In an interview, Terry Pratchett (Discworld) says a useful thing. He directed it to writers:
"My advice is this. For Christ's sake, don't write a book that is suitable for a kid of 12 years old, because the kids who read who are 12 years old are reading books for adults. I read all of the James Bond books when I was about 11, which was approximately the right time to read James Bond books. So you work out this kind of little equation in your head and you think, yeah, like Nation – the one that's just come out – that's a book for kids. And people will say: 'Well it covers very adult subjects ...' Yeah, that's why it's a book for kids. Because you want kids to grow up to be adults, not just bigger kids."
Seems to me that advice works just as well for parents or anyone else who's thinking of buying books for kids.
Posted by Linkmeister at December 8, 2008 11:45 AM | TrackBackGosh, do kids even read anymore. Everywhere you look, they are text messaging or playing videos. We are all doomed...
I'm scared... ;^{
He's right. My kids didn't start really reading until about 11 or 12 and then they both started with adult books. When I was little, I read everything I could get my hands on and by the time I was 12 I read my first adult book...Exodus by Leon Uris. I never even looked back.
Posted by: Karan at December 9, 2008 02:25 PM