Just say No

Aug 03, 2008

Posted by Doris
Uncategorized

I love to read. So much so that I drive people crazy with my reading habit. The odd thing about reading is that my tastes are everywhere. I have a friend who owns this wonderful book shop, Boomerang Books, who has the same taste in books I do. We like everything!

Today my friend and I were sitting at her store talking about our book choices. I love non-fiction, fiction, biographies, young adult, fantasy, historical fiction; well you get the idea. No matter the genre’ I’ve probably read it and enjoyed it. I’m particularly found of reading those old classic picture books I read with my children. I probably read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom once a week.

Recently I’ve read about Age Banding in Publisher’s Weekly. This is a practice being considered that will allow publishers to label a book so the customer might choose a book on the appropriate reading level. According to this article, this is something which consumers have requested.

Well, here’s the deal. Have you ever sat down and read a book much lower then your age level and loved it? Have you ever watched a child choose a book much higher then their age level and soar above anything you could have imagined? My thought is, that if we band books, we discourage readers from picking up something and loving it, no matter the age the book is geared for.

I also think that consumers are intelligent people who can decide for themselves if a book is for them. They don’t need the band to guide them. They can read the forward, the cover, a page or research the book on the internet. There are a multitude of ways readers choose books. Age Bands should not be one of them.

No to Age Banding is a site where you can find more information about this topic, and sign a petition against it. If you check out this page, you’ll see our favorite author, JK Rowling herself as signed the petition against age banding.

Age Banding could dissuade someone from picking up a book they love because of the arbitrary label placed on it by another. As readers of a book that would be labeled for young adults, let’s voice our concern about Age Banding.

Thanks,

~ Doris



Thanks for the emails about my last topic. I enjoyed your thoughts, I also appreciate the questions I’ve gotten in the past 24 hours about Breaking Dawn and the end of the Twilight series. I might write about the book later, but for right now I’m still reliving the book in my mind. Thanks for your questions, I’m not saying I won’t answer them, but please give me a few days to think it over!





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