The age that a person is first exposed to a particular work of literature can greatly affect how she relates to it. Giving someone a book to read before she is ready for it can prevent her from ever wanting to give it a chance again. She can decide that's weird or too confusing, and even though she loves to read, and even if this book is considered an indispensible part of the literary canon, she will never try to read it after that first initial failure.

The sad thing about this is that the person in question is almost always an avid reader. This is the kid in the class who has read every single book in the classroom's "library" before the winter break, and who dominates all reading-related competitions in the school. This person has read every book in her grade level and the grade level above it and is hungry for something more.

Usually, this person is the child of avid readers as well. The parent or parents are so excited to expose their child to the works of literature that they loved so much at the child's age that they often push books onto their child that aren't right for her. Most book-loving parents likely cannot wait to expose their sons or daughters to To Kill A Mockingbird. It's difficult to find a lifelong bookworm who does not absolutely adore this novel, and it's not surprising that once this person has children, he will want to have them meet Atticus, Scout, and Boo Radley, and all the other fascinating To Kill a Mockingbird characters as soon they reach the proper grade level."

The parent might start the process of plugging Harper Lee's only novel by first dropping some To Kill a Mockingbird quotes, casually, maybe at dinner. The father will say something truly profound, and when asked by his daughter where he came up with such a statement, will proudly attribute it to Atticus Finch. The daughter may roll her eyes at the first introduction, but that won't stop the determined father.

Next, the father may starting finding connections between every day events and the plot of To Kill a Mockingbird. Issues relating to justice, family, unfair assessments and incidents with multiple interpretations can all be brought back to some of the key events in the novel. Finally, the father will just go ahead and give them the daughter a complete, and likely excruciating To Kill a Mockingbird Summary in the hope that it will entice her to finally give the novel a chance.

The thing is though, that even when a child is academically ready for such a novel, she may not be emotionally ready for it. To Kill a Mockingbird deals with some pretty heavy themes, and includes some pretty intense violence. Not every precocious eleven-year-old is equipped to handle it, even if she can understand all of the big words Lee uses (and there really aren't that many; the beauty of the work is in its simplicity). It's important that parents are careful about when and how they expose literature to their children so they don't ruin the experience forever.

Paul Thomson is an avid reader of English Literature. His areas of interests include researching on To Kill a Mockingbird Quotes, To Kill a Mockingbird Summary and To Kill a Mockingbird Characters. In his spare time, he loves to participate in online literature forums and promote reading for youth.

Author's Bio: 

Paul Thomson is an avid reader of English Literature. His areas of expertise include American Literature, Poetry and US History. In his spare time, he loves to participate in online literature forums and promote reading for youth.