Several publishing companies plan to “age band” their children’s books from this autumn Is this a good idea??

Should there be an age band for books?



Several publishing companies plan to “age band” their children’s books from this autumn?



Is this a good idea?



The idea is that the books will carry a specific marking indicating it is suitable for readers aged 5+, 7+, 9+, 11+ and 13+/teen.



They will also carry a recommendation for where they should be placed in book shops or libraries.



Research carried out by the Publishers' Association claims that people buying books for children would welcome guidance but several authors are concerned that the scheme is too prescriptive.



Do you agree with the publishers’ decision to age-band books?



Will this help parents and encourage children to read more books?



Do you work in the publishing industry or libraries?



Are you a parent?

Several publishing companies plan to “age band” their children’s books from this autumn Is this a good idea??
At the age of 13 i was reading A level books, i soon moved onto books of a Uni level, if someone had put on an age limit, i wouldnt of tried, i wouldnt of pushed myself.



This also leaves gaps for children to be bullied if they are reading books of a lower age group.


I don't believe books should be categorised for ages, unless they contain sexual content, writing is supposed to be read by people of all ages.Several publishing companies plan to “age band” their children’s books from this autumn Is this a good idea??
i would feel bad for the slower kids that are thirteen and reading 8 year old books
WOW you stole the question in total !!



YES !! I have NO problem with a publishing company putting an age-recommendation label on their material. It is a BAND, not a BAN.



I am a parent and grandparent... and a voracious reader.Several publishing companies plan to “age band” their children’s books from this autumn Is this a good idea??
I don't see it as a ban, just thoughtful recommendations based on average reading levels and content. It sounds as if the publishers are attempting to rate books as the entertainment industry does with films - or how video games, TV and music CDs have warnings about adult content (which are all usually ignored, in my opinion).



For instance, I don't think I'd want to give a child a book by Stephen King even if they had excellent reading %26amp; comprehension skills - it would just be too much for a 7 year old's imagination to handle in most cases. I remember reading "Lord of the Flies" when I was 10 and it gave me nightmares, but it was part of the curriculum in for my class. I hated it and wished I could have chosen something else.



I also read "Jaws" after I'd seen the movie with my parents. It was in paperback and affordable, so thought it would be fun to read the novel. It had some explicit sexual content that I hadn't expected since it wasn't even hinted at in the film. I was disturbed and confused about the explicitly detailed sexual scenes Peter Benchley described between Hooper and Brody's wife.



I think what it comes down to is parental involvement - being aware of what your children watch, play and read and hear. If your kid has a high maturity level, is open with you and feels comfortable discussing content of books, music, movies, TV and even video games with you, then by all means, then them read whatever they find interesting. I loved Reader's Digest as a kid, and I think it broadened my awareness of the world around me and got me interested in healthcare and science. Just because a book has a sticker on that suggests it would be most appropriate for a particular age group doesn't mean a younger or older child can't or won't enjoy the content.