Cut discussion

That's a silly question, as this is a YA book, but I have a reluctant reader in my 8th grade English class who expressed interest in this book when I passed out the Scholastic TAB fliers. I'd like to buy it for him, however, I have to make sure a book with such a topic will be alright. Does it have a "nice" ending, I suppose, is important for this topic.

I'd say the ending is optimistic. Not everything is resolved, but there seems to be hope, which is good. And I think an 8th grader could handle the content. I just might be concerned that there might be a reason for being interested in this topic. I would hate to see someone start "cutting" behavior after being introduced to it through a book like this and becoming curious. But maybe that's a different discussion. :)
I wonder if maybe a book like this should be brought to the attention of the parents before offering it to a child to read. Just to cover all the bases, you know.

I think this book was amazing! An 8th grader is deffinanitly old enough to read this book! I am 12 and this was great...

I read this book as a fourth grader I believe. I'm barely a 7th grader now and it's still one of my favorite books.

Exactly, it has some language but nothing I haden't already heard or said on my own. Once or twice it did meNtion drugs, SO WHAT ! We have a right to know what they are and what they can do to us ! In fact , 3 kids in my class do them.

Older kids (well, most of them) are mature enough to read this book. Teens who make "emo" comments should be made aware of the pain faced by those who deal with self-injury...let's not sugarcoat it for them.

I'm a junior in high school who has dealt with this issue...educating ignorant peers is the first step to reducing the stigma of self-injury.

Great point ! Sugar coating the facts won't do any good. This puts liget info out there.I have thought about doing stupid things but once reading this book I realized, it wouldn't be smart at all. If we help people understand that people who have "issues" aren't really freaks, they are just upset and we need to help them perhaps bullying will change.

Emily wrote: "Great point ! Sugar coating the facts won't do any good. This puts liget info out there.I have thought about doing stupid things but once reading this book I realized, it wouldn't be smart at all. ..."

Thanks...I wouldn't really call self-injury a "stupid" thing to do, though. It's so much more than a cry for attention...it's a coping mechanism. Self-injury is not so much believed to be a suicide attempt like it once was...thank goodness.

Sorry , didn't mean it like that. when I said it was stupid I mean't that it would be stupid for my self to do it. Sometimes when we have bad days and we think about doing things that are "stupid" to rebel. I didn't really mean to say that it was stupid, need to work on my wording. I agree that it isn't a stupid thing to do, I mean't I now personally think that in my situation it would be unrealistic to do.

Emily wrote: "Sorry , didn't mean it like that. when I said it was stupid I mean't that it would be stupid for my self to do it. Sometimes when we have bad days and we think about doing things that are "stupid" ..."

No worries! Thanks for sharing :)

Yeppers ;)

So what if it doesn't have a nice ending? Teenagers really go through stuff like this everyday. Why shield them from it?

Kimberly wrote: "So what if it doesn't have a nice ending? Teenagers really go through stuff like this everyday. Why shield them from it?"

i am 15 now and yes alot of teenagers go through this and it shouldnt be taken lightly. people today shouldnt be kept from this problem but should be warned of it. it doesnt matter if this book has a nice ending or not it still teachs people about the problems people go through everyday. i so agree with you

Wheather this book is is in school, or not the problem is still there. The book's presence in a primary school could be questioned greatly but, should not be questioned in a high school setting. Things like cutting and self harm happen. It's a way of life, of coping for some people. Maybe if we read books like this instead of fantasy or out dated Shakespeare teenagers would not bully kids who self harm. Maybe self harmers who got to be apart of a in depth discussion of this book would come to terms that cutting is bad and find another way to cope. I'm not saying that bullies will stop bullying, or that self harmers will stop self harming- but hey, if it helps one bully to see the error in their ways, or one self harmer to find another way to cope then why not?

We read this book in my 6th grade health class. I really enjoyed it and thought the other kids took it fairly mature. I guess it really depends on the type of kids. I wouldn't suggest a school wide read or anything like that. I feel like that's just asking for trouble.
Plus, I think a book like this would help a lot of kids understand rather than have them be completely ignorant to the subject and maybe help them treat kids that struggle with these types of problems a little nicer and even help them.

