The Perks of Being a Wallflower
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Should middle schoolers read this?
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Haley
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Feb 28, 2014 07:21AM
This is a great book, but I was wondering if just high schoolers should read this for school or should middle schoolers? Where should the cut off be?
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No, not for middle schoolers! Definitely not. The book should be geared to grades 10-12 (in my opinion of course)
I strongly suggest high schoolers. To understand the full concept and meaning of the book, I would say 16 and up.
Bettie wrote: "I think it can be read and understood from 15-16 years onwards. But, of course, I don't believe there is such thing as a "proper age" to read a book. :)"Agree that there isn't really a "proper age."
This book most likely is not appropriate for "younger" readers, but if the reader is mature enough to handle it, I would recommend it.
Its definitely for mature readers. Note that i said MATURE not older. There are lots of younger kids who are quite mature and would enjoy this read.
I read it when I was twelve; I understood and appreciated the meaning of the book, but at the same time there was a graphic rape scene and some other stuff that were a little horrifying. It's definitely for very mature readers.
What is this world where parents check up on and moderate or censor or OK what their kids read? If a kid finds a book and reads it, great. If the kid is reading and doesn't like or understand it for some reason, the kid will: a)put it down; b)ask questions of someone whose opinion s/he respects or trusts; or c)keep on with the reading and glean from it whatever s/he will. How is any of this a problem? I swear, I will never understand the current model of relationships between parents and children.
I read it when I was 12, and I grasped the meaning,so honestly it depends on maturity level.
Middle schoolers should be able to read whatever they want; surely a YA novel should be within reach.I think it's a great choice for classroom reading.
Mare, I agree with you completely.
I think it depends on your maturity. I read this when I was 13 and it didn't freak me out and I grasped the concept very well. However, I think it would be geared more towards high schoolers because most overall people by then would be able to understand it by then.
It's hard because it has such a great meaning for middle schoolers, especially eith graders, since they're going into high school. But between the jock at the party and Aunt Helen and the sister with her boyfriend...
Altho there is not a "proper age" and we don't censor reading, I would not encourage a Middle Schooler to read this. For example, when I share books at schools, this would not be on the list for Middle School booktalks. If a youngish teen read this and was confused or disturbed by this mature read, I would only hope they would find someone to share their thoughts with.
Mare wrote: "What is this world where parents check up on and moderate or censor or OK what their kids read? If a kid finds a book and reads it, great. If the kid is reading and doesn't like or understand it ..."I agree.
But my mom never once prevented me from reading a book. She'd ask me about them. But never geared me towards one type of book or another.
If I could read it & understand it, then I was "old enough to read that book", If I couldn't read it, well I want long switching books.
I know this one parent that censors what her kids read big time. And then wonders why her kids don't want to read or are bored with the books she gives them.
You want a kid to read, let them choose their own books/themes.
I read it when I was 16 or 17. I think very mature middle schoolers could read and understand it, but overall I'd say it's probably a better choice for high school.
Debra wrote: "Altho there is not a "proper age" and we don't censor reading, I would not encourage a Middle Schooler to read this.It sounds as if you, like me, are an educator. Teaching high school, I run into fewer constraints than I imagine you do at the middle school level. But I do wonder if your not "encouraging" middle schoolers to read this (and I assume similar novels) and omitting it from book talks has more to do with middle school parents than middle school students.
I am not at all questioning your integrity. I am just fed up with the continuing trend of coddling young people under the guise of "protecting" them. It seems that more and more young people are not allowed, let alone encouraged, to make any decisions for themselves. And when they are finally required to make some choices we wonder why they often make such poor ones. To me it's obvious; we haven't given them any practice--even in the smallest things.
And people wonder why so many people in their late twenties are still living in mom's basement.
Well I AM a middle schoolers and personally I think there wasn't that bad of stuff in there. We here worse at school and at least the facts are straight here. So I think it can be for MATURE middle schoolers.
Mare wrote: "Debra wrote: "Altho there is not a "proper age" and we don't censor reading, I would not encourage a Middle Schooler to read this.It sounds as if you, like me, are an educator. Teaching high sch..."
I agree with Mare on this. Instead of censoring books, schools should focus on teaching students how to really appreciate works of literature and to learn the morals of the stories. I’m not just talking about stories that contain mild images because life is not like that at all. Books reflect every life imaginable and they possess a value that gives us the tools needed to be able to think and make better choices for our own lives.
The more kids get sheltered, the longer they are allowed to continue to be immature and irresponsible because they have no reason to be anything otherwise since they are living in a bubble. They will not be able to find the value in a novel if they can't get even through the use of profanity by a character, much less if that character happens to be a prostitute or has a mental illness that causes them to do strange things (like in The Catcher in the Rye). They'll take it as a joke. I've seen it happen and it's because they've never seen a book that contained content like that. They were never taught to have the kind of respect and maturity needed to be able to fully apprehend and appreciate the messages these stories are trying to convey.
Eventually kids will be exposed to that kind of content in life. If they are not prepared they will not succeed. Books are one way to help them prepare for when it’s time for them to stand on their own.
i just finished this book, its awesome and so is the movie!
How many times have you been recommended a book that someone loved and then you read it and it just doesn't capture you. If you censor books we will end up with a generation who lack the skills to find and enjoy a book.
I have read this book and i feel the content is no worse than what you see on the news. It is no secret that this happens. Sad but true.
Also i believe that only the mature readers would pick this kind of book up to read.
i say in the 12th grade
Definitely there's not a 'proper age' to read some books. Of course, the ones rated as not recommended for children, yes, but there's some ones like The Perks of Being a Wallflower that just doesn't have a proper age to read them.Maybe you're just starting highschool and you loved it or maybe just doesn't fit the type of books you enjoy.
