[Publib] RE: Ratings for Children's books

Wed Jul 12 17:36:03 EDT 2006

"Why librarians don't think books, music, and movie influence people, especially kids, continues to baffle me. Why are we in this business?"

Actually, I think librarian's are more aware of this than anyone else. How else would we be able to explain our support of programs with titles like "Libraries Change Lives" and other promotions such as interviewing authors and celebrities about how books changed their lives. Of course books, music and movies have great influence. No one is denying that. However, comparing books with movies is apples and oranges in my humble opinion. But at least they are fruit. Bringing drugs and alcohol into the debate just serves to dilute the debate into contention. I for one would prefer to stay off that road! 

Lise Chlebanowski

Avondale, AZ

________________________________

From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org on behalf of greg at shush.ws
Sent: Wed 7/12/2006 1:35 PM
To: Joshua Neff; publib at webjunction.org
Subject: [Publib] RE: Ratings for Children's books

 Replying to other emails as well...

 Yes I'm serious. Letting minors watch movies like TCM or The Passion or a long list of other movies can have serious effects on a young mind. Why librarians don't think books, music, and movie influence people, especially kids, continues to baffle me. Why are we in this business?

 Is there a child's book equivalent of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre? Probably not that extreme no, though I've seen many young readers go after Stephen King all too soon. Are there children's books that try and push the edge and even go beyond through violence, sex, and langauge? Absolutely. Rainbow Party is the worst example. The latest Harry Potter would be a moderate example of something that should be for older readers.

