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Nation

(2008, Fiction - Fantasy, Written by Terry Pratchett)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 9, age appropriate for kids over 11; suggested age 11.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • Common Sense says

    Philosophical survival story with a bit of humor.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 11 and Up

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    The young main characters are smart, thoughtful, responsible, often selfless, and hard-working.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    A child poisons one man, and smashes another's face with a bowl. A lengthy battle in which a man repeatedly shoots at a boy, wounding him. A boy kills a man with an ax. References to cannibalism, beheadings, skulls.

  • Sex:

    Mild references to admiring ladies' legs.

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Drinking and drunkenness. A child drinks and is sick. Part of the plot revolves around making beer.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Nation

Parents need to know that the climax of the story is a fight to the death between a man and a young teen, in which the man shoots at and injures the boy. Children kill adults with poison and axes, and a plot point involves the making and drinking of beer.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the many philosophical points the author raises. Why do bad things happen? What is the place of God or gods in the universe and in our lives? Are some cultures superior to others? How is knowledge lost? Why do people do the things they do?
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