First : I posted a review of a book, which in my opinion was suitable for the 12+ age group. I meticulously follow this format whenever the book reviewed is for young adults or younger.
Here, there was a difference of opinion with one reader. Bear with me while I quote the comment, my answer, and the reader's comment again.
Comment : Although I read this myself many many years ago it is one I still remember and highly recommend. I do not like the age or YA tag on books though, it should be a matter of personal choice!
Me : Agree that books are a matter of personal choice. I like to include the age factor, though, in the review of a book that may be read by those under 18. Makes it simpler for parents. And since I do a lot of reviewing under that category, the tag invariably appears.:)
Comment : I understand what you are saying about the YA and age tag from a parents point of view, but I still do not like the idea of children being told that they can not read a book because they are too young! Every reader matures differently and I think the whole concept of the YA genre can be off putting to certain groups of people.
I am not sure how to reply to this. Agree that 'every reader matures differently'. My job as a reviewer, however asks for a guideline to the average age at which a reader is reasonably able to enjoy and appreciate the contents of a book. The reader, then, has to decide. An adult reader can pretty much decide for him/herself, but in my opinion, if a kid is not old enough to vote, or to drive independently, he/ she does not have the maturity to decide on all aspects of a book's content. Which is why we have age tags on the books themselves in the first place.
In the debate between the commentor and myself, I am going to gracefully bow out after replying that the age tag is just a general guide on age-appropriateness and it is my personal opinion as the reviewer, as to be fair, the book in question does not have any age specifications on my copy.
Second : This news item appeared in the TOI headlines today.
Twelve-year-old children will be legally permitted to have non-penetrative sex with children their age, according to a draft Protection of Children From Sexual Offences Bill, 2010, that has been sent to states by the ministry of women and child development for their views.12 year olds are NOT, in my opinion, mature enough to indulge in any kind of sex, even if their hormones have already begun to rage. They have a hard enough time dealing with the changes happening in their own bodies and minds, and most of all, are not physically, emotionally or intellectually mature enough to handle any kind of consequences- immediate or long term- of any kind of sexual explorations. Their perspective in terribly short sighted, and they may end up being scarred for life.
12 years is the age for pursuing an education and develop a sense of self. A hard enough pursuit without the emotional turmoil of an ill-timed sexual escapade. Time enough for all that- and the responsibilities it brings- once you are older.
What do you think- of both the points?
9 comments:
Hah. Great minds think alike and all that :)
Re the age-guide, agree with you. It is strictly meant as a guide about its content - and if you are in the reading business you’d quickly get what say ‘12+’ would mean in terms of content, and hey even if your 7-year old can read it if you/she think it she can stomach it.
For people who don't believe in a tag, they just ignore it and read it before giving it to their kids, no? What's the problem here? I agree that different people read different books at different ages (have finished 4 of the Anne of Green Gables books now....) but parents still need to know what their kids are reading. And the tag is just a guide. I routinely buy puzzles atleast 4 years over son's age because he is good at them and routinely buy books a bit below his age to get him hooked in because it is 'easy peasy lemon squeezy'! :-D
As for the bill and 12 years, I was encouraged to see Nina Nayak's views there. There is a good person on the job and she knows what she's talking about. Like she says, the JJ board is lenient with cases that are clearly/reasonable doubt sexual exploration.
Exactly! If there is an age tag, it does not mean that a younger child cannot read it. As we know, we have younger kids reading stuff for much older kids, since we know what they can or cannot handle.:) In fact, that is exactly why the tag needs to be there, so that we get an idea about the content without really reading the whole book.
@Sangi- smiling at your "I agree that different people read different books at different ages (have finished 4 of the Anne of Green Gables books now....)" Hey, I read kids' books all the time! I need to bend over the other way and read more "age-appropriate books". Sometimes!
After readin IHM's post, I'm willing to concede that the wording of the bill, which say: "the bill seeks to decriminalise non-penetrative sexual exploration by 12 year olds" would mean that if two such idiots do something like that, the police will need to keep out of it, and parental control would prevail. Which can usually be agood thing, but not always. Not all parents are conscientious enough. I'm more for putting the fear of God in my kid, but maybe I'm an old fashioned mom, who has not always made the best choices in her life, and so is determined to spell out the pitfalls of anything that the kid might want to undertake. And I'm not just talking about sex here.:)
Let us hope that the bill is correctly worded, and subsequently, correctly interpreted if implemented.:)
I dont think there is any issue
It is your review and your age tag
If the other person does not agree they can go ahead and read or recco as they deem fit
on the act - i really fear this loss of innocence
@Art: Petrified is more like it. All the things I overhear the kids plaing downstairs speak about- both the familiar and cynical tones that they use!!
Talk about being a paranoid parent!
To me, it is like age marked on children's clothing. Just a rough indication, and it certainly helps.
@Arundhati: You said it. It is a rough guide, and in no way a hard-and-fast rule. It just gives the reader an approximate idea of what the contents might be- all part of a review. After all, a review is not to tell you all, but make you interested enough to pick up a book.:)
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