Good question. I was just visiting family for the holidays and I have a young cousin that is 10 years old and she is reading the Hunger Games. The basic plot: When I was 10 I remember reading Roald Dahl books.The Hunger Games are an annual event in which one boy and one girl aged 12–18 from each of the twelve districts surrounding the Capitol are selected by lottery to compete in a televised battle to the death.
this seems pretty dark imo for a 10 year old girl to read, but if her parents don't care who am I to judge? They told me she is a voracious reader, at least that's good.
I think that's awesome. Hunger Games is way more thematically deep than most children's lit. I like that it's so popular. Beats the shit out of the babysitter's club. Hopefully all these kids are learning about totalitarianism and the media's role in propping up the government.
Dystopia for all youth should be mandatory. Oh, you'll mow the lawn mister or I'll bring the apocalypse down on you. Truth is most good parents know what their kids are capable of consuming. I started reading Stephen King books when I was 12. Miss those days, had some pretty good times being freaked out by Flagg.
I started with Eyes of the Dragon and fell in love with King. I haven't read any of his books as an adult and I don't think I will. I'm afraid I won't like them anymore and I prefer to remember his work with fondness. I spent a lot of time reading and re-reading his work. Edit: I don't blame you. IT was a scary story, for sure. The book is so much more disturbing.