To help you make an informed decision, we consulted a group of parents well-versed in Twilight. Lisa Hansen is the site owner and "coven mother" of TwilghtMOMS.com, which she launched nearly a year-to-the-date before the movie's November 21 premiere. Already, her site has 16,000 registered members -- and is currently adding nearly 100 new ones a day. Members must be at least 25-years-old, a mom, or married.
So to help you make that personal decision, Hansen and her fellow TwilightMOMs helped us put together this look at what parents should know about Twilight.
| 10. |
In fact, the author is a Mormon and she provides a non-traditional take on vampires. "The Cullens are vampires who choose to abstain from feeding on humans, value human life and protect it, and do not possess the typical vampire traits," says InnamorataDiTwilight. Juliek22 adds, "The characters are not evil, and the bad guys are not dark enough to cause nightmares." |
| 9. |
Compared to other works targeted at kids in the tween-teen range, most consider Twilight to be quite mild. Comments ranged from "I think this is one of the cleanest series out there for young adults," by Katieb to "The violence in the series is far less graphic than the anything contained in the last three Harry Potter books," by Julie&Jasper. However, BeautifulDisaster cautions, "The books contain more mature themes as the book series progresses; the first book is suitable for a younger audience, while the last is, in my opinion, best read with a bit more life experience." |
| 8. |
Along with appealing to a wide variety of ages, it crosses the gender barrier. "Plenty of guys are interested, including several of my male 7th grade students," says BeautifulDisaster. And Suelibevg describes the appeal this way, "Boys like the vampire aspect and the cars!! Girls like the romance." |
| 7. |
Says AZmomx2, "The thing that I think was my favorite is the idea of choices...that you can shape your future by the choices you make. As an adult, I know this. As a teenager, I often felt like I was on this 'ride of life' and had no control over things." And following on that, Raeniece says, "Even when a wrong has been righted or amends made, that doesn't mean the consequences from those previous choices can be avoided. They have to be dealt with." |
| 6. |
That's the phrase self-professed "Twilighters" have used to describe the obsession that leads them to re-read the books, spends hours each day on the dozens of fansites that have sprung up, and turn their rooms into Twilight boutiques. Lion<3Lamb warns, "Your teen may fall head over heals with a fictional character!" But that might not be a bad thing, according to Pznluv, "Edward shows how great men can be -- thoughtful, kind, sexy, smart, good, moral, and wonderful.... It gives young women an idea of how great it would be to have someone like Edward treat them like a queen, to not settle, and gives young men a model to follow." |
| 5. |
As with the Harry Potter books, the Twilight saga appeals to kids who are resistant to reading. "Even my youngest daughter (12 yrs) who absolutely hates reading, gave in and started Twilight, says Mio Crepuscolo. "She would disappear for hours at a time to read." HELIKESBRUNETTES agrees and warns, "This book will really engage them, probably like nothing they've ever read before, so make sure they do their homework BEFORE reading daily, or it will probably never get done!" |
| 4. |
The series is peppered with references to works of literature. "Twilight will have your children wanting to read works referenced within (Pride & Prejudice, Wuthering Heights, Romeo & Juliet, The Merchant of Venice)," says IsabellaCullen. And the movie's Bella and Edward even pose for an American Library Association poster. |
| 3. |
"Bella does her homework AND cooks!" jokes Centaur1201. Chocoholic agrees, "The main character is a 'good girl.' She cares about people, she is obedient, does her homework, is kind to her friends, does not drink, smoke, or party, and is home by curfew. She is responsible and conscientious. What more could we ask for?" |
| 2. |
The movie has a PG-13 rating. The book advises 12 and up. Some of the TwilightMOMS have read the book to kids as young as five; other say they wouldn't let kids read it until at least seventh grade. All recommend basing the decision on the age and maturity of your child. "Some children are less mature than others to handle different issues," says TheMacPack5. "There are kids out there that simply would not 'get it' just yet. And by all means, wait until they are ready. But once they are, they will LOVE The Twilight Saga!!" |
| 1. |
As fans of the series, it's not too surprising that these moms would recommend them to adults. But their encouragement goes beyond that. Says Green Mountain Mom, "Read the books yourself! Chances are you will enjoy them, and certainly you'll have the opportunity for conversation on topics ranging from funny moments to intense emotional conflict." Bookbabe agrees, "Talk about the books you read together. This is an excellent way to discuss the values you want your child to take with them into adulthood." |