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mangofandangoI spent a while the morning writing a little treatise for the parent handbook about young adult materials, and what YA really means. It's meant to solve a few problems we've been having with younger and younger kids pushing the YA envelope, and also to make sure parents understand that YA is not just a reading level thing...while encouraging them not to panic about content and respect YA as Real Literature. If you're one of those people who geek out on this sort of thing and feel like proofreading or whatever (Ally? :)) I will pastey pastey:
As the PES library serves a wide range of ages and interests, it's important to understand that we also offer a wide range of materials that cover all kinds of subjects. There have been some questions about what a “young adult” book is, and why we make a distinction. Hopefully, this guide will help clarify what “YA” really means!
A book with a “YA” sticker is one that is classified as “young adult”. What makes a YA book a YA book? Several things, which vary depending on the title in question. YA indicates that a book is intended for teens, or students in grades 6 and up. YA books may have a higher reading level, but that is not always the case – often, it's an issue of content. YA books may deal with complex issues, controversial themes, and intense emotions. Content may include some level of violence, sexuality, discussion of drug or alcohol abuse, family problems, relationship issues, and so on. These books are often of very high quality, and meant to help teens navigate complex issues in their own lives, find a story to identify with, or raise awareness of an issue. Not all YA books are “issue” oriented – many, possibly the majority, are just quality literature with some more mature themes. Sometimes, YA materials are simply fluffy and fun, meant to draw in the reluctant reader or give strong readers something light to read for fun. YA materials that make it into our collection are professionally reviewed, have strong student appeal, support curriculum topics, and/or have won respected awards for quality. (You can read more about the importance and quality of young adult literature at the American Library Associations' Young Adult Library Service Association's website, here: http://www.ala.org/yalsa ). Library staff makes every effort to ensure that YA materials are appropriate for PES students, but since every family's value system is different, parental judgment is important for individual students. If you child checks out material you're not comfortable with, the best thing to do is to talk to your child about why that material is not acceptable for them, and to ask them to choose something else next time.
Younger students often have an interest in certain young adult titles, and depending on the material, that may be completely appropriate. However, PES library policy says that students who are not yet in 6th grade must have written permission from a parent before they will be allowed to check out YA materials. As a parent, you have lots of options here: you can write a note giving blanket permission for your child to check out all YA materials, you can give permission for only a specific book or series, or you may choose to give permission for your child to check out YA materials according to library staff discretion (though you'll want to take a look when the materials come home, too!) It's also important to note that certain books about human reproduction and sexuality are marked YA, so when fourth graders begin that discussion in health, they may become interested in checking out those books specifically – and permission can be given just for that, as well.
If you have any questions about any library materials, or would like to look at any specific materials with your child before giving permission for them to check those materials out, please feel free to come in and talk to us. We're happy to help!
Today I go move shelves around and try to make better use of my space in the library, and pick up a purchase order so I can go spend tons of money at Borders tomorrow for the kiddies. SO MUCH FUN. :)
As the PES library serves a wide range of ages and interests, it's important to understand that we also offer a wide range of materials that cover all kinds of subjects. There have been some questions about what a “young adult” book is, and why we make a distinction. Hopefully, this guide will help clarify what “YA” really means!
A book with a “YA” sticker is one that is classified as “young adult”. What makes a YA book a YA book? Several things, which vary depending on the title in question. YA indicates that a book is intended for teens, or students in grades 6 and up. YA books may have a higher reading level, but that is not always the case – often, it's an issue of content. YA books may deal with complex issues, controversial themes, and intense emotions. Content may include some level of violence, sexuality, discussion of drug or alcohol abuse, family problems, relationship issues, and so on. These books are often of very high quality, and meant to help teens navigate complex issues in their own lives, find a story to identify with, or raise awareness of an issue. Not all YA books are “issue” oriented – many, possibly the majority, are just quality literature with some more mature themes. Sometimes, YA materials are simply fluffy and fun, meant to draw in the reluctant reader or give strong readers something light to read for fun. YA materials that make it into our collection are professionally reviewed, have strong student appeal, support curriculum topics, and/or have won respected awards for quality. (You can read more about the importance and quality of young adult literature at the American Library Associations' Young Adult Library Service Association's website, here: http://www.ala.org/yalsa ). Library staff makes every effort to ensure that YA materials are appropriate for PES students, but since every family's value system is different, parental judgment is important for individual students. If you child checks out material you're not comfortable with, the best thing to do is to talk to your child about why that material is not acceptable for them, and to ask them to choose something else next time.
Younger students often have an interest in certain young adult titles, and depending on the material, that may be completely appropriate. However, PES library policy says that students who are not yet in 6th grade must have written permission from a parent before they will be allowed to check out YA materials. As a parent, you have lots of options here: you can write a note giving blanket permission for your child to check out all YA materials, you can give permission for only a specific book or series, or you may choose to give permission for your child to check out YA materials according to library staff discretion (though you'll want to take a look when the materials come home, too!) It's also important to note that certain books about human reproduction and sexuality are marked YA, so when fourth graders begin that discussion in health, they may become interested in checking out those books specifically – and permission can be given just for that, as well.
If you have any questions about any library materials, or would like to look at any specific materials with your child before giving permission for them to check those materials out, please feel free to come in and talk to us. We're happy to help!
Today I go move shelves around and try to make better use of my space in the library, and pick up a purchase order so I can go spend tons of money at Borders tomorrow for the kiddies. SO MUCH FUN. :)
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no subject
Date: 2007-08-07 05:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-08-07 09:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-08-07 05:59 pm (UTC)wide range of materials, which cover all kinds of subjects.
wide range of materials that covers all kinds of subjects.
don't really need the comma, and the verb should go w/"range" rather than "materials".
last para:
or would like to look at any specific materials with your child before giving permission for them to check them out
before giving permission to check them out..
i know what you mean there, but there are a lot of them's! :)
that's as far as my mother's English/grammar skills have gotten me. As far as content, everything flows well and made me understand the intentions of your library. it also sounded professional and polite - i liked that you invited parents to come in if they had questions.
overall, i think it's great. it passed my first run-through, and i would move on to your sister for a final edit. :)
no subject
Date: 2007-08-08 07:40 am (UTC)should be your child, yes?
As a parent, you have lots of options here: you can write a note giving blanket permission for your child to check out all YA materials, you can give permission for only a specific book or series, or you may choose to give permission for your child to check out YA materials according to library staff discretion (though you'll want to take a look when the materials come home, too!)
i believe you need to end the sentence with a period, because the exclamation mark only punctuates the clause within the parentheses.
interesting. i've just stared a YA fiction unit for my MA. there's some very good stuff there.