To Kill a Mockingbird?

[lauradbg]

Have any of your sensitive, justice-minded 10 years olds seen To Kill a Mockingbird with Gregory Peck?

Was the subject matter too overwhelming? Did they get it? Was it OK?

Thanks!

[Shahbazin]

I used to teach it to my 6th grade class (in a private school), & we had some great discussions; I think reading it 1st really helped them understand the film (we watched the film at the end of reading, before taking an essay test). It's a book that can be understood on different levels, & I think it's one that a younger person can read/view, then revisit again later. We studied a number of novels aimed at "think for yourself, don't just follow the crowd" . That said, yes, I'd say it's good to watch it, but be prepared for a lot of discussion, & preferably do some historical research 1st (& tie ins to modern issues).

[Smokering]

I lent the book to my twelve-year-old sister, who's academically advanced but fairly sheltered (I had to get Mum's permission). She damned it with faint praise but at least didn't seem traumatised... I'll make her read it again in a few years, and she'd darned well better appreciate it more! 'Yeah, it was alright' indeed! Philistine.

ETA: In case you haven't seen the film, it's very sensitively done, and not graphic or obscene at all. It maintains the child's POV of the book, so you don't see the rape or Tom getting shot. There are some slightly scary moments, and I wouldn't show it to my ten-year-old sister, but only because she's easily creeped out.

[lauradbg]

Thanks for the responses.

Yes, Smokering, I've seen the movie and I think my kids would like it--my older one especially would and would get a lot out of it.

Smokering, I know people have commented on this before, but I also read your name as Smoker-ing. Then, I remember and read it as Smoke ring. Silly...

[lorijds]

I thought I replied to this thread....

Have you ever read anything by Richard Peck? We have listened to several of his books on tape, and they have the same voice and feel of To Kill A Mockingbird.

We just finished reading it aloud, and we're planning on watching the movie this weekend. My kids are 10 and 13. They loved the book, I'm assuming they will like the movie. We had to talk about language and attitudes in the 30s before and during the read, but my sensitive 10 year old liked the book a lot.

[lorijds]

Okay, we've watched the first half of the movie, and my kiddos liked it. It is not big on action, there is a lot of dialogue (that is almost straight out of the book), and it is in general more subtle and slow in development than most movies made nowadays.

If your kid routinely watches old, black and white movies, then he probably won't have a problem keeping up with it. If he doesn't really have much experience with those, then the pace and the subtleness of the action might make it boring for him.

I would still recommend reading the book first. In watching the movie, having recently read the book, I feel I'm getting more out of it than if I wasn't fresh on (or had never read) the book.

[lorijds]

So here are my thoughts; read the book first. The movie would be hard to follow, I think, for a 10 year old.

The book has a lot of humorous moments; the movie is very serious. My girls liked the movie okay, but they loved the book.

[Verity]

I love both the book and the movie, but I'm not suggesting either to my 11-year-old just yet.

She reads well above her grade level and enjoys fiction tremendously, but I think the subject matter is just a bit too mature. I would insist that she read the book before seeing the movie, but I feel pretty certain she'd find the movie boring. My husband, son (age 14) and I watched Inherit the Wind this summer, and she couldn't stay with it.

[lorijds]

It's definitely a book I wouldn't just throw at her and suggest she read. It was a wonderful book to read aloud. Particularly with the discussions of race going on nationwide, with the election of Obama, I think it was helpful for the kids to read this book about the blatant racism in our not-so-distant past.

Definitely heavy stuff, but some kids are up to it, even at a younger age.