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Question: Little kids in the YA Section!?
Frankly, although I am by no means a fan of Stephanie Meyer or her books, I'm tired of hearing about what an irresponsible author she is in relations to her younger fans!.
She has fans as young as nine reading her books! That's ridiculous!. Nine-year-olds should not be venturing into the YOUNG ADULT section in the first place!. Young adult books are meant for young adults!.!.!.not elementary schoolers who should be reading Charlotte's Web!.
Think about it!. You have a series planned!. Your first book sells so well!. You plan a sex scene for your second book, but you realize you have to cancel it because you find out your fans are as young as nine!. You'd be pretty ticked, especially since you put HOURS into planning that scene!.
My point is, it's not the author's repsonisiblity to ensure that the reading material is safe for young readers, but that parents need to make sure their children aren't venturing into the YA section in the first place!
Young adult is young adult for a reason!. YA book scan touch upon any topic as long as it's written using the teen voice!. The only differences between young adult and adult is the voice it's written in and the length!. That's the only difference!.
So, my question is, how do you feel about kids as young as nine venturing into the YA section and parents actually allowing it!? Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
It's a form of child neglect, in my opinion, but I think it starts long before a child is nine!. I don't believe some parents ever read what their kids read, nor read much themselves!.
I have been recommending a YA novel for a while, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Alexie, but I wouldn't want to hear of a nine year old kid reading it!.
Meyer's novels are way out in left field, all over an ill-written map, and it takes a certain kind of neglect to allow one's child to read them!.
I have to keep in mind that when I was young, I read sci-fi and other books conservative parents may have had fits over!. I knew all of it was fiction, my folks DID teach me how to read early!. Things were different!. The sci-fi and Poe stories I read did not include ignorant sex scenes!.
One of my concerns about kids reading YA novels now is that not only are very young kids dipping into those without understanding them (did you read the questions asking if vampires and/or werewolves are real!? about how to become one!?), the little kids are also online here, at this site, and trying to write sex scenes!. "How do I write about a kiss!?" Like that!.
How many times have you read 'Do you like my story!? I'm 12' (even '11') in the details on an answer!? I report 'em, even if a person is goofing off!. Youngsters will not understand Q and As on this site; even many who are at the allowed age of 13!.
The kids of today seem to be very 'plugged in' --everything 'computer' is what they are raised with, movies, mp3, iphones, cell phones, texting, the whole bit!.!.!. but these same kids have no idea how to actually talk to each other, not to mention adults!.
Even young adults these days are often isolated and not used to many challenges, unless they go to war, then they are sent home with a bad case of PTSD and no job skills, if they make it at all!.
What is happening in the general population of the US is sad and bad, and what parents allow their young kids to do is done, I think, because the parents are either too preoccupied with money and/or are too young themselves to know what, for example, a reading list for a nine year old should look like!.
If parents don't read, they are not even going to notice the kind of book their offspring may pick up in the YA section of a library or store!.
It's just the way it is!.
Authors now have to be more careful than before about what kind of message they send out in YA books!.!.!. they don't have to change the target audience, young adults, regarding word usage or coming-of-age rites, but they must take on what can result from an overall message sent by what they write for young people!.
Their message is often the only kind of 'advice' young people get these days!.
I think authors also have responsibility regarding what they write!.
Good question!. A star for this one!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
I think that as long as the parents know what the child is reading is from the YA section and that the material will be more mature, its fine!. But then they have no right to complain that the material is to adult and things should be cut from the book because of the audience!. They need to let the writer continue on with the book like they planned and not have there 9 year old reading something that is inappropriate for them!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
i agree young kids should not be in there and if their parents really care enough to have this author cancel a scene in here book then keep your damn kids outta of there
personally if i was this author i would have said oh well its the parents respnsibilty to monitor what thier children read not mine im not losing time and money over thisWww@QuestionHome@Com
My oldest daughter is nine!. She reads and comprehends at an adult level!. Should we force her to read children's books!? No, it's just another form of censorship!. Ms!. Meyer did not HAVE to edit her book, she chose to!. Don't blame anyone else!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
right-on, if the parents actually feel that their kid is responsible enough to read her books, then they shud go for it!.!.!.!.after all, reading builds character!.!.!.and if they read at a higher grade level then they will learn faster!.!.!.so agian, right-onWww@QuestionHome@Com
What are you the age Nazi!? Your ignorance is really mind blowing!.!.!.!.!. in 5th grade (age 10) I was reading on a college level!. So of course a 9 year old could understand something as simple as Twilight!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Good point!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
i think u need to settle downWww@QuestionHome@Com
When I was nine, I had outgrown the children's section!. I needed more challenging books, so where else was there to go but to the YA section!. Sure parents should monitor what their young children read, but there are children as young as nine who see much worse things on TV!. What many parents should yet don't do is an extensive list and dwelling on it with no actual proposition on how to change the issue is pointless!.
