History WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids / Literature

* ''DarkestPowers'' series is essentially the same as its dark, adult orientated ''TheOtherworld'' sister series. It's ''somewhat'' toned down, basically just the sex and profanity taken out. Thus we have a series about teenagers trying to escape getting killed [[spoiler:and one of them doesn't]].

* The [[Alex Rider]] series by Anthony Horowitz, so you think this is a fun for young teens novel series? not quite, the titular character is just a fourteen year old by manipulated to work for MI6, he then endures many horrific things over a single year. This series can be considered the NeonGenesisEvangelion of Spy Fiction

** And, by book five, [[ItGotWorse it all starts to go downhill...]]

** And as for ''TheBeyonders?'' Well, it ''begins'' with a mass SuicidePact and accidental mauling. From there, [[ItGotWorse it's pretty much all downhill.]]

* For example, while Christina Rossetti insisted ''Goblin Market'' was a children's poem, it's kind of difficult to ignore the LesYay, to say nothing of the [[IncestIsRelative incest]].

* ''AlfiesHome'', an attack on homosexuals thinly disguised as a story about a boy who was molested by his uncle. It has a ''massive'' {{Hatedom}} [[http://www.amazon.com/Alfies-Home-Richard-Cohen/product-reviews/0963705806/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt_sr_1?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&filterBy=addOneStar on Amazon]], where it is over £40 to discourage parents from buying it, protecting innocent children from its evil influence. It includes the sentences "Some [kids] called me names like 'Sissy', 'Faggot', 'Queer' and 'Homo'" and "Now, I realize I'm not gay". And it was aimed ''at children.'' But don't take our word for it: ThatGuyWithTheGlasses [[http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/blogs/latest/entry/the-worst-childrens-book-ever-alfies-home will fill you in, along with the entire book's contents]]. It has also rightfully earned its place on the [[Horrible/{{Literature}} So Bad, It's Horrible]] section of DarthWiki.

* ''AlfiesHome'', an attack on homosexuals thinly disguised as a story about a boy who was molested by his uncle. It has a ''massive'' {{Hatedom}} [[http://www.amazon.com/Alfies-Home-Richard-Cohen/product-reviews/0963705806/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt_sr_1?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&filterBy=addOneStar on Amazon]], where it is over £40 to discourage parents from buying it, protecting innocent children from its evil voice. It includes the sentences "Some [kids] called me names like 'Sissy', 'Faggot', 'Queer' and 'Homo'" and "Now, I realize I'm not gay". And it was aimed ''at children.'' But don't take our word for it: ThatGuyWithTheGlasses [[http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/blogs/latest/entry/the-worst-childrens-book-ever-alfies-home will fill you in, along with the entire book's contents]]. It has also rightfully earned its place on the [[Horrible/{{Literature}} So Bad, It's Horrible]] section of DarthWiki.

* ''AlfiesHome'', an attack on homosexuals thinly disguised as a story about a boy who was molested by his uncle. It has a ''massive'' {{Hatedom}} [[http://www.amazon.com/Alfies-Home-Richard-Cohen/product-reviews/0963705806/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt_sr_1?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&filterBy=addOneStar on Amazon]]. It includes the sentences "Some [kids] called me names like 'Sissy', 'Faggot', 'Queer' and 'Homo'" and "Now, I realize I'm not gay". And it was aimed ''at children.'' But don't take our word for it: ThatGuyWithTheGlasses [[http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/blogs/latest/entry/the-worst-childrens-book-ever-alfies-home will fill you in, along with the entire book's contents]]. It has also rightfully earned its place on the [[Horrible/{{Literature}} So Bad, It's Horrible]] section of DarthWiki.

* Basically, for those not familiar with his work, NeilGaiman does not believe in talking down to kids. He has also reached the conclusion that children often enjoy horrific stories more than adults, which dovetails with his observation that, unlike adults, many children know no mercy when it comes to what happens to villains (cf. the deaths of many of the villains in beloved fairy tales).

* Pretty much any book by Creator/GarthNix that's labeled as "young adult" (as in, the stuff usually found in the kid's section). For example, there's [[TheSeventhTower the series that has]] living (often unfriendly) shadows, MindRape as capital punishment (even for minors!), BodyHorror, and some rather intense war scenes. Then [[KeysToTheKingdom there's the one]] with MindScrew galore, BodyHorror monsters, mandatory brainwashing (more literally than the word is usually used) for children, and plenty of death abound. Oh, and the ending involves [[spoiler:the destruction of everything everywhere ever]]. For those of you asking how this can possibly be meant for children, go and read the OldKingdom books. You know, his ''teen'' series.

