Just going off what google says are King’s top 10 works:
The Shining - Violence, Mental Health, Psychosis
The Green Mile - Good for most kids that can understand the concept of racism.
Salem’s Lot - I have not read this one, but the internet says it’s gore heavy and horror filled.
Carrie - Gore
IT - Horror, Violence, and the sewer scene.
Pet Semetsry - Considered to be King’s most disturbing book.
Doctor Sleep- Shining sequel, still horror and violence.
11/22/63 - Good
The Stand - Violence, though better than the others.
The Dead Zone - Probably good, thougj has mature themes.
If 7/8 of the top 10 King works are not good for children, and King is the world’s foremost horror writer, it is safe to assume many of his works are not good for a younger audience without guidance and supervision. Obviously Stephen King has novels and stories suitable for young children, and each book should be looked at on their own not as a collective.
Which are not acceptable for children? This thread posits 12 as a cutoff, and I probably read most or all of those, that had been written at the time, before I was 12. I’m not seeing the concern
Yeah, Salems Lot is a great horror story … but it’s really no different than most vampire stories (ok, not the romantic bs stories). Just better written. Do we ban all vampires for kids under 12?
Dead Zone was one of my favorites as a child. Where else can you have a story about superpowers that includes limits and consequences, and is more cynical about how the world would react?
I thought Carrie was especially good for middle schoolers, or mature elementary. It’s mostly about bullying and angst, with a bit of cathartic getting even. It’s very relevant to their lives, but in a fantasy setting.
If a 12 year old can get through Green Mile, more power to them. I didn’t encounter that until I was older, and it was quite a slog to get through. The message is important and it was well written, but very much the opposite of action.
Yeah, pet Semetary is pretty disturbing. A kid hoping for a light read about puppies and kittens is going to get a shock. That one’s going to cause nightmares …… but there’s also a message of grief and loss of a beloved pet that they may relate to
Exactly, they are heavy themes and should be read with parental guidance. Also I got the ages mixed up I thought 12 was 5th/6th grade, turns out it’s 7th. Should be closer to 10.
Just going off what google says are King’s top 10 works:
The Shining - Violence, Mental Health, Psychosis
The Green Mile - Good for most kids that can understand the concept of racism.
Salem’s Lot - I have not read this one, but the internet says it’s gore heavy and horror filled.
Carrie - Gore
IT - Horror, Violence, and the sewer scene.
Pet Semetsry - Considered to be King’s most disturbing book.
Doctor Sleep- Shining sequel, still horror and violence.
11/22/63 - Good
The Stand - Violence, though better than the others.
The Dead Zone - Probably good, thougj has mature themes.
If 7/8 of the top 10 King works are not good for children, and King is the world’s foremost horror writer, it is safe to assume many of his works are not good for a younger audience without guidance and supervision. Obviously Stephen King has novels and stories suitable for young children, and each book should be looked at on their own not as a collective.
Which are not acceptable for children? This thread posits 12 as a cutoff, and I probably read most or all of those, that had been written at the time, before I was 12. I’m not seeing the concern
Yeah, Salems Lot is a great horror story … but it’s really no different than most vampire stories (ok, not the romantic bs stories). Just better written. Do we ban all vampires for kids under 12?
Dead Zone was one of my favorites as a child. Where else can you have a story about superpowers that includes limits and consequences, and is more cynical about how the world would react?
I thought Carrie was especially good for middle schoolers, or mature elementary. It’s mostly about bullying and angst, with a bit of cathartic getting even. It’s very relevant to their lives, but in a fantasy setting.
If a 12 year old can get through Green Mile, more power to them. I didn’t encounter that until I was older, and it was quite a slog to get through. The message is important and it was well written, but very much the opposite of action.
Yeah, pet Semetary is pretty disturbing. A kid hoping for a light read about puppies and kittens is going to get a shock. That one’s going to cause nightmares …… but there’s also a message of grief and loss of a beloved pet that they may relate to
Exactly, they are heavy themes and should be read with parental guidance. Also I got the ages mixed up I thought 12 was 5th/6th grade, turns out it’s 7th. Should be closer to 10.