Is The Perks of Being a Wallflower an appropriate book for an 8th grade book presentation?

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M1ttens831

I am using Stephen Chobosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower for my 2nd quarter reading book project, which incidentally happens to be a book talk/presentation this time(just my luck to be talking about such an overly mature book publicly in front of 13 year-olds). I was wondering if it would be advised for me to use that novel for my power point that I will have to present in front of an 8th grade Honors English class.
In case you were doubting my analysis of the novel, because it is an 10th grade level book, I did understand it and was able to interpret it well.
So, do you think it would be inappropriate for my class, which is considerably immature for an advanced class?
Also, I was having difficulty choosing a central theme to the novel because Charlie wrote about high school and I do not want to say that the book is "about how a person may evolve throughout high school, and often undergoes drastic change" because I think that would be too cliche. I was thinking "To survive high school, or almost anywhere else, one needs a friend to whom they may confide or find comfort in throughout their journey."Another theme I am considering is "Guilt of indirectly causing death or harm to another can often cause trauma and depression to somebody, especially they person to cause indirect harm is young" (to long?). I also think that I'm having a lot of trouble deciding on a theme because there are so many to choose from (loneliness, drugs, (sex is way out of the question), homosexuality, uniqueness, child abuse, guilt, depression, family). What do you think I should use as my central theme?


I was also planning ahead and I'm thinking of reading The Casual Vacancy for my next quarter book, but it is an adult book. I have a feeling that it is a bad idea to choose it. What do you think?

Answer
Considering your description of the class that you wish to present too, I would advise against this book because of the themes. Nothing in this book is news to the average eighth grader but it is highly possible that you would receive complaints from parents, other teachers, etc. However, if you receive parental permission from each of the student's parents (send home a form, email, etc. showing that you are analyzing the book from a purely educational standpoint) there shouldn't be a problem except for the fact that the students themselves may not be mature enough to handle the book. I don't mean information wise. I am not doubting whether the information is inappropriate for their age level, but I am considering their maturity reaction wise. Are they too immature? It's your call.

I can see why you are having trouble with the central theme; I believe it is more broad. This book is a "coming of age" novel. I don't think that there is one central theme out of the ones you have selected.

Coincidentally, have also read The Casual Vacancy. It is definitely "too adult" and not suitable for a presentation to a middle school class.

When did you first fall in love with books?

Q. I think I first started loving books in 8th grade. There was a time in Elementary when I loved the little chapter books my teacher gave us. I would finish them as quickly as possible and ask for another. Mostly because it made me feel a bit smarter than I really was.

Around grades 4-7 I began to fall out of my love for books. Literature, now, means a whole lot more to me. (:
By love I don't mean the romanticized one.

Answer
In grade 8 as well, I read Harry Potter in the summer of my grade 7 year,

Though now I am spreading into Science Fiction and not just Fantasy

:)

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