B&N to place third party rating on all Children's books

mware01 said:

I've used Common Sense Media before. I think it's a good tool for parents. However, I am strongly opposed to putting condensed info (by condensed I mean negative) about books on a book store's website.

Especially, since Common Sense Media provides no guidelines for media producers on how they rate books (at least that I could find). So, how are we suppose to be able to avoid a negative rating? I also couldn't find a process to appeal a rating (if they don't like your book you appear to be SOL).

I believe these types of tools are great for parents, but listing on negative information next to a book title in a shopping environment is the first step to censorship.

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/450525-Common_Sense_Raises_Issues_at_B_N.php

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I can't see where ratings of any kind have harmed anyone in any area. Any book you write is going to be rated all over hell and gone, by all sorts of groups, reviewers, etc. That's just how it is, and, I think, a good thing.

If this really is a great tool for parents, then parents need to find the rating before they buy the book, not after. What better place that in the sales environment, the same place everyone else puts it.

Really, I see no difefrence between this and ratings for video games that are placed right on the games themselves. Would you rather have the rating stamped right on your book?

Hmm. I've been browsing some of the recent kids and YA books that I've read. A lot of them aren't even in their database. The page for "Tender Morsels" is pretty distressing--the synopsis of the book is ONLY about the "naughty" things that happen, although those events are a small part of the book, they aren't graphic at all, and they make sense in context. They rated it 17+ only...I think it's a bit of a sad state if a 15 year old can't read the books she chooses to read. A lot of the reviews reduce complex and informative novels into a laundry list of naughty things that happen (rape, suicide, sex, masturbation, violence, whatever).

Plastering negative statements over books about important issues like "this is one very disturbing book" (Give A Boy A Gun) can't help anyone either. It does feel like it's meant to prevent kids from reading books.

Random weird thing: I can't find a single book with LGBT content on the website! From picture books to YA novels, they just aren't there. I wonder why...

I just read a very insightful blog post the other day about all the things that were right with the Common Sense Media approach to these ratings, and all the things that were wrong with the way Barnes and Noble was implementing it. I'll see if I can find it again and post the link here.

ETA: Found it. Sassymonkey Reads found via Macallister.

Thanks for posting this link. I checked out the complete Commonsense reviews of a few books I've read and one I'm reading now. As with any review, none of them cover every element I think is important. I was most unhappy with the review of Tunnels, because nothing in the review mentions the mother's obvious but undiscussed mental illness, and I think many children would find that very upsetting. In the case of my own book, if they ever review it, it's going to get too many negative marks for violence. I wonder how that's going to bump up the recommended age level beyond the reading level.

mware01 said:

There's a huge difference. First, rating on video games are done to specified standards (publishers know, mostly, what they need to do get keep from getting a mature rating). Second, the rating is assigned before the book is published (so there's time to make changes). Third, game publishers can challenge a given rating. Last, the rating are generally accurate, whereas some of the rating by Common Sense Media are factually wrong.

You just sent 3 years of your life writing and polishing your novel. But wait, there's an elf smoking a pipe and drinking a mug of something at seems to be alcoholic. We're sorry, that's not acceptable for children.
Oh well, too bad for you!

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Another big difference--video games are for kids and adults, and the average age of gamers is over 18. There's an actual need to distinguish what's for kids and what's not. Kids books and YA books are all for kids under 18. Kids don't need to be protected from books written for them. There's no kidlit equivalent of Grand Theft Auto.

ARGH. Makes me almost want to boycott B&N. Hopefully this will blow over. I'm so fearful that people will soon be plastering labels on the covers of books. If an author writes a MG book - If an agent picks it up, thinking he can sell the MG book - If an editor(s) look at it, makes a few suggestions, and then sends it over to a publisher to sell as a MG book - If the publisher then markets it as an MG book - And if a bookstore picks it up, and puts it on the MG bookshelf to sell - Why then is all of their expert opinion overlooked in lieu of a quick summary someone on the web wrote of the work??

Sure, there's a place for this. And the best place does seem to be the Common Sense website (at least what I understand from the article) that has numerous reviews, links, etc. about the subject matter. But B&N isn't doing this.

Jamesaritchie said:

I can't see where ratings of any kind have harmed anyone in any area.

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When ratings were breifly brought in for comic books in NZ it was a disaster for vendors. After a hearing they went right back out. I doubt anyone has much good to say about the American comics code either.

The movie ratings code is arbitrary and homophobic and has utterly killed some movies and distorted the content of others.

Ratings can severe limit access to markets. They are often arbitrary or reflect prejudices if run by private cabals (as they often are) and damaging.

Ratings for children's books end up becoming a way to censor them. Schools and libraries end up under pressure to purge their shelves of anything that might possibly be considered "offensive" or "controversial."

I suppose that if you're fine with censorship, then you could make the argument that ratings never hurt anyone. I, personally, would disagree.

Grrrrrrr. Nothing makes me angrier than censorship and book banning, and that's the effect these sorts of rating systems have.

We had an interesting discussion about content rating of children's books and censorship several months ago. It's worth checking out if you haven't read through the comments already.

Smish

Perhaps Common Sense should review parents and give them ratings on their effectiveness as parents.

Besides, what are the qualifications of those giving the reviews, other than personal dislikes?

Will Publishers and/or authors be able to give a counter review of the Common Sense review? I think fair is fair...

As a parent, I have been using Common Sense Media for years in order to help me make all sorts of media selections for my children. I have never thought of them as being some sort of authority -- "they say my child can't read this until they turn 12, so that's that." They are simply a helpful source to turn to in order to get specific information quickly. I like the detail though it looks sensational when they list each and every naughty word used. But I don't rely just on their age recommendations - I use their detail to decide for myself for each of my children. It looks like B&N's info is too short to be as helpful as CSM's reviews, but the PW article seems to indicate that they are still working on it.

With Internet access, finding the info that CSM/B&N is providing is easier than ever before. It's helpful information to many, but we have no control over the end user of that information. Parents who get upset about the word "scrotum" appearing in a middle grade novel are not just going to go away (as much as I wish they would). Ratings systems or not, I believe censorship will always be a danger as long as our society continues to practice intolerance and as long as people are allowed to force their ideals on others.