i have to say, although I do agree with this thread because I can see your point (and ooh, some of the books I agree with!!) I think once they're old enough to realize what's fiction, then anything should go.

I wouldn't give anything classed as an adults' book to a child under 14, but after that then they should be allowed to read anything at all.

I speak from the experience of being the precocious teenager who read the most godawful rubbish (Jilly Cooper etc) but had no interest in sex until much later than her peers. Sometimes I think that a little bit of TMI fiction puts the youngsters off sex

oh, but no person in the world, at all, should read the Da Vinci Code. that's really pushing it.

Anything by Brett Easton Ellis.
It is so hopeless and self nullifying.

Oh and "It" by Stephen King. Because It comes back...never got over the man who committed suicide rather than face It again. And I have read most Stephen King. "Rose Madder" was a real indictment of domestic abuse and quite horrible being in the mind of an abuser...yuk yuk.

"I Claudius" is something that needs context and a degree of maturity as well.

DD is currently on the Famous 5, they are of their time, and not great literature, but she is lapping up the idea of secret passages and saving the day. She is 6!
She is also reading "Indian in the Cupboard", I have had to get a book from the library about Native Americans so she can understand some of the references!

I was rather surprised to see Dahl's "Switch Bitch" in the new Book People catalogue advertised as a book for "young people". It's definitely more one of his "dirty old bugger" books... It isn't exactly The BFG!

Snickernack - I was going to say American Psycho. It is the only book I have ever read that I found truely sickening and which I thought should not have been allowed to be published. I threw it out and would not allow another copy in the house - ever!

Unless somethings really scary I cant see myself 'banning' anything, I loved naria, enid blyton and judy blume before becoming a big fan of Anne Rice in my teens but hey at least I was reading.

My brother never read anything at home ever, then when he was about 9 I brought him the first two harry potter books which he loved. Once he had read all the harry potter books he then started on the hobbit and other fantasy books. So I cant slag off those books.

I'm not sure that newspapers are that suitable. I used to read my parents papers (The Times) from about 12 and lots of stuff give me lots of things to think about. Images of dead people, starving children and miscarried babies...not good for a twelve year old.

And I still think about some of my godmother's Amnesty International material now.

i certainly was never stopped reading anything when i was growing up. my mum was a massive bookworm, i was also taught to read fluently before i went to school.

i would not want my dc to read 'when the wind blows' or twilight as its blooming awful. i have to narnia scared me as a child but i also threw up with fear watching bambi when i was 4- oh dear!

Remember getting hold of 'lace' as a young teenager (Judith Krantz? sirley conran? can't remember) wouldn't want mine reading that mainly because it was crap. Also very frightened by pet Cemetary at that age. Our babysitter left something called 'Effigies' around too, which I picked up aged 10- it was very torrid horror. Have never seen it since. I think it took Salems lot to actually give me nightmares at that age.

Pretty ponies, I must agree with you. When the wind blows completely freaked me out, and led to me joining CND at the age of twelve. Yes, I was a rather po-faced,pompous tweenanger...

My mom, bless her, somehow (she was 18 when she had me) taught me to read fluently before I went to school, by the time I was 8 or so it was pretty difficult to stop me reading anything, however, she still blames a particularly virulent ongoing-into-mid-twenties teenage angst on my obsession with Sylvia Plath 'The Bell Jar' at around 10-11. To be fair, I just thought it was an interesting story at that age. Was more interested in the graphic food poisoning account than the suicidal tendencies. Was quite shocked when I reread it as an adult!

The only thing she used to disapprove of, though never actually banned, was Enid Blyton, who of course I loved. However, my child will not be reading them!