I've always thought a rating system similar to the MPAA movie ratings would be a useful tool for parents!. Www@QuestionHome@Com
I've agreed with that for a while!. I just don't think its fair to authors who get criticized for their work being too mature!. Parents should have control over what their children are reading!.!.!. to an extent!. If the child is ready to take on that book, then allow them!. I mean, if they are old enough to understand, then they should be able to distinguish right from wrong!.
Since Breaking Dawn, I've been hearing a lot about kids idolizing Bella and apparently wanting to have sex!? Or whatever!. I just find that idiotic!. I'm 16 and I'm not going to go have sex 'cause a character in a book will!? Poor Stephanie!.
If I were an author and my work was being looked down upon for it being too mature, then I think I'd tell them to shove it into erotica!.
I definitely agree with you though!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Whether youngsters should be delving into the Young Adult section for reading material or not depends on a variety of factors, including the individual's maturity, parental supervision, literary worth of the work in question!. I agree with you that an author should not be required to self-censor, even though in this particular case, the author fell into a pile of gold BECAUSE OF the youth and inexperience of her target audience!. I would criticize what she writes overall, though, as simply not enriching, literarily speaking!.
Interestingly, parents today believe that if their child reads something, ANYTHING, then they are learning and developing!. Harry Potter, for example, led legions to think that literature and fantasy were the same things, when only SOMETIMES are they!. Reading literature, of which there is a whole lot on offer for kids, is a far cry from reading the likes of the entertaining HP and the so popular Twilight Series!.
Parents of nine-year-olds might start with Harold Bloom's Stories and Poems for Extremely Intelligent Children of All Ages, and sit and read with/to them!. Bloom is the emminence, a giant of a literary critic, who has written tomes on all aspects of literature and who went on record against the literary value of Harry Potter, for which he says is the only thing (of the millions of words he has brilliantly written) that the multitude will remember him!.
My advice to parents would not be simply to monitor that your child stays away from inappropriate references to sex in what (s)he reads, but to make sure that what is being read at least occasionally involves more than what can be found in a TV half-hour, is artistic in the sense that the words themselves jump out at the reader, and that the force behind them enriches, accompanies and leads to reflection!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
I agree with you completely!. I think it's all about how mature these kids are!. In my opinion, no nine-year-olds should be reading sex scenes!. It doesn't matter how mature their reading level is, that doesn't mean they're ready to read the topics that most YA novels revolve around!. I think kids should be reading books they can relate to!. not books that would make them feel uncomfortable in any way (speaking from experience!.) I hope to one day be a YA fiction author and I think that YA books are meant for young adults not children!. Parents should be monitoring what their kids read!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
I agree with you - 9-year-olds should be reading books that have only appropriate material for that age!. However, I wouldn't object to a few mature younger kids reading YA - kids that are maybe in the 10-12 age range who feel as if children's lit is too childish and who are very mature about touchy subjects like sex!.
Of course, it's up to the parents and the child coming together to reach a decision!. If the parents feel that their child is ready for YA, then by all means, their child should read YA if he/she wishes!.
Besides, just from my own experience, I think kids & teens have their own way of censoring themselves - a child knows what he/she is ready for at a certain time, and if he/she comes across something he/she isn't ready for, he/she will put it down!. For instance, when I was around 12 or 13, I picked up one of my mom's novels without knowing its content!. It got pretty graphic at one point, I got freaked out, and just put the book back on the shelf!. 5 years later, I *still* don't think I'm ready for it!.
The last thing I want to say - I think that YA authors should write for their intended age group!. If a child wanders into the YA section of a bookstore, it's not the author's fault if the book is too mature for the kid!.
So, for the most part, I do agree with you!. I just wanted to say a few other things on the topic!. Good question!. =)Www@QuestionHome@Com
There are not really supposed to be here if their parents don't allow it!. Their parents can view the History or Files that keep track of where you have been!. So unless those kids are smart enough to cover their tracks or the parents are complete computer idiots they will probably get caught!. I agree about kids to venturing into adult parts of a library!. My younger sister could read at six years old!. Once she was wandering around a library and accidentally read a rape story,!. (although she probably didn't understand most of it)!. Her parents were very picky about what she read although they were not watching her 24/7!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
I think it all depends on maturity!. If you consider Pride and Prejudice YA, I read it when I was nine, re read it, and reread it a zillion times!. A little went over my head, but mainly I enjoyed it immensely!. Now, I know some nine year olds who will think Charlotte's Web is boring because it's not a comic strip!. These are less mature and their parents should treat them as such!. The author of any book is not responsible for making sure nine-year olds do not read his/her book!. That is up to the parents and how willing they are to protect their kids from disturbing and bad influences!. Speaking of Meyer, she puts things in her book no one, no matter what age, should read, esp impressionable young teens!. I won't get into them cuz it'll take too long but suffice to say that an author, though it's not their responsibility to make sure who reads them, DOES have a responsibility to make sure their book has appropriate and good content!. Meyer fails!. Dramatically!.
LuthienTWww@QuestionHome@Com