 Greg
 SHUSH

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Joshua Neff" <jneff at olatheks.org>
> To: greg at shush.ws, publib at webjunction.org
> Subject: RE: Ratings for Children's books
> Date: Wed, 12 Jul 2006 14:51:18 -0500
>
>
> "Letting minors check out R rated movies I consider to be the equivalent of
> selling them cigarettes or alcohol."
>
> Seriously? A kid watching R-rated movies could develop lung cancer or
> emphysema? Watching R-rated movies could cause impaired motor skills or
> liver failure?
>
> We don't prevent minors from accessing any other materials in our library,
> so why would we treat audio-visual materials any differently?
>
> Now, if you don't want *your* children checking out R-rated movies, there's
> an easy solution: don't let them check out R-rated movies. That's your right
> and responsibility as a parent.
>
> "And while one person may see something as edgier than another person,
> millions of people are going to see the Texas Chainsaw Massacre as edgier
> than a few hundred people. Let's at least acknowledge the obvious and work
> from there."
>
> Sure, I acknowledge that. What that has to do with rating children's books,
> though, is a bit beyond me. Can you name any children's books that are the
> equivalent of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre"?
>
>
> --Joshua M. Neff
> Indian Creek Branch
> Olathe Public Library
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: greg at shush.ws [mailto:greg at shush.ws]
> Sent: Wednesday, July 12, 2006 2:38 PM
> To: Joshua Neff; publib at webjunction.org
> Subject: RE: Ratings for Children's books
>
>
>   Letting minors check out R rated movies I consider to be the equivalent of
> selling them cigarettes or alcohol.
>
>   And while one person may see something as edgier than another person,
> millions of people are going to see the Texas Chainsaw Massacre as edgier
> than a few hundred people. Let's at least acknowledge the obvious and work
> from there.
>
>   Greg
>   SHUSH
>
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Joshua Neff" <jneff at olatheks.org>
> > To: greg at shush.ws, publib at webjunction.org
> > Subject: RE: Ratings for Children's books
> > Date: Wed, 12 Jul 2006 14:04:48 -0500
> >
> >
> > Wait, I didn't say Vertigo was rated for adults (the quotes were there for a
> > reason), I said the comics were written for and marketed to adults. If
> > librarians are putting them in the YA section, I think that shows a tendency
> > to see comics as "kid stuff." Vertigo comics are "rated" for adults the same
> > way "The Devil Wears Prada" (the book, not the
> movie) is "rated" for adults.
> >
> > And if publishers decide to rate children's books, I don't think libraries
> > should be beholden to follow those ratings anymore than they do MPAA
> > ratings. (My library, for example, doesn't distinguish between G, PG and R
> > when it comes to patrons of any age checking videos and DVDs out.) The MPAA
> > and book publishers are commercial entities, which has nothing to do with
> > how libraries organize and rate their materials.
> >
> > The other problem is: what one person sees as "edgier" is not what another
> > person sees as "edgier." As always, I think it falls to a minor's parents or
> > guardians to decide what is and isn't appropriate. Librarians can perform
> > reader's advisory for children and parents, and we can point people towards
> > reviews of books, but I think rating books based on subject matter is
> > problematic in too many ways for libraries to
> successfully implement.
> >
> >
> > --Joshua M. Neff
> > Indian Creek Branch
> > Olathe Public Library
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: greg at shush.ws [mailto:greg at shush.ws]
> > Sent: Wednesday, July 12, 2006 1:25 PM
> > To: Joshua Neff; publib at webjunction.org
> > Subject: Re: Ratings for Children's books
> >
> >
> >    First I'm glad you said Vertigo was rated for adults. I'm finding a lot
> > of Vertigo books winding up in YA collections where they don't belong.
> >
> >    Second, it applies because its an example, an idea. I'm not entirely sure
> > it should be on libraries to rate individual books but it could be libraries
> > that encourage publishers to embrace similar categories to mark certain age
> > groups or edgier material.
> >
> >   Greg
> >   SHUSH
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "Joshua Neff" <jneff at olatheks.org>
> > > To: greg at shush.ws, publib at webjunction.org
> > > Subject: RE: [Publib] Re: Ratings for Children's books
> > > Date: Wed, 12 Jul 2006 13:05:31 -0500
> > >
> > >
> > > Vertigo Comics are "rated" as mature (that is, for adults) because >
> > they're written for and marketed to adults, not kids. I don't see > how that
> > applies to rating children's lit. How exactly would > libraries rate
> > children's lit?
> > > Based on what criteria? And would each library rate children's lit >
> > differently? Or would ALA rate it?
> > >
> > >
> > > --Joshua M. Neff
> > > Indian Creek Branch
> > > Olathe Public Library
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org >
> > [mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org]
> > > On Behalf Of greg at shush.ws
> > > Sent: Wednesday, July 12, 2006 12:21 PM
> > > To: publib at webjunction.org
> > > Subject: [Publib] Re: Ratings for Children's books
> > >
> > >
> > >   Rating systems aren't very good ways to decide what is 'good' or > 'bad'
> > but considering we do very little to sort Fiction in its > various forms
> > (books, movies, etc.) compared to NonFiction, a rating > system is certainly
> > an easy starting point.
> > >
> > >    Rating systems do not have to have negative connotations either. > DC
> > Comics has had the Vertigo imprint for a long time now and its an > easy way
> > to note that certain products are more adult in nature. The > reverse is not
> > much different when we describe certain mysteries as
> > 'cozies'.
> > >
> > >   Greg
> > >   SHUSH
> > >
> > > > Message: 19
> > > > Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2006 15:23:29 -0700
> > > > From: Sue Kamm <suekamm at mindspring.com>
> > > > Subject: Re: [Publib] Ratings for Children's books
> > > > To: Michele Lauer-Bader <mlauerba at suffolk.lib.ny.us>
> > > > Cc: publib at webjunction.org
> > > > Message-ID: <44B424E1.2010806 at mindspring.com>
> > > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed
> > > >
> > > > Your client is doing exactly what she should - decide if material > > is
> > >
> > > appropriate for her OWN children.  While your children's librarian > > is
> > equipped by education to help a parent decide what's good, it's > > the
> > parent who should make the final decision.
> > > >
> > > > Rating systems - whether they be for movies, videos, games, or > > books
> > > -
> > > are not the best way to choose what's "good" or "bad."  What are > > the
> > criteria for the rating, and whose criteria are they?  It's not > > likely
> > to be a government agency, but a private organization of > some > kind whose
> > motives in issuing the ratings may not be with > children's > or parents'
> > > > best interests at heart.  Such private organizations (the Motion > > >
> > Picture
> > > Producers' Association of America [MPAA] is one example) are > > concerned
> > with the wallets and well-being of their members.
> > > >
> > > > Michele Lauer-Bader wrote:
> > > >
> > > > >         I was recently asked about ratings on children's books. > > >
> > I > > >
> > > > thought I remembered something in the news about this fairly > >
> recently.
> > > Can anyone help me out.
> > > > >         The question I was asked was from a parent who says she > > >
> > is > > >
> > > often
> > > > confronted with a situation where her children are interested in
> > > books to
> > > > > read that she is unclear if the content is appropriate for their
> age.
> > >
> > > > Rather than discourage her children from reading she ends up > > reading
> > > >
> > > the book herself to make sure it is age appropriate.  She believes > > >
> > that the publishing industry could benefit from a rating system > > that >
> > would help guide parents and children in selecting the most > > age
> > appropriate reading material.
> > > > > She would like some assistance in how to help reach this goal.
> > > > >         I am not particularly in favor of such a rating system. > > >
> > I > > >
> > > know
> > > > libraries often mark children's books with grade level > > > suggestions
> > > and
> > > children's librarians personally assist patrons in > finding > >
> > age-appropriate materials (I was a children's librarian > myself in > a
> > life long ago).
> > > > However I would just like to point the > patron in the right > > >
> > direction
> > > for her specific question.
> > > > >         Thanks in advance.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Michele (Shelley) Lauer-Bader
> > > > > Director, Half Hollow Hills Community Library
> > > > > 55 Vanderbilt Parkway, Dix Hills, NY 11746-5897
> > > > > (voice) 631-421-4530, ext. 1-49, (fax) 631-423-8946
> > > > > (email) mlauerba at suffolk.lib.ny.us
> > > > >
> > > > > _______________________________________________
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> > > > > Publib at webjunction.org
> > > > > http://lists.webjunction.org/mailman/listinfo/publib
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > Your friendly CyberGoddess and  ALA Councilor-at-Large, Sue Kamm >
> > > Inglewood/Los Angeles, CA Truest of the Blue, Los Angeles Dodgers > >
> > Think Blue Week 2000
> > > > email:  suekamm[at]mindspring.com
> > > > Visit my web page:  http://suekamm.home.mindspring.com/index.htm
> > > > When you absolutely, positively HAVE to know, ASK A LIBRARIAN!
> > > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
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> > > Publib at webjunction.org
> > > http://lists.webjunction.org/mailman/listinfo/publib
> >
> > >
>
> >

>

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