Appropriate for what ages?

[Joer'ct(These battle scars, don't look like they're fading)]

I'm still kept from too much cause of my ToM skill level, and this book reminded me of my attempted suicides.

[Katie]

Apparently most won't agree. I am reading the series to my 8 year old. We got through the first book. She loved it and wants to start the next. I explained it is not real and so far she has not been grossed out or scared. She is 8 reading at a 7 th grade level and appropriate book are hard to come by. I probably wouldn't let her read it on her own. She tested on the first one in school so I know she comprehended it enough to pass a test.

[Nyssa]

Disclaimer: My comment is cross posted on another thread asking a similar question.

My 5th grade (10 year old) son read it with his reading group in class.
While he handled the book very well, there were a few things that upset him (just not enough to make him stop reading). His twin sister (who has a higher reading level than her brother) found it a bit emotionally taxing.
I also read it at the same time they did.
Based on their reactions and mine, I agree with those who've stated that it really depends on the child, and I also agree with those who suggest age 13 and older.

[Joer'ct(These battle scars, don't look like they're fading)]

Katie wrote: "Apparently most won't agree. I am reading the series to my 8 year old. We got through the first book. She loved it and wants to start the next. I explained it is not real and so far she has not..."

Nyssa wrote: "Disclaimer: My comment is cross posted on another thread asking a similar question.

My 5th grade (10 year old) son read it with his reading group in class.
While he handled the book very well, t..."

I'm already 13. I read it to my 4 year old sister Brylee over Christmas cause she wanted to read it, and she was able to comprehend it, but she also found it majorly disturbing. By the way, anybody seen Elysium? Cause I think The Hunger Games was about to be headed that way. The gore I didn't find disturbing, but of course I was forced to watch the NC-17 version of SAW at 4, so blood and gore does not disturb me anymore. Your kids don't know what real violence is, but I've already experienced plenty of it to tell this book was just as violent as Lord of the Rings, which is not really violent at all. So, if you want to protect your kids from what happened, and what is still happening to me, STOP the series now. I was never protected form violence when I was younger, and because of that I'm now violent minded. In my dreams, after I read The Hunger Games, there was a lot of death. Stop the series with your kid until they are a least 12, I'm begging you, cause once your kids become violent minded you wont be able to get them out of all the stuff like SAW and Elysium. Also, don't force your kids to watch rated R and NC-17.

[Margaret]

I would strongly discourage a 9 year old from reading it. My 10 year old did read it, and he made the choice to wait a few years before tackling the other two books in the series.

[Joer'ct(These battle scars, don't look like they're fading)]

Margaret wrote: "I would strongly discourage a 9 year old from reading it. My 10 year old did read it, and he made the choice to wait a few years before tackling the other two books in the series."

Good.

[Taylor]

I have a daughter in 6th grade and she is 11 she Handled the concept very well and it was her favorite book I would recommend it for 11+

[Geslin]

10+

[Jodi]

My 9 and 7 year olds just watched the movie with me. They are both very intelligent and inquisitive kids, the older has been asking me for awhile. we watched together and I said if they felt it was too much we would stop. I did make them cover their eyes at the very beginning of the "Games" as I remembered that to be a little gory. They enjoyed it very much and we talked about the themes and how none of the kids were "mean" or "bad", they had no choice. It brought up good conversation about war and violence. My 9 year old wants to read Catching Fire now and I will let her as I have read it and we can talk about it. It's all about your particular child and their maturity level and your comfort level.

[Mirkat]

Bumping this thread. Would like it if the top four book discussions are about the book.

[Sass]

I just reread the series after reading the newest release. These books are “young adult” novels which means ages 12-20. So no. Nine is VERY young to be reading these. As a parent, an educator, and a prolific reader, a child that young developmentally can’t really understand or process some of the themes and the graphic content (violence).

American culture has a weird fascination with the macabre and violence; we normalize it. We let our kindergarteners watch horror films like IT because *we* want to watch it and because frankly many of us don’t realize what such exposure can do to children’s brains in their formative years. Meanwhile, Americans are also strangely uncomfortable about intimacy even if it is mild. That’s a problem.

IF you want to know if your kid can handle something, screen it yourself first. Don’t be lazy. Asking strangers on the internet will get you a bunch of different answers. In the end you need to do the work and make the determination for yourself. These are good books, but not for elementary school age children. If you choose to go ahead and let your nine year old read it, at least read it with them and have chapter discussions.

[[deleted user]]

I read the books when I was 11 and was fine with them. I wouldn't say that the "scary" part of them is gore and descriptive violence because I don't remember there being much if any of that, I think it is the concept of it all that is most frightening.

I do think that the prequel that came out in the past year - The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes - has more gore/violence than the rest of them. That book I would say is recommended for anyone who is at least older than 11.

The main series I would say should be 10+ compared to other series that are claimed to be similar to this like the Maze Runner.

[AmazingLion]

i read it as a 12 year old and it was good. I think 11 and younger wouldn't be though