In a new survey for the TES Magazine 500 primary school teachers have compiled a list of books "all children should read before they leave primary school" and it might give some inspiration for summer reading before the new term starts.
Top of the list is Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, and there are some older classic tales like Alice in Wonderland too. Some on the list are very dark, and some have unsettling themes, but a psychologist has said that this can help children to deal with their own thoughts and emotions. The top ten is as follows, and you can click here to see the rest of the list:
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory* by Roald Dahl
- Goodnight Mister Tom* by Michelle Magorian
- Alice in Wonderland* by Lewis Carroll
- Matilda* by Roald Dahl
- The Gruffalo* by Julia Donaldson
- The Chronicles of Narnia* by C S Lewis
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar* by Eric Carle
- We're Going on a Bear Hunt* by Michael Rosen
- Dogger * by Shirley Hughes
- Where the Wild Things Are* by Maurice Sendak
The TES editor Ann Mroz has said that many of the books in the list are "not full of joy and mirth but are instead dark and full of horror - tales of ferocious monsters, abuse, abandonment and even death".
"Not what you'd think the average primary child would want to read. But these books serve an important purpose, giving children a safe place where they can take control of troubling subjects, where evil can be glimpsed and then shut within their pages."
What do you think of the books on the list and the sometimes dark subject matter? I can see the benefits of introducing difficult subjects in a controlled matter like this where you can discuss them with your child, but it does fight with a parents need to protect their child from unpleasantness, sadness and dark emotions.
What books would you have chosen?
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