A number of authors have pointed out that mentioning these things out of context aren’t very helpful. Sarah Dessen said on her blog: “I’m not sure how I feel about this. I mean, I’m sure it’s useful for parents. But I worry it’s breaking a book down into these pieces that don’t do justice to the whole.”.

Here’s Meg Cabot being awesome as usual:

I respect Common Sense Media’s goals. I understand that they feel they’re not about censorship. I can even understand why some parents might feel the need for a G/PG/R-like ratings system for books (although I believe publishers do a pretty good job of that already by writing “12 and up” or “14 and up” on the books, and booksellers do a great job of making that clear as well… Librarians and educators do so as well, by writing reviews that clearly spell out the books’ contents).

I just wonder if putting lists of content to “look out for”—especially out of context, sometimes incorrectly, and with huge spoilers—and then giving the book a red, yellow or green warning light (and assigning them to age groups that, from what I’ve seen so far, appear to be a little arbitrary) is the most thoughtful way of doing it.

A quick glance at the B&N website shows that books like The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants and Are There God? It’s Me, Margaret seem to have transformed into RED FLAG books about degenerate and worrisome young people. There’s no indication in these reviews about consequences, or the way characters change and grow and learn from their mistakes (not that I’m suggesting that kissing, skinnydipping or menstruation are mistakes).

But more than anything, it all seems to be very arbitrary. Sure, there’s kissing and alcohol and language in Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, but Nick driving a Yugo raising a red flag for “Consumerism”? Seems like a long bow to me.

If you’re brave and are okay with GIANT spoilers, check out the page for Margo Lanagan’s brilliant Tender Morsels. After a long and totally out of context list of all the terrible things that happen, we come across this line: “Parents need to know that this is not by any reasonable standard a book for children of any age.” Which brings me to my final point about B&N’s new system: there is no distinguishing between Childrens and YA books. Of course children shouldn’t read Tender Morsels - nobody has ever suggested they should. But the right kind of (mature) young adult? Absolutely.

Young people need more incentives to read books, not more barriers*.

Want more? Here’s Publisher’s Weekly and Sassymonkey.

What do you think? Should there be age banding on books?

______________________________________

*Although a handy list of all the dirty bits in a book might turn out to be an incentive…

Gay teens read books, too, having a bit more reason than most to seek a safe and private world, and how miraculous it would be for them, just once, to read a mass-market adventure story where their absence isn’t greeted with relief.

So says Patrick Ness in a review of Xisle by Steve Augarde. Bookwitch picks up the story here, and it’s definitely worth reading the comments on that post for further responses from Patrick Ness, as well as Meg Rosoff, Anne Cassidy and Adele Geras.

What do you think? Would you like to see more gay characters in books for teenagers?

First, a little light reading.

Here’s 17 year old The Shadow Thief author Alexandra Adornetto in The Age on the weekend.

Now here’s 16 year old Steph Bowe, 2009 Inkys judge and just-signed author with Text Publishing, on her blog.

And finally here’s Gayle Forman, author of 2009 Inkys Longlisted book If I Stay, talking about sex in YA - specifically the lack of it in (most of) Twilight, and why she includes sex in her own books.

So what do you think? Should there be sex in YA books?  Is it something that’s appropriate for teenagers to be talking/thinking about? Should more books be promoting abstinence, or should they just be honest about the sexual experiences of teenagers - whether they’re good or bad.

(Oh, and this is going to be a fully moderated discussion. You are encouraged to share your thoughts and ideas, but if your comment in any way shows intolerance or disrespect to anyone else, it will be deleted.)

And if you want to MEET Garth, come along to our FREE event on Sunday 21 February. Garth will be in conversation with me (Lili), talking about Lord Sunday, the final thrilling installment in the Keys to the Kingdom series.

2pm

Bookings essential: http://garthnixinconversation.eventbrite.com/

WHERE THE STREETS HAD A NAME, by Randa Abdel-Fattah

THE HUNGER GAMES, BY SUZANNE COLLINS