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CNI Competitions

Helping the Consumer or Harming the Child?
06 June 2008 11:47:42
Helping the Consumer or Harming the Child?
 
The world of children’s literature has become a decidedly frosty place, with writers coming out for and against proposals by publishers to stamp age guidance recommendations on children’s book covers.
 
Following research by the Children’s Book Group of the Publishers Association, which showed that 86% of the public were in favour of age range recommendations on children’s books, various UK publishers are pressing ahead with the changes, scheduled to come into effect later in 2008.
 
Whilst publishers and some writers argue that age range classifications will simply aid adult consumers to select and purchase the most appropriate books for children, many well-known children’s authors have denounced the changes as unnecessary, claiming that age recommendations would influence children not to experiment with books out of their age ranges, spell the end for bookshops and detract from freedom of choice.
 
Big name children’s authors such as Philip Pullman, Francesca Simon and Mal Peet have voiced their concerns that children would feel obliged to stay within the parameters recommended by publishers for fear of recrimination from other children. 
 
Others fear that age range recommendations would favour supermarkets and online outlets (quick fix booksellers) whilst harming traditional booksellers who often provide face-to-face advice to suit the individual consumer.
 
Age range recommendations have been the norm in the USA for many years, and UK publishers argue that no such backlash occurred when the changes were introduced across the pond. 
 
But with tensions high at literary festivals, on internet blogs and in newspaper columns across the land, it’s clear that UK publishers have a fight on their hands. British authors, and indeed consumers, aren’t going to back down so easy.


1 COMMENT

David
06 June 2008 11:46:34
this is moronic. we should be encouraging children to read above their age range not limiting their choice of reading material

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