Comments on: It’s Banned Books Week http://bookslide.wordpress.com/2008/10/01/its-banned-books-week/ Third one this decade Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:05:57 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: bookslide http://bookslide.wordpress.com/2008/10/01/its-banned-books-week/#comment-34 bookslide Thu, 02 Oct 2008 19:56:48 +0000 http://bookslide.wordpress.com/?p=100#comment-34 Part of the problem is that libraries tend to have three sections: Easy, Juvenile, and Young Adult. Except there's really an age group in between that: Tween, for lack of a better term. Or maybe it's just because my kid is an advanced reader? I'm not sure. But after Harry Potter, there was nowhere to go but YA, and some of that stuff is holycrap way too sexual for an 11-year-old. Sigh. Part of the problem is that libraries tend to have three sections: Easy, Juvenile, and Young Adult. Except there’s really an age group in between that: Tween, for lack of a better term. Or maybe it’s just because my kid is an advanced reader? I’m not sure. But after Harry Potter, there was nowhere to go but YA, and some of that stuff is holycrap way too sexual for an 11-year-old.

Sigh.

]]> By: Jillian http://bookslide.wordpress.com/2008/10/01/its-banned-books-week/#comment-33 Jillian Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:23:31 +0000 http://bookslide.wordpress.com/?p=100#comment-33 I love Lord of the Flies. I have no problem believing that children would degenerate so quickly into what is depicted there. I disliked Catcher in the Rye. I just read it in the past year or so and was not impressed. Holden came across as a spoiled arrogant brat and I saw nothing of my teenage years or mindset in him. I think that children should read age appropriate books. And I think that they are smart enough to figure that out. Before they are old enough to wonder about some things, they will skim over it if they happen to read a book that is maybe a little old for them. And I think you are right about the "yet" part. I would be horrified if someone gave the Kushiel Trilogy books to a tween who was getting interested in sex. Those books are too old for that age. But I wouldn't say that they could never read them or that they couldn't read them until they were 18 or 21 or something. I love Lord of the Flies. I have no problem believing that children would degenerate so quickly into what is depicted there.

I disliked Catcher in the Rye. I just read it in the past year or so and was not impressed. Holden came across as a spoiled arrogant brat and I saw nothing of my teenage years or mindset in him.

I think that children should read age appropriate books. And I think that they are smart enough to figure that out. Before they are old enough to wonder about some things, they will skim over it if they happen to read a book that is maybe a little old for them. And I think you are right about the “yet” part. I would be horrified if someone gave the Kushiel Trilogy books to a tween who was getting interested in sex. Those books are too old for that age. But I wouldn’t say that they could never read them or that they couldn’t read them until they were 18 or 21 or something.

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