The question of age-appropriate reading content is a large and complex one, with no hard and fast rules. I’m going to tell you where I stand on it. I can remember as a child, feeling deep and complicated feelings. Fear, sadness, disappointment, loneliness, and other “negative” emotions were just as present as the positive ones: delight, awe, hope, etc. I liked stories that helped me frame, understand, even feel these feelings in a cathartic way.
In my opinion, avoiding scary or difficult emotional content doesn’t keep a child from experiencing those emotional corners in life, even at their tender age. A story can be an essential vehicle for talking about things in an impersonal, non-threatening manner.
When asked, I say the Piper Pan and Her Merry Band series is for girls and women of any age who wanted to visit the Neverland for something far more than Spring Cleaning. Pressed for ages, I say 9 to 90. I support parents using their excellent discernment and the input of their favorite librarian to decide what is appropriate for their children.
The Curse of the Neverland has no swearing, no sexual content, and very little violence. But it does have some. Is it too scary for kids? That depends. There are pirates, and the pirate captain has a cruel streak. His cruelty does not take center stage, but helps illustrate his character. The other two “dark” subjects are Piper’s attempts to get to the Neverland by jumping off of high places, and Sincoraz the Black Dragon “inhaling” the prisoners Captain Li’l Jack brings it as dragon fodder.
Today’s audio excerpt is Chapter Three: Flight Failure. It’s one of the “darker” content chapters. In it, Piper does something she hasn’t yet tried in five years of trying to get to the Neverland: she attempt to “fly” off a bridge. Have a listen and see what age you think it is appropriate for. Leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts on the matter.
For your visual pleasure: here’s Piper, suited up for her flight to the Neverland. Portrayed by Alexi Rampp-Taft, photo by Jan Kepley.