* The [[Alex Rider]] series by Anthony Horowitz, so you think this is a fun for young teens novel series? not quite, the titular character is just a fourteen year old by manipulated to work for MI6, he then endures many horrific things over a single year. This series can be considered the [[NeonGenesisEvengelion]] of Spy Fiction

* The StephenKing book ''TheEyesOfTheDragon'' was written at the request of one of King's children, who wanted [[SoMyKidsCanWatch him to write a children's book]]. However, that didn't stop King from including, among other things, a SexScene. While for the most part it is tamer than King's other books, there's still a lot in there to scar a child for life.

* The StephenKing book ''TheEyesOfTheDragon'' was written at the request of one of King's children, who wanted [[SoMyKidsCanWatch him to write a children's book]]. However, that didn't stop King from including, among other things, a SexScene. While for the most part it is tamer than most of King's other books, there's still a lot in there to scar a child for life.

* Anything written by the late Robert Cormier would count here, especially ''The Chocolate War'' and ''Fade'' (two books that frequently make it to "frequently banned books" lists) but not limited to those two books. His novels were specifically written for older children and preteens but are about anything from (terminally ill) children being used as live guinea pigs to a young boy with amnesia who's being marked for death as soon as he regains his memory.

* The entire point of the StarWarsExpandedUniverse series ''Galaxy of Fear'' was to be a horror series for kids. BodyHorror and {{Mind Screw}}s abounded to the point where the book that revolved around ghosts was the least scary of the twelve. Hell, they introduced a planet that eats people alive in the ''very first book''. Other lovely highlights include worms that suck the marrow out of your bones so that the empty space can be filled with a serum that makes you [[AndIMustScream an unwitting zombie]], a [[MindRape machine that traps you in your own nightmares]], forcible conversion into a [[BrainInAJar B'omarr brain spider]], swarms of [[EatenAlive beetles that eat you from the inside out]], other humans [[ImAHumanitarian who also think your flesh is tasty]], and some of the sickest {{EvilScientist}}s in the Star Wars universe. Good God, everywhere these kids go people die like flies! Special mention goes to the psychological trauma that goes with the question "If clones made of you have all your memories and think they are you, ''how do you know you yourself aren't a clone?''

* Pretty much any book by GarthNix that's labeled as "young adult" (as in, the stuff usually found in the kid's section). For example, there's [[TheSeventhTower the series that has]] living (often unfriendly) shadows, MindRape as capital punishment (even for minors!), BodyHorror, and some rather intense war scenes. Then [[KeysToTheKingdom there's the one]] with MindScrew galore, BodyHorror monsters, mandatory brainwashing (more literally than the word is usually used) for children, and plenty of death abound. Oh, and the ending involves [[spoiler:the destruction of everything everywhere ever]]. For those of you asking how this can possibly be meant for children, go and read the OldKingdom books. You know, his ''teen'' series.

* ''TheHobbit'', due to [[Creator/JRRTolkien Tolkien's]] natural propensity for large volumes of text.

* Anything written by the late Robert Cormier would count here, especially ''The Chocolate War'' and ''Fade'' (two books that frequently make it to "frequently banned books" lists) but not limited to those two books. His novels were specifically written for older children and preteens but are about anything from (terminally ill) children being used as live guinea pigs to a young boy with amnesia who's being marked for death as soon as he regains his memory.

* 1997 children's adventure book ''Haunted Castle'' definitely fits this trope. Due in part to the amazing art of artist/writer Leo Hartas, complete [[SarcasmMode child-friendly scenes]] such as demented, crumbling paper-mache clones of the protagonists, a man being crushed feet-first by a garden roller while still alive and swimming through the guts of a gigantic fish are all brought to your children's nightmares!

** This troper sees kids reading ''TheHungerGames'' and even read it himself. Just so you know, it's about kids fighting each other to death on TV to be claimed victor.
* He also knows a little girl that saw the bloody PG-13 movie based on the book.

