Adult-Themed Comics At Library Shock Parents!!
*Sigh*
http://www.local6.com/money/5497816/detail.html
Okay, lets break this down.
The kid is 11 and she found the manga in the young adult section of the library.
Has the phrase "young adult" changed meaning lately? Even in my broadest definition of the term, I wouldn't include anyone whose age doesn't contain the word "teen". If you aren't even a teen yet then you sure as hell aren't a young adult.
My local library seems to share that idea:
"The young adult collections are selected with our teen patrons in mind. The themes, language, and situations are appropriate for that age group, roughly middle school through high school readers."
Even the ALA categorizes young adults as people 12-18. So even with that definition, our young manga reader has a year to go.
If young adults include people up to age 18, doesn't that mean you can expect that some of that material is gonna be for older readers? You know, those 17- and 18-year-old kids.
With a range from 12-18, how can you be sure what's right for your kids? Maybe you have to look closer:
White believes no one looked past the cover of the comic and it is time that things changed at the library.
Yeah! Things need to change! Nobody looks past the covers! The covers can't tell you anything! It's not like TokyoPop rates their books based on content and puts that rating on the cover of the book!
Oh wait.
That's right. On the back of every TokyoPop book is an age rating. What is Peach Girl rated??
T (Teen Age 13+)
It's just too bad no one looked past the cover.
Or at the cover.
Or in the general direction of the cover.
Okay, okay. So maybe the rating just wasn't enough. If only there was some other way to know that the book contained questionable material. Like a "blurb" or something on the back of the book. Maybe it could say something like this:
"Kiley's brother, Ryo, is after Momo in a major way, but she's certain he wants to be just friends. That is, until Ryo tries to force himself on Momo at a seminar, and won't take no for an answer. Thankfully, Momo escapes him by stabbing him with a pen ... but she's worried she did some serious damage. Sae arrives just in time to help Ryo to the hospital, and he plays nice with her, manipulating her with his charms. Kiley is furious about his brother's head games, and attempts to put an end to them once and for all. Along the way, Momo begins to suspect that Kiley still has feelings for an old flame. When Momo finally confronts him about this, Kiley doesn't exactly put her fears to rest. With one foot stuck in the past, will Kiley be able to walk alongside Momo in the future?"
"[He] won't take no for an answer." "Momo escapes him by stabbing him with a pen."
That's from the book whose cover is shown in the news clip. I think the book's content is becoming clearer.
How about the book mom is holding in the news clip photo?
"All's fair in love and war! Momo and Kiley decide to get sweet revenge on Sae by setting up a "dream date" for her--only it will turn out to be her worst nightmare! Kiley hires an actor to seduce Sae and then turn into a major pervert before her. But when their plan goes awry and Sae is put into real danger, its up to Momo to save Sae from harm! But can Momo bring herself to rescue the cause of all her problems?"
You'd think the seduction plot and the word "pervert" on the back, along with the label "13+" would be clues that maybe the book is not meant for this particular 11-year-old girl. But apparently that's not clear enough for these parents.
"As I was going through it, I said, 'Oh my God, do parents know what their kids are reading?'" mother Raynelle White said.
Well, since neither she nor her daughter were apparently observant enough to read the cover blurb or consider the age rating on the books, I'm gonna have to say that at least one set of parents have no idea what their kids are reading...
http://www.local6.com/money/5497816/detail.html
Okay, lets break this down.
The kid is 11 and she found the manga in the young adult section of the library.
Has the phrase "young adult" changed meaning lately? Even in my broadest definition of the term, I wouldn't include anyone whose age doesn't contain the word "teen". If you aren't even a teen yet then you sure as hell aren't a young adult.
My local library seems to share that idea:
"The young adult collections are selected with our teen patrons in mind. The themes, language, and situations are appropriate for that age group, roughly middle school through high school readers."
Even the ALA categorizes young adults as people 12-18. So even with that definition, our young manga reader has a year to go.
If young adults include people up to age 18, doesn't that mean you can expect that some of that material is gonna be for older readers? You know, those 17- and 18-year-old kids.
With a range from 12-18, how can you be sure what's right for your kids? Maybe you have to look closer:
White believes no one looked past the cover of the comic and it is time that things changed at the library.
Yeah! Things need to change! Nobody looks past the covers! The covers can't tell you anything! It's not like TokyoPop rates their books based on content and puts that rating on the cover of the book!
Oh wait.
That's right. On the back of every TokyoPop book is an age rating. What is Peach Girl rated??
T (Teen Age 13+)
It's just too bad no one looked past the cover.
Or at the cover.
Or in the general direction of the cover.
Okay, okay. So maybe the rating just wasn't enough. If only there was some other way to know that the book contained questionable material. Like a "blurb" or something on the back of the book. Maybe it could say something like this:
"Kiley's brother, Ryo, is after Momo in a major way, but she's certain he wants to be just friends. That is, until Ryo tries to force himself on Momo at a seminar, and won't take no for an answer. Thankfully, Momo escapes him by stabbing him with a pen ... but she's worried she did some serious damage. Sae arrives just in time to help Ryo to the hospital, and he plays nice with her, manipulating her with his charms. Kiley is furious about his brother's head games, and attempts to put an end to them once and for all. Along the way, Momo begins to suspect that Kiley still has feelings for an old flame. When Momo finally confronts him about this, Kiley doesn't exactly put her fears to rest. With one foot stuck in the past, will Kiley be able to walk alongside Momo in the future?"
"[He] won't take no for an answer." "Momo escapes him by stabbing him with a pen."
That's from the book whose cover is shown in the news clip. I think the book's content is becoming clearer.
How about the book mom is holding in the news clip photo?
"All's fair in love and war! Momo and Kiley decide to get sweet revenge on Sae by setting up a "dream date" for her--only it will turn out to be her worst nightmare! Kiley hires an actor to seduce Sae and then turn into a major pervert before her. But when their plan goes awry and Sae is put into real danger, its up to Momo to save Sae from harm! But can Momo bring herself to rescue the cause of all her problems?"
You'd think the seduction plot and the word "pervert" on the back, along with the label "13+" would be clues that maybe the book is not meant for this particular 11-year-old girl. But apparently that's not clear enough for these parents.
"As I was going through it, I said, 'Oh my God, do parents know what their kids are reading?'" mother Raynelle White said.
Well, since neither she nor her daughter were apparently observant enough to read the cover blurb or consider the age rating on the books, I'm gonna have to say that at least one set of parents have no idea what their kids are reading...