Banning books is a horrible version of censorship, but have you ever encountered a book so traumatizing that you hope your child waits until they're older to read? Here are the ten titles the internet wants to protect their children from.
1. A Child Called It (1995)
Of course, no parent wants their child to read about a non-fiction graphic account of child abuse. One individual claims they read the novel at age nine because the book markets itself as a children's novel.
“Why on earth they thought that was an appropriate book for small children to be purchasing and reading, I will never know. The 90s were a trip,” they write.
2. Survivor Type (1982)
Stephen King is not a name that circulates children's classes much, except for this case. One reader shared when his teacher read the Stephen King short story about a plane crash, drug abuse, and cannibalism to a group of children. The reader writes his teacher had early onset dementia, so he did not realize the harm he caused, but several others chime in, claiming they could not eat after reading that story. They can't imagine how it affected the children.
3. No Country for Old Men (2005)
This is my pick. I read this book freshman year of high school, and though I am a horror-loving person now, at the time, I had an intense fear of anything branded “scary.” This book revolves around a serial killer named Chigurh (pronounced sugar), who terrorizes Texas. After I read the novel, I had intense nightmares and panic attacks surrounding the grisly book. I couldn't be left alone in my apartment and ended up seeing a psychiatrist about my distress.
4. A Day No Pigs Would Die (1972)
Multiple parents claim to refrain from telling their kids truths about the meat industry. A Day No Pigs Would Die exploits that industry with graphic and unforgiving detail about working on a farm and slaughtering livestock.
“We lived down the road from a pig farm. My daughter learned very young when the pigs screamed it was slaughter day,” someone writes. A few others say the book disturbs them years after their read.
5. The Kite Runner (2003)
“My dad saw me pick that up at a book store when I was in the 7th grade, and he said no, I wasn't allowed to read that till I got older. Me being the rebellious little [kid], I convinced my friend to buy it, and we took turns reading it. Yeah, that book is not for kids… I learned some things that day,” a bibliophile comments.
The Kite Runner follows two young boys in Kabul who befriend each other despite class differences.
6. Catcher in The Rye (1951)
I understand where the disdain for Holden Caufield comes from, but many readers adore the best example of teenage angst. Those who don't want their kids to read Catcher in the Rye suggest Holden is “the original Caillou” and a whiny, unreliable narrator. Maybe that's the point.
7. Wuthering Heights (1847)
“My interpretation of Wuthering Heights as a child was the same as my interpretation of Romeo and Juliet; I never saw them as tragedies but stories of unending love. Reading Wuthering Heights as an adult gave me a different story; that book is messed up, and as a child, you don't have the mental capacity to understand it fully,” a bookworm adds.
8. Where The Red Fern Grows (1961)
Any dog lover must avoid Where the Red Fern Grows to maintain sanity. The story is a brutal depiction of a bond formed between a human and a dog, and everyone weeps during the ending.
9. 1984 (1949)
1984 is shocking and horrifying, given today's relationship with technology. In the book, a society called the Party, spearheaded by Big Brother, watches every move and censors your thoughts. The novel is terrifying, given the ability to easily access AI and delete others from photos.
10. Shakespeare
Most voracious readers against their children reading Shakespeare say it is not meant to be read but rather experienced through theatre. I agree.
Source: Reddit.