Say NO to Age Banding!
August 6, 2008
Today I found out about terrible plans that could change the way children read forever. Some publishers are planning to put age certificates on books! I think this is terrible for the following reasons:
- Children will not read the books they love if they have a lower age certificate than their age group. Similarily, children that are more advanced readers will be restricted to books they find uniteresting.
- Children that sruggle with reading will feel discouraged from reading if they can not read the books in their age range.
- Every book and child is different- it’s impossible to put an age gap on it.
- A child’s imagination is the greatest thing in life and this imagination will be dimmed if children are not free to read the sort of books they want to.
- I myself am a child. I know what books I can, can’t, want to, don’t want to and like to read. I don’t want an ugly sticker on the front of my favourite books telling me I’m too young or too old to read it. I was reading Harry Potter at the age of seven and I still read the Spiderwick Chronicles, books that are below my reading capability.
Do not take this lying down. If you love reading as much as I do, then you will be just as shocked, disgusted and outraged at this restriction of reading, condemment of the imagination and dictation of the books we read.
Say NO! By going to the No To Age Banding website, you can see the official statement of protest, look at other supporters’ comments and sign the petition yourself. I have signed the petition against this terrible restriction and I am glad to see that so many of my favourite writers (J.K.Rowling, Philip Pullman, Diana Wynne Jones etc.) have signed it and are prepared to fight for our rights. Good on ya!
Some writers like Philip Pullman can refuse to have this system for their books, but some can’t. For the writers that can’t say no, please, please sign this petition.
Do it for everyone; readers, writers, illustrators, parents and the world.
Again, that link is:
August 6, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Thanks to anyone who signs the petition.
August 9, 2008 at 11:01 am
I see your point, but if I see a book I like, I don’t care if it tells me it’s for two-year-olds. Some people might, though…
August 10, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Yo charlie.
I’m back. Age banding dosen’t mean you can’t read the book. It just gives you a rough idea of how old you should be. Or if it has s*x in.
However the idea is stupid. If they do this it will put pill off reading and stop over young children reading about s*x.
Do not take some of this comment seriously.
A random guy whos name happens to be Kyle.