Comments | debut2009: Topic of the Week: Reading Levels vs Maturity Levels

jgurtler in debut2009

Topic of the Week: Reading Levels vs Maturity Levels

Jan 20, 2009 09:06

As writers and readers of Young Adult, we probably all have strong ideas about book banning and sensorship in schools and libraries. The loaded topic I'd like to discuss this week is the difference between reading levels and maturity levels and how that can be addressed ( Read more... )

topic of the week, j.e. macleod

Comments 43

sydney_salter January 20 2009, 18:49:18 UTC

I've found that my daughters lose interest in books that are too mature for them. I will often give edgy books to my teen because she can experience things in literature without having to do it in real life. I'm pretty sure Ellen Hopkin's CRANK will have a longer lasting impact on her decisions about drugs than the preachy school anti-drug program.

I try to read a lot of what my daughters read because it's a good way to talk about things. I also agree that movies are different from books. If you read something you don't understand, there's no framework for the imagination. But the big screen does all the imagining for you.

Great topic! Thanks.

jgurtler January 20 2009, 18:53:25 UTC

CRANK is a great example of good influence. :)

melwil January 20 2009, 19:46:53 UTC

My parents certainly didn't censor my reading for mature themes, but I wasn't allowed to buy certain books because my mother felt the writing was lazy. (Looking back, she was right). I read adult books at 9 years old, and had permission from my parents to read 'senior' books at high school. (Though I remember them being indignant that it was required ( ... )

jgurtler January 21 2009, 16:08:39 UTC

personally I'd like to hear your thoughts on age-appropriate books for 11 and 12 year olds, perhaps another day!

Good for you for being open. Teachers are so important to kids reading I think. Parents too of course, but yeah, teachers can have such a good influence.

denelian January 21 2009, 21:09:29 UTC

i am neither parent nor teacher (neither fish nor fowl nor good read meat...), so i'm in this interesting position, when i mentor teens ( ... )

melwil January 22 2009, 20:33:16 UTC

Oh I agree totally. Our problem is that we're in a Prep (K in USA?) to 7 school, and the school doesn't have older-age appropriate books (I'm slowly working on that), but younger books which aren't 'talking' to them.

Thread 5

wordsrmylife January 21 2009, 00:15:59 UTC

Who decides? If the child is selecting a book to read at school, the librarian or a teacher is in a position to make a suggestion and, because a school does stand in loco parentis, may decide that a first grader is not ready to read, say, Bridge to Terabithia. If it's a public library or a bookstore, only a parent gets to make any sort of decision ( ... )

jgurtler January 21 2009, 16:10:42 UTC

Great points. Who does decide. I love the line you wrote about them having the right to choose to close the book and put it down. How true!

I don't want ratings on books, especially after this great discussion.

Thanks for your input!

jonnyskov January 21 2009, 17:36:24 UTC

The responsibility must come down to each family. A dialogue between child and parent, and may I suggest that if the parent has doubts, they should read it first. Challenging your child with "inappropriate content" often leads to rewarding discussions, teachable moments. As a parent, I always ignore suggested age guidelines and make my own decisions. Perhaps that's because my eldest son isn't neurotypical, so any generic judgment is irrelvant anyway. But I think every child deserves to be judged on what they can handle individually. There's far too much "once size fits all" in public education as it is.

I can't imagine what I would be like or what my writing would be like if I hadn't read Anais Nin in junior high. And you bet that would be considered inappropriate for that age (psst! for those who don't know, there's lots of naughty stuff!)