As well, you can be like 35 years old and enjoy this book because it remminded you of your experiences as a teenager. Or maybe you find it childish.
Every person is different and your maturity and preferences does not always match your age.
I don't think Perks has a "cut-off" age that would deem appropriate. I'm really not sure. I read it in Grade 9 and loved it, and I was 13. I think it all depends. Some of the themes are rather intense and hard to deal with, so I think 14 should be an appropriate age.
I agree. There's no proper age for a book. It depends on how mature the reader is and their taste. Anyway, I read this book at 13 yrs old (which was last year. I'm still 13). So maybe grade 8 is okay. :)
Bettie wrote: "I think it can be read and understood from 15-16 years onwards. But, of course, I don't believe there is such thing as a "proper age" to read a book. :)"I agree with the part about there being no proper age to read a book. It all depends on the maturity level of the individual. I always found myself reading books way beyond my age group. I think The Perks of Being a Wallflower is perfectly fine for middle school students. In fact, I don't think there a specific age for this book. It's enjoyable for everyone and touches on issues everyone should educate themselves on.
I would not recommend this book to someone who is in middle school. There are a couple inappropriate and mature parts of the book that requires a mature audience. Some of the issues that Charlie goes through are very mature and complex. I think this book is best geared towards those who are in high school.
8th is probably good,depending on the kid. Don't go any lower than that.
I would recommend this book for mature readers.
I agree with the people saying that this is something like depends on the student reading this book. While I do believe that some middle school students would enjoy this book and be able to get a lot of it. Each student is different, even some high school student might not get everything from the book. Taste in books are very subjective and that should be taken into account.But if a student is interested in the subject, or even the style of writing (since the book is pretty uniquely written), than I do believe it is something that could be recommended to a middle school student.
Anyone should be allowed to read what they want. I don't really go in for the whole forced censorship deal.
My sister is in middle school and I would not want her to read this book! It had a lot of more mature concepts, I think it's definitely something for older, high school age, readers.
Kristen wrote: "I have been reading a lot of books deemed "Young Adult" in the past few years. It did not take long to realize that the subject matter of these books tend to be, in some vcases, significantly more..."Well said, my friend. Well said.
Elizabeth wrote: "I read this book is 6th grade and I understood it well. It was inappropriate a few times, but it is a good book. Maybe not every kid my age would understand it."What do you mean by "inappropriate"?
I have just turned down this choice to teach it to my tenth grade students. For me it goes to far, I would encourage them to read it, I just couldn't be seen to teach that at my school.
I would highly recommend this to middle schoolers who are about to enter high school. The book talks about a lot of things that are commonly seen/used in high school. I think that middle schoolers should read it if they are mature enough to handle the books' content though.
I read it when I was 13. I don't like putting age limits on books I think it depends on the person
Shannon wrote: "I would highly recommend this to middle schoolers who are about to enter high school. The book talks about a lot of things that are commonly seen/used in high school. I think that middle schoolers ..."I agree. I think its a good book to read for those reasons.
I never really believed in putting an age on books. In my opinion, I think that this book would be better understood by someone maybe in their later years of middle school (7th or 8th grade) due to the fact that it is really intense and can be a little inappropriate. It's really a matter of the level of maturity the reader is on. I actually read this book when I was 13 and was able to understand and enjoy the book just fine. I think Charlie's experiences as a freshman may actually help teenagers who are going into high school learn a little bit more about what they'll see and do. This book is simply too great to deny a young adult the privilege of reading it simply because of their age.
i read it in middle school
As long as those middle schoolers understand what they're getting into they'll be fine. Otherwise it could be traumatizing, but hello it's just the most beautiful book and story ever and everyone should be able to read it!
I don't believe in setting age limits for books. If a kid can read and understand the book then (s)he should be allowed to decide whether to read it or not. I read some pretty advanced books when I was very young and rather than having a negative effect on me I think it opened my mind and helped me to understand more complex ideas and develop empathy. Abuse, rape, sex, drug use, and mental illness are issues that all but the most sheltered middle-schoolers are familiar with and curious about. While it is the parents' responsibility to educate their children about these topics (and hopefully they have done so long before middle school), reading a book about these issues can help them to see/understand it from a different perspective. In my opinion, that is always a good thing.And by the way, I was hearing high-schoolers graphically talking about sex, rape, and drugs on the bus starting in grade school. If you think middle school children aren't aware and already talking about it then you are very naive.
Why not. I read it when I was about 12, but then again, I understood those themes. If they are mature enough. You can't really say is Perks suitable or unsuitable for all middle schoolers - it's so much more about the reader. Some middle schoolers could read this and some couldn't.
Well,I am almost 14 ,I read ,I liked it and I understood it,but I think if you are under 13 you shouldn't read it.
Well I read it when I was 12 and still continue to re-read it consistently till this day. I think it depends on the level of maturity the child or adult has. This book has a lot of heavy and deep meanings and scenes within it but also can alter your perspective and views on many things. All in all I don't think there is a age limit to books, and it ties in with maturity and reading level :)
I think as long as they are mature enough. Every person is different so it's not their age that matters it just depends on whom the person is. In my experience I read the book when I was 13/14 I had no issues with it. In this day and age even though it was only a few years ago I first read it, middle schoolers are more aware of these issues therefore this book is not a big shocker, as I said before, it just depends on the person.
perks is definitely not for middle schoolers. but high school's fine :)
Its all about your maturity level.
I'm 18 and high school, i read this book and loved it! But i don't think some of the parts are okay for middle school kids to read. It might set a bad example but some kids are more mature then others.
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