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History books too graphic?
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Hi again! 🙂 My daughter is struggling a bit with the fact that so many of the old living history books are terribly graphic and gory. Last year, we used Story of the Romans, Story of the Greeks and Augustus Caesar’s World. They had some pretty gory bits and my daughter struggled but we finished them. Now we’ve moved on to Charles Dicken’s History of England for Children and we are reading about blood dripping, eyes being pulled out of sockets, people being drug behind horses, etc. I know that my daughter needs to know some of this information but does she need to hear it in such detail over and over again? It really bothers her and I’m not sure how to proceed. Have you had this problem in your homeschool? What are your thoughts?
My son actually struggled with that. I had him read the Jungle, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and Grapes of Wrath as part of his American lit class… and it was really hard for that reason. If he were still working on history now after that, I would not have him read any more in detail. I’d say, “Hey, once you see where it’s headed, just skip it!”. Just my two cents. I don’t think reading any more of it would make him a better person, or in any way help him cope with his world in a better way. I think older kids need to understand the reality, and to some extent the horror, of some of that stuff but I totally hear you! To continue reading vivid descriptions day after day once you’re already feeling the horror, is the stuff off nightmares and even depression for some people. My husband would be one of them… And maybe me too, for that matter! Enough is enough! (That’s my two cents 🙂
I don’t like gore either, and I do not require my children to finish a book that is really bothering them. It is a valuable skill to teach our children that they can say no to something that is bothering them.
It is ok to skip parts of a book or find a substitution. Sometimes a picture book may have enough information and be a substitute.
Keep searching, and you will find some old books she likes.
Now I’m thinking more… I’d prefer to dwell more on the other side. And i think i might have a discussion with my daughter about her reading that goes something like this: “Seeing all this happening repeatedly throughout history, helps us to see how much the world needs hope, kindness, peace, love, joy… What could we do to bring these things to some poor soul who needs it? What can we read that would feed our minds with living ideas about how people have done this? Skip the gore, and look for the gold!”
Thanks for another great topic, Melanie! Someday maybe we’ll get that cup of tea together 😉
Thanks Anniepeter and Retrofam! I appreciate both of you sharing your thoughts and ways of handling this issue.
So, now I’m looking for less gory living books that cover the middle ages for my 13 year old daughter. I’ve been looking at the SCM choices for this time period. They all look pretty tame. Has anyone used the Famous Men series by Rob Shearer? If so, can you tell me how they rate in this area?
Anniepeter-I reread your post and you made some great points. I keep thinking about how scripture tells us to think on whatsoever things are lovely, pure, of good report, etc.
Our children do need to know that man can be incredibly evil and how so many heroes of the faith have given their lives for our Savior. It’s vital that we know what our Redeemer suffered for our sake. It’s important to know about how the martyr who denied Christ, repented and thrust his hand into the fire first because it was that hand who had betrayed his Savior.
However, do we need to wallow in blood and gore on a daily basis? Do we need to know all the details concerning the deaths and torture of people throughout history? I would be fine with “so and so was beheaded” or “he was killed for His faith in Christ” for most historical figures. There is a way to state things, and include the necessary details, without giving children nightmares!
My daughter is 13 so she is able to handle some detail. I am holding off on some of the more horrific episodes in history until her last years of high school. We are covering them now-just waiting to go more in depth until she’s a bit better able to handle it.
We used some of the Famous Men series, and I don’t remember them being graphic. One nice thing about some history curriculum with commentary or spines is that they warn the parent ahead of time about potentially graphic issues. A Living History of our World is my current favorite.
Reading reviews of books online has helped me avoid a few books that I know I would not have liked. Sometimes with my teens I can tell them why a book is labeled graphic, etc. and they decide whether to read it or not. I tell them to let me know if they don’t like a book, so we can discuss why and help him or her figure out whether to continue.
My daughter enjoys missionary biographies, many of which are way too violent for my taste. As long as she doesn’t share the gory details with me, it works.
I often ask my teens when they finish a book if they would recommend it, and for what ages or gender. It helps me decide what is appropriate for their younger siblings.
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