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This is a hot topic among parents of the upper elementary group, and it’s gotten even hotter since the movie version of The Hunger Games came out. For me the decision was not difficult: I have read the book and when my almost ten-year-old daughter asked me if she could read it, I enthusiastically said yes.
You are reading: The hunger games books age rating
The Hunger Games is a trilogy by Suzanne Collins about a 16-year-old girl named Katniss who lives in a futuristic dystopia. Katniss volunteers to take her sister’s place in an annual battle in which 24 teenagers fight to the death on live television. scholastic rated the book a grade 5.3 and for ages 11-13.
Parents’ concerns about the Hunger Games center around the violence. the book has a lot of that, and is graphic at times. much of the plot focuses on “the games” where children kill children. the violence itself, however, is not gratuitous and is not celebrated. just the opposite. violence is deconstructed, analyzed and lamented by the main characters. the book has a powerful message against violence and against war. And unlike cartoons and video games, the violence in The Hunger Games has emotional and physical consequences.
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To say that this book is about violence or about children killing children is to miss the point entirely. the themes are loyalty, humanity, social equality, sacrifice, oppression, and the complexity of moral choices. it also conveys political messages about authority, control, and rebellion. the book indicts reality TV and spends a lot of time gutting the genre. I have no doubt that the trilogy is destined to be a classic in the vein of the giver and the animal farm.
My daughter is now on her third book and we talk about it most nights, sorting through interesting vocabulary (regret, betrayal, and rising, to name a few), discussing the book’s important themes and characters, and going over the thoughtful prose that has written about it for the school. having discussions about justice, injustice, and loyalty are much more organic from the point of view of this book than just sitting around the table arguing about them, which children often see as a “lesson.” we know that she understands the book by what she says and asks. she is at an age where children are dealing with issues of justice and injustice, especially against themselves as children, an issue the book handles well. it is well written and has a strong female lead, which is rare in literature for her age group.
Despite this, many parents and teachers are concerned about the book. in fact, my daughter’s school almost banned it (which would have been ironic, since the book is partly about censorship and information suppression). her teacher approved that she read it during independent reading time. but then some parents complained about this: they didn’t want their child to read it, but now their child was being tempted by others in the class who were. it was an interesting process to work this out in a discussion with the principal and the teacher. In the end, they decided to let my daughter (and two other students in the same position) read the book at school.
Parents usually have the best of intentions when they tell their child they can’t read a book. they want to protect their child from difficult and emotional issues that they think the child cannot handle. but in general, I don’t think banning is a good idea. Saying no to a child who wants to read a particular book sends a negative message about her choices, interests, and needs. I think most kids, at least once they get to my daughter’s age, are pretty good at figuring out, both intellectually and emotionally, what they can handle. if they start the book and don’t understand it or feel uncomfortable, they’ll put it down.
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Also, if we parents say no to a book, our children will most likely find a way to secretly read it. then we have put them in a position to lie and keep secrets, and we have missed an opportunity to discuss something important to them. I’m embarrassed to admit that when I was 12, I randomly read, and more than once! now as a parent i cringe at the thought but for some reason i needed to read that book and i figure if my parents had forbidden me i would have secretly read it anyway. and that would have closed the communication.
It is important for us as parents to reflect on the decision to allow or prohibit our child from reading a particular book. Here are some questions parents can ask themselves if their child wants to read The Hunger Games or another difficult book:
- what are my child’s reasons for wanting to read the book?
- how is he talking about it?
- can my child separate fiction from fiction? reality? ?
- Is my child interested in issues of society and justice (or other important issues in the book in question)?
- Does my child get particularly angry when seeing violence? Does it have long-term consequences (fear, nightmares, etc.)?
- Am I ready to read the book with my child and actively engage in regular discussions about it?
If you find that you’re still nervous about letting your child read the book, but he or she still wants to read it and has good reason to, try talking it over, as you would any problem or conflict. ask them to explain why they want to read it. honestly share your concerns about the book. see if you can figure something out. you can read it first and then see if that allays your fears. or you can read it together. maybe you can let your child read a few chapters and then reassess the situation. let your child know that you respect their interests and choices and that you want to work something out.
Whether you allow your child to read the book or not, the decision process can be a teaching moment for both you and your child.
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