Dangerous Books

In light of the recent WSJ opinion piece here is a very scientific (sorry, no actual science sunday post today) graph by Alex Kost:

Clearly I'm a fan of YA, and clearly I'm on the side of those saying that YA is more beneficial than it ever was harmful, but I think this article deserves a balanced look.

A lot of YA IS kind of extreme. It deals with angst and violence and all sorts of things that a lot of fifteen year olds might not be ready to read about. That being said, a lot of them are ready to read about it. Movies and television have been portraying more extreme violence and sexual content for a lot longer to a lot younger kids than books ever have. And, while books have now started becoming more graphic, I would venture to say that books take more care to represent the emotional repercussions of these graphic events. Not all of them do this, true, but a higher percentage than movies or television. Rage, the book about cutting mentioned in the WSJ article is more about redemption and learning to overcome your self-wrath than it is about cutting. Wintergirls, a much criticized book about anorexia by Laurie Halse Anderson, is not trying to glamorize or teach anorexia the same way that advertisements in magazines are. It's teaching about the repercussions and talking about overcoming anorexia. These books are raw and sad and sometimes scary, but they tend to have a conscience, and they are rarely raw or sad or scary just for the heck of it.

Of course, if, as a parent, you don't believe that your child should be reading things like Rage then it's your prerogative to not let them read it. Some kids simply aren't ready and that's ok. There are many books being published, and there are a lot of wonderful, less-serious books to choose from. Let them read An Abundance of Katherines, Angus Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging, most things by Meg Cabot, all of which are light, fun, and teen appropriate. There are options for every type of reader, but that doesn't mean that the readers who ARE prepared for Wintergirls should be denied the ability to read it. Books have always had the unique ability to open up new worlds of experiences, change perspectives, and affect the reader to their very core. YA books shouldn't be penalized for harnessing this quality. Don't our teenagers deserve to have their worlds and opinions expanded and changed?

#YAsaves