Comments on: ‘Young Adult’? ‘Adult’? Or, does it matter? https://www.lizaketchum.org/blog/young-adult-adult-or-does-it-matter/ Thu, 15 Jan 2015 14:35:17 +0000 hourly 1 By: Liza Ketchum https://www.lizaketchum.org/blog/young-adult-adult-or-does-it-matter/#comment-299 Thu, 15 Jan 2015 14:35:17 +0000 https://www.lizaketchum.org/blog/?p=150#comment-299 In reply to Cheri.

Thanks for this thoughtful reply. I’ve been out of reach due to some health issues; thanks for your patience! I agree that parents should feel comfortable with what their kids are reading (no matter the age), and age guidelines are helpful–but they’re not always accurate. Our book group just discussed a book listed as appropriate for 3rd grade, when it was clearly a story for older readers. And yes: Out of Left Field does contain a few swear words, mainly those that most parents have heard their teens use. Good luck with your reviewing.

]]> By: Cheri https://www.lizaketchum.org/blog/young-adult-adult-or-does-it-matter/#comment-119 Wed, 24 Dec 2014 15:46:36 +0000 https://www.lizaketchum.org/blog/?p=150#comment-119 You make a good point that story transcends age, depending on the person. I still like children’s books, and I am 44. I disagree, though, that labels should be suspended. I’m betting your novel has swearing, sex, violence, or other mature content that a lot of parents just don’t want their kids reading. It is up to the parent what books should (and I don’t feel queasy about that word in that context–smile) land in their kids laps, so labels and content warnings are valuable. True, YA doesn’t mean “clean” these days. I am truly shocked at what content passes as good for teens (I have read a lot of YA, because I run a review website for parents), but categorizing literature is helpful. People will continue to ignore them, based on their interests and readiness. But to just throw all literature into the same basket makes it much harder to whittle down the options, especially for parents who play an active role in choosing their kids’ entertainment.

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