I think it's a fine line but I see your point. I read a lot as a kid, I read nearly everything in my elementary school library. I don't think the librarians knew what was in some of the books on the shelves, these weren't even the Judy Blume-like books that everyone read just to get to those funny/embarrassing parts (dating myslef). Like you said, a lot went over my head and was glazed over. But some I still remember now and wished I hadn't been exposed to it. It's typical to have "coming of age" literature for teens but there is a fine line between innocence and too much description not to mention the downright crude language.
Like the examples you gave, Anne Frank, Grapes of Wrath, East of Eden--I read those as a teen but reread as an adult and whoah, a lot did go over my head. So I do agree with your point. But this book (and some other books I read years and years ago) aren't quite the same.
Now movies, man oh man, there's about a 1000 movies I wish I never watched as a kid/teen. Am I a prude or does every movie/TV script have to joke,joke,wink,wink,joke about sex, sex, sex. /old lady rant
I think it's a fine line but I see your point. I read a lot as a kid, I read nearly everything in my elementary school library. I don't think the librarians knew what was in some of the books on the shelves, these weren't even the Judy Blume-like books that everyone read just to get to those funny/embarrassing parts (dating myslef). Like you said, a lot went over my head and was glazed over. But some I still remember now and wished I hadn't been exposed to it. It's typical to have "coming of age" literature for teens but there is a fine line between innocence and too much description not to mention the downright crude language.
Like the examples you gave, Anne Frank, Grapes of Wrath, East of Eden--I read those as a teen but reread as an adult and whoah, a lot did go over my head. So I do agree with your point. But this book (and some other books I read years and years ago) aren't quite the same.
Now movies, man oh man, there's about a 1000 movies I wish I never watched as a kid/teen. Am I a prude or does every movie/TV script have to joke,joke,wink,wink,joke about sex, sex, sex. /old lady rant