 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Animal Farm
- By George Orwell
- Genre: Literary Fiction
Common Sense Media says
Classic satirical allegory about the abuse of power.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Animal Farm is a biting satire of totalitarianism, written in the wake of World War II and published amid the rise of Soviet Russia. Although it tells a fairly simple story of barnyard animals trying to manage themselves after rebelling against their masters, the novel demonstrates how easily good intentions can be subverted into tyranny.
What's the story?
After years of oppression by Farmer Jones, the animals on his farm rise up and chase him away. They plan to run the farm themselves, for their own benefit. At first, the animals are able to work together and support each other. Gradually, however, the pigs begin making helpful suggestions about how the farm should be run. Before long, the pigs are at the top of the social ladder and the rest of the livestock are wondering what happened.
Is it any good?
ANIMAL FARM has been popular and highly acclaimed since its publication in 1945. In 2005, Time magazine chose it as one of the 100 best English-language novels, and the book ranks at 31 on the Modern Library List of Best 20th Century Novels. Its story and language are very simple, but Orwell is unnervingly precise in the way he depicts each step on the road from revolution to tyranny.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about what totalitarianism means, how it shaped the 20th century, and whether it still exists today.
As the pigs grow more powerful, they find a number of animals who seem willing to confess to the most horrendous crimes, even though they know they will be executed for their supposed crimes. Do criminal confessions always contain the complete truth? Why might a suspect confess to crime he or she did not commit?
Soon after they take over the farm, the animals agree to follow "The Seven Commandments." The rules seem fairly basic, but they are changed over the course of the novel. How do leaders today change the rules to achieve their own agendas?
One of the novel's most famous quotes is "All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others." What might that paradoxical statement mean?
Why do you think Animal Farm is often required reading in school?
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Animal Farm ~ Review by DaughterofHappiness
You'll need a level of maturity to be able to understand this book if you are a kid. Otherwise, most won't be able to see the reason this book was written.
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| Author: | George Orwell |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Literary Fiction |
| Publication date: | August 17, 1945 |
| Number of pages: | 128 |
| Paperback price: | $14.00 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 13 |
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