Should Books contain Age Ratings?

Usually you can tell by how they're shelved.

But I do hate when I order a book that sounds YA from the description only to find out it's MG, or, at best, a tween.

Well I read Dracula when I was seven years old and I turned out all right.

Depending on the execution, I think it may be entirely appropriate for books for all but the youngest children to deal with difficult topics.

When I was younger, I loved books for my age group containing more adult material (usually explicit violence and such). While I know that parents don't agree with the material, I know most kids love the stuff.


But then, look how I turned out.

drybonesreborn said:

Just curious. I hate to pick up a book that's supposdly for like 8 year olds to have it filled with racism and other such topics, at a young age.

Just curious, is this out there? Will it be possible? Can it be possible? Just curious.

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Racism is a fact of life - it's how the topic is handled that matters. But if you're asking if a book for 8 year olds can be unflinchingly racist, morally bleak etc, then no. Publishers won't publish something if they know there is no audience.

Children generally read things that interest them. Most ten-year-olds, for example, will not bother to read Wuthering Heights because it's hard going and about stuff they don't understand yet. They will select books that are more age-appropriate - and bookshops are very careful about where they shelve books.

There is no real need to put age restrictions on books because children are self-selecting. Besides, it would mean that kids with learning difficulties would feel inferior, whilst other children might deliberately seek out books outside their age range in order to show off.