tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30789856.post116533666097487368..comments2024-01-15T02:58:41.708-08:00Comments on LISA McMANN: Crossover BooksLisa McMannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03079642578284968215noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30789856.post-1168729562859394912007-01-13T15:06:00.000-08:002007-01-13T15:06:00.000-08:00YA is a strange market. Unfortunately a lot of peo...YA is a strange market. Unfortunately a lot of people consider it fluff. I've known teenagers who refuse to read anything from the category,as they have moved onto "adult" books. My experience is that there are a lot more teeny-bopper books in the "adult" section. Young Adult needs more sub-categories. Why do adults get the choice of Mystery, Chic Lit, Classics, etcetera, while YA gets clumped together under one genre? There are great literary novels squashed between The Olsen Twins and Goosebumps. <BR/><BR/>I don't know about the young protagonist= young adult thing, but I have seen "If writing YA, your characters must be at least 14."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30789856.post-1165863026493644972006-12-11T10:50:00.000-08:002006-12-11T10:50:00.000-08:00I dealt with them as if they weren't smart :) I k...I dealt with them as if they weren't smart :) I know that sounds flip but I was too smart and skipped grades and the like. But I missed so much social stuff. So I treated mine as if they were average. <BR/><BR/>As for the reading, it is my experience that if they read everything and -- a huge and, I admit -- nobody makes a big deal out of it, they mostly skip over the disturbing stuff or stuff they don't understand. Mine would read stuff later and SWEAR that it had been changed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30789856.post-1165849533566473872006-12-11T07:05:00.000-08:002006-12-11T07:05:00.000-08:00Hi Cat! I have to agree with you - I think the cat...Hi Cat! I have to agree with you - I think the categories have to do with selling more books. By compartmentalizing things, they create more niche markets.<BR/><BR/>And no, I'm not offended by your comment at all. Shakespeare is great! But my girl is incredibly naive (we don't watch tv in our house) and there are definitely concepts she's too young to handle emotionally, like murder, sex, etc. I'd love to hear more about how you deal with such smart kids!Sharon Hurlbuthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04684319527146674878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30789856.post-1165791068560339272006-12-10T14:51:00.000-08:002006-12-10T14:51:00.000-08:00Not to insult you Sharon but I don't believe in ce...Not to insult you Sharon but I don't believe in censoring/prereading, even for four year olds. Yes, had two who read at that age. Just have lots of Shakespeare around and they'll cope.<BR/><BR/>And, in the same vein I guess, I would never give a YA or MG book to a young person. As I believe I said to you, Lisa, according to those rules Romeo and Juliet is an MG book/play. I just hate hate hate the boxes. And in my heart of hearts I suspect it is for the convenience/profit of the corporation rather than the children or parents.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30789856.post-1165769492897238292006-12-10T08:51:00.000-08:002006-12-10T08:51:00.000-08:00When I go into a bookstore for myself, I ignore ca...When I go into a bookstore for myself, I ignore categories. I could care less if a book is labelled for kids, adults, teens, whatever. All I want is to find a book that will engage me, will show me something new, transport me, and yes, entertain me. I discovered Richard Peck a few years ago and consider him one of my favorite authors, period.<BR/><BR/>On the flip side, I'm the parent of a gifted child who began reading fluently at age 3. She was reading at a junior high level by age 4. There is a big gap between what my daughter is capable of reading and what she is able to comprehend, both intellectually and emotionally. Categories in the children's section are mildly helpful to me in finding books that are challenging and engaging enough, yet still appropriate in content, for her. You'll notice I say mildly. Despite the fine-tuned categories, it's still up to me to read a book first and determine if it's right for her. Many of the books I get for her are Caldecott and Newbery winners, classics that I read as a child and that I know will help her stretch and grow without taking her into an adult world where she doesn't belong. It seems to me there's a gentleness to those older books that is missing in much of the modern stuff.<BR/><BR/>Finally, as a writer, I know that I would love to write books that appeal to both kids and adults. I think kids have a greater sense of story than adults, and if I could write stories that capture the imaginations of children, then I would consider myself a success.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for opening up such an interesting discussion Lisa!! I hope you don't mind my lengthy post.Sharon Hurlbuthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04684319527146674878noreply@blogger.com