinger, and The Shining. He watched Carrie and I think it scarred him for life. That shower scene was probably the scariest scene any teen boy could imagine. (He didn't need to be bribed to read. He likes reading....just not King.)
It may be the way the topic is worded, but every time I see this thread pop up I get a mental image of SK sitting next to a child in bed reading to them from one of his books.
Do you think he'd mind if mom sat in on the reading session?
My son has a set of Gaiman books on CD, read by him, and we all loved his Halloween story last year. I think hearing a writer read his/her own stuff is wonderful (particularly if they have a good 'reading voice'. Gaiman could narrate my whole life, and I'd be happy
)Depends. I've read enough of his works to know which are appropriate. Eyes of the Dragon? Absolutely. Pet Semetery? Close. Most I would save until they were older so I could really get them to grasp the gravity of the Dark Tower universe. My first was Pet Semetery, 4th grade. Eleven yrs old I think. There was one racy part regarding a bathtub, but it is a very real story of life and death.
Gaiman comes from Southsea, just across the Solent from me. You can probably see his house at the far side of the water in my avatar photo...Do you think he'd mind if mom sat in on the reading session?
My son has a set of Gaiman books on CD, read by him, and we all loved his Halloween story last year. I think hearing a writer read his/her own stuff is wonderful (particularly if they have a good 'reading voice'. Gaiman could narrate my whole life, and I'd be happy
Nice. He has such a wonderfully unique writing voice--the closest cousin I think is Bradbury's fanciful tales. And his reading/speaking voice is tremendously emotive.
