Parents, what do you think about the Twilight series?
I think it is great that kids are reading. What about you?
I think it is great that kids are reading. What about you?
MV Moonsong
Favorite Answer
As one teacher said last week, whatever works to hook them into the magic of the world of reading fine! Star Wars, Harry Potter, Twilight, Eragon, Gallagher Girls, whatever. For that, I also agree.
I think it is important to discuss the three books, the failing of the last one, and the negative aspects of the main characters behaviors too. It is wrong of Bella to allow a boy into her room, it is wrong to distrust her father and lie, Edward is very controlling and condescending, etc. etc., etc. I would also say a discussion, with the child doing most of the talking about all these issues is in order when reading the book.
So, all over a whole hearted yes, as long as you are talking to them about it.
It seems the girls over age 16 see the warts and all of the characters, story and writing and do not need to have a discussion about it. They seem to enjoy pointing these shortcomings out with an eyeroll, where as the under 16 crowd seems to think it sacriligious to mention.
Alyssa P
I am not a parent - simply a middle school kid, and I read the Twilight series. I liked it at first, but after I went through Language Arts and listened to the opinions of adults, I found it wasn't all that great.
Many girls express they want a boyfriend just like Edward - a boyfriend that you become so obsessed over that nothing else matters to you - family, friends. He abuses her in the sense that he cuts her off from her life.
Jacob was a great character - he helped Bella through the bad times, didn't cut her off from her life, and protected her from what she needed to be protected from, not just everything he was scared of.
Then, the boyfriend who sent her spiraling into depression came back and she loved him right away.
That is NOT a healthy relationship a girl should be getting into. It's not good at all that there are girls leaving healthy relationships and getting into bad ones - ones with overprotective, possessive and obsessive boyfriends that will leave a girl without a future. It's not good that a girl wants to do that.
Bella's future was destroyed, and no girl OR boy should follow that example.
Kids should be reading books that get the Newberry award - such as Hoot, The Giver, Holes, and other books that teach a great life lesson. For example - Hoot teaches kids to stand up for what they believe in, no matter how strong the forces against them.
Twilight only teaches kids to get into abusive relationships.
me
I'm not a parent.. but I think that I don't think that it gets kids reading. All of my friends who loved the books and didn't like reading before they read it end up not reading after they read them. They don't think any other books would be good and that they just liked reading Twilight because it was interesting and are too lazy to find other interesting books and won't take time to read books that they may not end up liking. And I actually know a lot of people that did that with the Twilight books.
?
The only reason Bella falls in love with Edward is because he's beautiful outside. That's not a very good reason. Jacob may not have sparkling skin, but he is truly beautiful inside. Those books are unrealistic, overrated, and romance at its worse. Hopefully though, Twilight will open doors for kids to the so many better books out there.
Aly
Not a parent yet...hopefully someday...but I thought I'd add my two cents anyway.
I love it that kids are reading. However, I'm not sure if I'd let my children read something like that. At least not until I think they're old enough to see through some of the garbage. I'm not talking about the quality of the book. I'm talking about the morals in it. I don't want my children reading a book where the male sneaks into the female's room to watch her sleep and it is considered romantic. I don't want them reading a book that romanticizes suicide (which, after reading all four books I can assure you that it does). And I also don't want them reading a book in which it is okay for a man to take complete control of a woman's life and be considered dreamy.
I just don't think the books are good for children of an impressionable age. Not my children, anyway.