I think it's important for children to be exposed to this sort of thing; maybe it'll make future generations more understanding.

Yes it is, it happens to people around us every day. So its important to learn about. It's not like the author was telling us to go cut OURSELVES. lol.

Emily wrote: "Yes it is, it happens to people around us every day. So its important to learn about. It's not like the author was telling us to go cut OURSELVES. lol."

yes you are exactly right thank you for saying that because it is sooooo true.

This is a book appropriate for an eigth grade reluctant reader. I work with reluctant readers in grades 6-8 so I know what I'm talking about.

I passed it to a 7th grade reluctant reader and she now trusts my judgment on "good books."

It might also be a good springboard for discussions between you and the student. It doesn't sound like you have read it; you could read it together if she doesn't have anyone else to share the book with.

I think that this book is appropriate for school. I read it when I was somewhere between 7th & 9th grade. I can't remember exactly which (I'm in college now). I think that it's a good way to teach students about how to accept others for who they are & about getting help if you have a problem. I feel like too many people shield children from issues such as drug abuse or cutting or anything that can be seen as "bad" or "dangerous" because they want them to thing the world is all good. I think that by allowing students to read books like this they'll be more accepting to others who may have problems and may be a little more understanding as to why these things happen.

I read this book in my 8th grade English class. Many people didn't like it but some people did. It honestly depends on the class environment. It also teaches students on how people are all different and how to get help. It shows them the other side of people and how they view things.

I think this is appropriate for school because the fact that it might involve self-harm and people might get the idea to do that from this book it is bad bnut if you actually read the book.It is a good book because it talks about more the struggle for a person who may self harm. In the book its about Callie and her trying to figure out the reason as to why she cuts herself and so she is put in rehab to help herself. The book is mainly about overcoming her troubles and fears, as she does slowly start to figure out how to help herself by instead of being quiet like she has done the time she has been in rehab instead of accepting the help in the end she finally expresses why she started self-harming by telling her counselor. So i do think it is appropriate for school since it because you get an understanding of people who this might happen to. Also because its mainly about someones hardship and their way of overcoming it.

I think the book itself covers a serious topic & thats why its context would be questioned . The book mainly states how she was able to overcome the troubles she was having . In the whole book it really only described how she cut her self only twice . Callie cuts her self & ends up talking to a girl in rehab about how after you cut you could out hairspray and it would increase the pain , however that this is the point where i believe is the strongest part of the book regarding it being school appropriate . I really do recommend the book , more than anything it in a way helps he/she if they are having any issues relating to those of Callie .

I think that this book is and isn't appropriate for school. It is appropriate for school because people should be able to read whatever they want and this subject could be informative. It is not appropriate because some schools allow all ages to read these touchy subject books and it may be too much for kids who are not in high school.

Melissa wrote: "I think the book itself covers a serious topic & thats why its context would be questioned . The book mainly states how she was able to overcome the troubles she was having . In the whole book it r..."

im sorry but no where in this book does it say anything about hair spray and this is a appropriate book for school because it teaches people the problems people go through day after day and how people are tough to get help when they need it. I don't mean to be rude but that is what I think.

please don't take that offense I am sorry if you do.

I read this book when I was in 8th grade and it helped me through a lot. It's an amazing book I loved the honesty and bluntness of it. I never once thought "this might be inappropriate for me" I would suggest it to any student who is having issues of feeling alone. It's very inspiring.

Stephy wrote: "I read this book when I was in 8th grade and it helped me through a lot. It's an amazing book I loved the honesty and bluntness of it. I never once thought "this might be inappropriate for me" I wo..."

I absolutely agree with you because it did the same for me and it really helped.

I'm a seventh grader going into eighth grade I just read Cut. I absolutely loved it! I say it's appropriate for school. Kids should learn more about topics like cutting. The book was really eye-opening for me.