Age banding (still)
The UK issue of putting recommended ages on books for children just will not go away. Now the Minister for Children, Ed Balls, has weighed into the debate :
“While we are broadly supportive of any measures which help parents to choose the right books for their children, we advise caution in this area”, Balls wrote, backing author concerns that age guidance can demoralise children who read below their supposed age group, and that it can encourage complacency if children are reading above their age group.
The children’s minister recommended that “parents seeking guidance about this contact librarians or teachers who know about the full range of children’s literature”.
In the past week, an entertaining debate has been raging between Philip Pullman and J. L. Bell on the Child Lit Listserv.
The No To Age Banding website is worth a visit for those new to the issue.
