# Child protogonists in novels meant for adults?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-protogonists-in-novels-meant-for-adults/583220
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [May 25, 2011, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-protogonists-in-novels-meant-for-adults/583220 "2011-05-25T23:02:41Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2011, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-protogonists-in-novels-meant-for-adults/583220/41 "2011-05-27T13:20:36Z")
All this talk of Stephen King, and nobody has mentioned his first: Carrie, or his alter ego Richard Bachman’s Rage and The Long Walk, all tales of high school students. And Firestarter, with the young Charlie McGee…
Tabitha King’s first book Small World also was a tale of high school. And her triology Pearl, One on One, and the Book of Reuben all feature high school students (and Pearl is an absolute gem).
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### Author:  [@Dave\_Hartwick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave_Hartwick)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2011, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-protogonists-in-novels-meant-for-adults/583220/42 "2011-05-27T14:03:43Z")
Kozinski’s _The Painted Bird_.
Burgess’ _A Clockwork Orange_. People more familiar with the film might be surprised that Alex was 15 at the beginning of the novel.
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### Author:  [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2011, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-protogonists-in-novels-meant-for-adults/583220/43 "2011-05-27T21:13:40Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#):
>
> I came in to say this. It’s odd that it’s one of King’s lesser known and finest works.
>
> And I’m surprised nobody has mentioned **Lord of the Flies**. No adults in the whole tale.
It never would have occured to me that this was a novel written for adults (it’s taught in middle schools and found in YA sections of libraries & book stores) but it looks like it was. That does nothing to improve my opinion of the quality of the writing…
Uh, carry on folks.
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### Author:  [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2011, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-protogonists-in-novels-meant-for-adults/583220/44 "2011-05-27T21:21:17Z")
_Bless the Beasts and Children_
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### Author:  [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)
#### Post date: [May 31, 2011, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-protogonists-in-novels-meant-for-adults/583220/45 "2011-05-31T14:31:46Z")
Stephen King’s Hearts in Atlantis’s first novella, Low Men in Yellow Coats starts on protagonist Bobby Garfield’s 11th birthday.
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### Author:  [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)
#### Post date: [May 31, 2011, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-protogonists-in-novels-meant-for-adults/583220/46 "2011-05-31T14:39:05Z")
> [@choie](#):
>
> Much of Betty Smith’s brilliant, beautiful _A Tree Grows in Brooklyn_ is told from the perspective of young Francie Nolan, whom we see age from 12 - 18ish, with flashbacks of her even younger years, as she grows up in impoverished early 19th century Williamsburg (Brooklyn). With plots involving bigamy, rape, abortion, war, harsh poverty, alcoholism, sickness and death, I don’t think it’s a book primarily for kids.
It is, though. I remember it being on my reading lists at school when I was in 7th and 8th grades. When we had to choose books to write essays on in 8th grade, quite a few people chose Tree. And I’ve seen it in various school libraries quite recently. Maybe not elementary age kids, but definitely middle school. Which isn’t to say that people haven’t tried to ban it because of the issues you mention…
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### Author:  [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2011, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-protogonists-in-novels-meant-for-adults/583220/47 "2011-06-02T13:26:35Z")
The Color Purple–Celia is 14 years old, has given birth to two of her stepfather’s children and is forced to marry Mr. \_\_\_\_\_\_ at the beginning of the book.
Gone With The Wind opens when Scarlett O’Hara is 16.
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