The line between a children's and adult's story???

I am working on something right now- it's mainly a true story based on my own experiences as a teenager. It includes many scenes of drinking and sex and other bad behavior common with a teenager. There is nothing illegal in the story, just the usuall drama of being a teenager. My question is, where is the line drawn for children's fiction????

I've read Judy Blume's "Summer Sisters" and that is what acctually gave me the idea for this book. It is considered adult fiction. It spans many years- a coming of age story.

So what is appropriate for a children's book??? I'm not sure if I'd rather tone my story down and write it for teens, or be detailed and write it for adults. I really did not want to tone it down, because it is a true story. I don't want to omit things just to make it sound like I was a goody goody-I want it to be true to life- an ordinary teenagers life.

Nothing a parent wouldn't disapprove of if they found out there kid was reading it would be children's fiction. From your description, it would probably be safe to call it adult fiction so you don't get into trouble with parents

Sounds adult to me.

I know I could not write about the real problems of the children in my family, even as young as ten years old, and expect parents to want their children to read it.

An 8 and a 10 year old in my family are dealing with the fact that they have friends, two sisters who are 9 and 10, whose parents are drug addicts. Children who were given bicycles by a charity that the parents took and sold for drugs.

When I suggested that perhaps the authorities should be contacted I was told the Children's Protective Services are "monitoring" the situation, but the children are not beaten, abused, nor starved, therefore there is no reason for taking the children away.

These two little girls are not the only friends these two little victims have, and I'm sure all of their friends are going through stress. I'm sure that for every child living in a seriously dysfunctional home there are a half dozen children suffering some degree of stress just from watching it.

So how do you write a story that includes a problem such as this for a girl of 8 or 10 to read? What would you title it?

"What to do when your friends have bad parents?"

I also think it's important to remember that Summer Sisters, Wifey, and Smart Women ARE adult novels. Blume's adamant about that from the interviews I've read. Her books for teens and pre-teens, including Are You There, God?, deal with teen issues but have been banned at various places throughout the country. It's important as an author to believe in the messages you're sending.

As for the specific story you mentioned, I don't know that it's necessary to label your work. I would say it's not "children's" because I consider children's writing to be for a very young set. You can't very well call teenagers children at the same time you're writing about them dealing with sex and alcohol. Just a side note, too, because I think the way the author deals with the subject is important, you said that your story has nothing illegal in it, but drinking is illegal for teens. Those are the distinctions that it's important to make.

Sounds adult to me, too.

It may be acceptable for a young adult market; more so if there's a sort of inherent lesson involved.

I know Judy Blume's Summer Sisters is an adult book. I do love Are you there God, it's me Margaret? It was my favorite book as a kid. I think i was 11 or 12 the first time I read it. I was a little surprised to here it is banned in some areas.

Thinking about it all logically, it does make sense to think to myself- would I want my 12 year old or 15 year old reading it??? So as for this story, I would probably say no then.

By the way, I don't know where my head was when I wrote the original post!! Yes I am aware that drinking under the age of 21 is illegal!! I guess when I think of my teenage years I don't think of it as something really bad. Does anyone????? But I don't want to give out the message to young kids that it is ok.

Hi, Stephanie, nice to see you here. There's another forum where you might want to raise this question as well. Check the Young Adult thread at www.verlakay.com/boards/index.php

They have discussed issues of how far to go in young adult literature.

Stephenie

reply

Thanks Stephenie!!! I'm learning alot here! I'm glad yo told me about it!! When I get a chance, I'll check out this other site!!!!

This one particular story I'm working on, I will make it an adult story. I just don't want to cut out pretty much everything.

I'm thinking of the Outsiders. Many teens read it, but it was probably published as adult fiction. You might want to check it out and see what category the publisher placed it in. You can look for similiar books in the bookstore to get an idea of possible publishers and categories.

Be true to your muse; there's got to be a place for such a book.

Take Care,
Faye8o

Re: Re:The line between a children's and adult's story???

The outsiders

I do not believe there was a "young adult" category at the time that was published. Things were either published for children or adults.

Children's writers aimed their stories at age groups, but I think that only went up to 14 at most.

And have they created a category since the outsiders? My guess is probably; because books like that became popular enough to be put in school curriculums. So isn't that worth checking out? Because it sold so well the publisher may be still publishing similar books.

Re: Re:The line between a children's and adult's story???

Megan McCafferty (author of Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings) has some interesting opinions on this subject:
popgurls.com/article_show.php3?id=514

question number 2.

Re: Re:The line between a children's and adult's story???

There are some very edgy young adult novels being published today. Lots of sex. And drugs. And drinking. I recently heard two editors and a YA author discussing the "line" in YA. Right now, it's at oral sex. You can have as much "regular" sex as you like but no oral sex (even though many teens today think of oral sex as "less" bad or a kind of "safe sex.")

The amount of sex you have doesn't push it out of YA, though how detailed your depiction is can. There are some VERY edgy imprints starting (PUSH is one) that publish YA that would make Judy Blume's adult novels look tame.

YA has changed a lot in recent years. Take a moment to read _Lady: My Life as a Bitch_ or _Doing It_ and you'll see how stretchy the envelope is these days.

gran

Re: Re:The line between a children's and adult's story???

PUSH is definitely into publishing edgy books. I haven't read many, but the ones I have, I loved. I Will Survive, Born Confused, and Cut are books I have read.