I have been frustrated for a long time about the labels that are put on books, but now that I've finished reading several books by Gayle Forman, I can't keep quiet any longer. Gayle Forman's books--If I Stay, Where She Went, Just one Day, Just one Year, and Just one Night--are all labeled as "Young Adult" works of fiction. John Green's books, especially The Fault in our Stars, is also labeled as "Young Adult" fiction. Stephen Chbosky's book The Perks of Being a Wallflower is also considered "Young Adult" literature. J. K. Rowling's whole Harry Potter series (all 7 books) is labeled in the "Young Adult" or, more often I do believe, the "Children's" category of fiction.
But...well, Seriously?!
I'll give you that Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, the first book in the series, is VERY much appropriate for Young Adult, even Children's Literature. Harry and his closest friends are 11 and they have adventures appropriate for 11 year olds. The first couple of books in the series are simply adorable and majorly fun to read. But, as even J. K. Rowling has admitted, the books get darker as the series goes on, beginning especially with book four, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, where a major character's death takes place in all it's horrific glory.
By the time we get to the death of another major character in book five, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the books are not only dark because of the deaths taking place, but they're dark because they have moments where Harry and his friends are in real danger and for young children reading the books, especially twelve year olds, these moments can be very scary.
Granted, some children are mature enough by the time they are twelve years old to handle the plot, the story line of the last four of the Harry Potter books, but at the same time, as a teacher, a mother, and an avid reader, I'm not comfortable with the books being "Children's" Literature for the simple fact that because of that label, many parents--and teachers--give children free rein to read such books without reading the books for themselves or WITH their children/students.
What if the youngsters reading these books have never dealt with death before? Except maybe in books? Some of these deaths (most of them, actually) are FELT by the reader to the core. Even as an adult, I sobbed like a big baby (truly--snot running down my face, blubbering, body-shaking sobs) when Dobby dies in the act of saving Harry and his friends. I had to stop reading for a while because his death shook me up so much. And it continues to do do so every single time I read the books.
And what about all the kissing and talking about "snogging" in the last several books? It was bound to happen as Harry and his friends get older. While there isn't any indication of anything going on between the youngsters beyond kissing, Rowling certainly leaves the door open to the very real possibility that more happens between some of the couples. Nothing is written in a manner that can or should be deemed as inappropriate, but it is a reality that Harry and the rest of the beloved characters are getting older.
My point about the Harry Potter series is simply that while the first two books (and maybe book three) can easily be in the "Children's" or even "Young Adult" category, by the time the books get to book four, the such labels are simply too simplistic. It's a crime to label books in such categories mainly or just because the major characters in the story are children or teenagers. The focus should be more on the action of the story--the plot--which is much darker than "Children's" or "Young Adult" literature implies.
As much as I absolutely love each of these novels, I don't feel comfortable with them being labeled as "Children's" literature or even "Young Adult" literature. While teenagers and/or younger children might be the main characters in these stories, each one has a difficult themes and plots and story lines that are just more mature than your average reader is used to. Granted, most of the young adults who do pick up these books to read because they WANT to read them are more mature than the average person who is made to read such books, but it just seems as if we're putting labels on books and advertising them for a particular age group more because the main characters than because the stories should truly be read by your average young adult readers--without a parent or other respected adult reading the books, too, so conversations can take place regarding the difficult/hard themes, etc. within these books.
I realize that I'm not making myself very clear and that so far, I've spent an awful lot of time rambling in an attempt to make my point, but it just goes to show how discombobulated my thoughts about this mis-labeling are. I am certainly glad any time I hear that young people are reading--no matter what it is that they're reading, it is important that they READ.
But with reading novels with such challenging themes, plots, stories, details, etc. comes great responsibility and sometimes, these young people read these books not because they're prepared for what they're getting themselves into but because the books are labeled as "Children's" or "Young Adult" literature and thus, they go into these books blinded not by knowledge of what to expect within these stories but open only to the knowledge that the books they've picked up are age-appropriate....when, in reality, they may not yet be ready to read these stories--at least not without some guidance or discussion throughout the reading.
Of course, parents--adults--reading these books with their kids has a lot of great benefits.
For one, they have an opportunity to bond over great stories--great literature--when parents read books with their kids. Maybe sometimes, they can even read the stories out loud to one another so that they can HEAR the different nuances within the stories that can only be heard when read aloud. There are studies after studies that discuss the benefits of parents reading to their kids. Why should that stop just because the kids are getting older and are called "Young Adults"????
Reading such books with our kids also opens the door for great, powerful conversations. For example, in Just One Year by Gayle Forman (as well as others), Willem finds a relationship with his mother whom he as assumed for years doesn't care enough about him to know where he is, what he's doing, or who he's with. It's wonderful for young people to see that parents aren't the enemy--that there is actually so much more to our parents than we'll ever realize--even if/when we do realize how amazing our parents are.
Adults reading such books with their kids also gives parents a hard dose of reality of where their kids really ARE. I admit that I like living in a world where I believe young people aren't and don't have sex when they're so young--12, 13, 14, but the reality is that young people ARE having sex (and doing drugs, Lord help us, in spite of all the "Just Say No" campaigns). Reading these books together can also help open the door for the tough conversations about sex and consequences, etc. of having sex not only at such a young age, but outside of marriage--if that's what the parents choose to talk about.
And don't forget the instant connection that we all feel any time someone loves something as much we do! Why not have that kind of connection with our kids?! I love it when Samuel or I can throw out a quote from one of our favorite books and the other either finishes it, says the next line, or picks it up and takes the conversation to the next level. We only have to say one word or phrase sometimes for the other to "get it" and things to take off from there! It's even better than sharing a favorite television show!!!
And how about the very simple fact that you each are READING????
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