> > I concede that Lovecraft did not write much that was focused on > > those problematic topics. Yet, he DID write about horrifying, > > supernatural beasts and terrible, scary consequences of man's > > dealings with those beasts. He wrote about powers gained from > > pacts with the inhuman, the hopelessness of humanity before an > > unstoppable force far greater than they could even comprehend. > > He wrote about the gruesome (if not gorey) consequences of > > scientific experimentation, and the darkness of the human soul > > to which we are all occasional victims. It is entirely possible that I am wrong, but I have always held the belief that these subjects are good points for younger kids, if they can grasp them (and most kids of average to average plus intelligence can, contrary to popular opinion). Consequences of dealing with "beasts": consequences of ones actions. Same with scientific experimentation. Darkness of the human spirit? Kids don't have any problem understanging that- look at the social dynamics of a group of kids. Dark? Absolutely! Comprehensible for an 11 year old? You might be suprised. Kids may get something different out of Lovecraft than an adult- I know my take on the books was a LOT different then than it is now- but they DO get something out of it, usually. If I had a child that age who wanted to read and was interested in horror, that is prolly what I'd hand them. Merlin