** ''Discworld/TheAmazingMauriceAndHisEducatedRodents'' is deep (the rats are inventing their own morality as they go), [[NightmareFuel terrifying]] (the rats face vicious terriers, powerful traps and a {{Mind Control}}ing villain), and {{squick}}y (the "inventing their own morality" includes the idea that maybe they shouldn't eat other rats).

** The very nature of the one book = one school year ratio forces this. Even if there were no mahical elements at all, 18-year-old graduating high school seniors face very different issues than 11-year-old sixth graders.

* This is a large part of the reason why ''In the Night Kitchen'' by the late [[DepravedKidsShowHost Maurice Sendak]] was banned from various school libraries and children's book shops, alongside UnfortunateImplications: The child protagonist Mickey loses his pajamas for some reason and ends up naked for a substantial chunk of the story, with his nudity uncensored.

* This troper sees kids reading ''TheHungerGames'' and even read it himself. Just so you know, it's about kids fighting each other to death on TV to be claimed victor.
** He also knows a little girl that saw the bloody PG-13 movie based on the book.

* ''AlfiesHome'', an attack on homosexuals thinly disguised as a story about a boy who was molested by his uncle. It has a ''massive'' {{Hatedom}} [[http://www.amazon.com/Alfies-Home-Richard-Cohen/product-reviews/0963705806/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt_sr_1?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&filterBy=addOneStar on Amazon]]. It includes the sentences "Some [kids] called me names like 'Sissy', 'Faggot', 'Queer' and 'Homo'" and "Now, I realize I'm not gay". And it was aimed ''at children.'' But don't take our word for it: ThatGuyWithTheGlasses [[http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/blogs/latest/entry/the-worst-childrens-book-ever-alfies-home will fill you in, along with the entire book's contents]]. It has also rightfully earned its place on [[DarthWiki Darth Wiki's]] [[Horrible/{{Literature}} So Bad, It's Horrible]] section.

* ''AlfiesHome'', an attack on homosexuals thinly disguised as a story about a boy who was molested by his uncle. It has a ''massive'' {{Hatedom}} [[http://www.amazon.com/Alfies-Home-Richard-Cohen/product-reviews/0963705806/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt_sr_1?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&filterBy=addOneStar on Amazon]]. It includes the sentences "Some [kids] called me names like 'Sissy', 'Faggot', 'Queer' and 'Homo'" and "Now, I realize I'm not gay". And it was aimed ''at children.'' But don't take our word for it: ThatGuyWithTheGlasses [[http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/blogs/latest/entry/the-worst-childrens-book-ever-alfies-home will fill you in, along with the entire book's contents]].

* ''WarriorCats''. It's a series about a bunch of cats living in a forest which is marketed to ages 9-12 and decorated with colourful covers. But as for what's under the covers? As the title implies, there is a lot of fighting in these books, accompanied by pseudo-realistic (and often very graphic) violence. Pretty much every fight ends with every character involved bleeding from at least one gash, and on a few occasions cats have had their [[SlashedThroat throats slit or torn open and bleed to death]]. And those are some of the average moments. The series goes on to feature cats having their [[EyeScream eyes clawed out]], getting run over by cars, being crippled, [[DeathByChildbirth bleeding to death while giving birth]], getting mauled by dogs, [[spoiler:being ripped open and left to [[HighPressureBlood bleed to death]] ''[[CatsHaveNineLives nine times]]'']], being slaughtered by an AxCrazy mountain lion, [[spoiler:impaling a mountain lion with a stalactite]], falling off cliffs and breaking their necks, getting crushed by trees, having their tails removed, [[spoiler:having a wooden stake driven into their throat]], drowning in a series of dark tunnels which they are [[FateWorseThanDeath forced to wander for all eternity]], bleeding heavily from gashes in their stomachs, being tortured by extremely bloody [[NightmareDreams nightmares]], slowly bleeding to death after [[spoiler:being severely wounded by a beaver's teeth]], [[NightmareFuel hearing another cat screaming in agony as his stomach is ripped open offscreen]], etc. [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar How these books being considered child-friendly has never been challenged by parents or bookstores for all these years is a mystery]]. Not to mention the fact that it covers themes like racism (although towards [[FantasticRacism fictional races]], which technically makes it okay), genocide, [[GrayAndGrayMorality moral ambiguity]], organized religion, insanity, and war. Also, see the series' entry for [[Radar/{{Literature}} Getting Crap Past The Radar]].