Is this book suitable for children? â€� Code Name... Q&A

Louise asked:

Is this book suitable for children?

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9 years ago
16 answers

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Mike People might jump on me for this, but this book is not suitable for children (under 12). There is some very strong language and dark tones to the book that young readers should not be exposed to.

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Marie This book is written for a young adult audience and not a middle grade/juvenile/children's audience. I would say this book is appropriate for ages 13+, due to violence, torture, and sexual harassment (although there aren't graphic descriptions of any of these).

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Gail Poag Smith

This answer contains spoilersâ€� (view spoiler)

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Stephanie I would think age 14 and up. I mean, any age can read anything. I feel like there are very dark bits that would get into your head, mostly because the author is good at painting a mental picture. I think there's an age at which one can deal with those mental pictures. I guess it depends on what you've seen and read up to that point.

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Amber Martin It would depend on the age range you're looking for but I would say any child over the age of 12 should be fine. Just a personal opinion. Even in the moments where things get bad nothing is described in much detail.

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loves The definition of the YA genre is ambiguous. In my opinion, YA assumes a burgeoning level of maturity akin to - but not quite at - an adult level. Depending on the book, a YA reader could range from a mature 12-yr old through adulthood. I think Code Name Verity would probably be best for teens, rather than middle-schoolers. The themes and circumstances are pretty heavy. Also, since it is set in WWII, the story may not make much sense unless the reader has spent some time studying the history of this era. Young readers may not have had enough opportunities, just yet, over the course of their education to gain an adequate understanding of the setting of the novel.

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Vincent Heathcliff It depends on the child, I'd have probably been fine reading it at 9/10 but others might want to wait until 12+

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Linda C My 5th grade Sunday school class for years did a series on heroes including Ann Frank. Fifth graders in our school system read "Number the Stars." Good readers will know what they want to read. Let them decide.

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Samantha I am reading this in eight grade, but I also have a very high lexial level so it depends. I think an average level eight grader could read this but not younger.

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Jennifer It might be difficult for them to understand the unreliable narrator and some of the details are subtle.

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Sam Yes the book is suitable because my little cousin reads this book all the time.

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Wanda Baxter I think this is a pretty tough read for young children. The bus scene, alone, I wouldn't want children to read alone.

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Kristen Roberts I loved the book, but there are issues that come up that I'm not sure would make sense to young readers--the WHY of why certain things are hurtful, or debilitating, It's like they can understand the events, but the actual weight behind them can elude and confuse. (I say, as the 10-year-old who read Shakespeare and was utterly baffled as to why the Rape of Lucrece ended in suicide.)

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Lu Sadler FYI - might be a spoiler....

I thought about this question for awhile before answering - and I am trying to not reveal too much. The climax of the novel involves a shooting. A plot device that is used in other books that would be read by young adults (specifically, "The Last of the Mohicans" comes to mind). In this day and age, I would hate for any young reader to think a shooting is OK or justifiable.

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Helen I read it at age 12 and loved it. There were definitely times when I found it slightly disturbing, however, it was (and still is) one of my favorite books. I agree that it depends on the person, though I know lots of people who read similar books around 11 or 12.

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