Random Musings: The Wall Street Journal Takes On the YA Genre

I considered not responding to the "incite-full" article in the Wall Street Journal regarding the YA genre.  It infuriates, exasperates, and exhausts me, not to mention saddens me.  It's inconceivable to me that such a well respected news outlet could present such a one-sided, ill-informed article that is so far off the mark. (If you haven't read it, here's the link.)

But how to respond?  Should I address the underlying assumption of the journalist's article, that teens are brainless?   I could, but it wouldn't be as well written as Nicole's post over at Word for Teens.  Her passionate response is well crafted and I love her message regarding the YA Saves campaign, --a must read (link).

Should I tell you about the first YA novel I connected with?  How relieved I was when I finally realized there were other kids in my situation?  I could, but it wouldn't be as eloquent or as relevant as Adam's post at Roof Beam Reader (another must read -link).

Should I make a broad blanket assessment assuming that the woman mentioned in the beginning of the article who couldn't find a book in the YA section was uneducated and a zealot?  No.  People would be outraged, and rightly so, because it's a ludicrous statement -the woman in question is a busy mom who was obviously overwhelmed.  But it's just as ludicrous to paint all of the paranormal, dystopian, and contemporary books in the Young Adult section with the same brush.  ("Contemporary fiction for teens is rife with explicit abuse, violence and depravity." - Seriously?!?)

Should I refute Meghan Cox Gurdon's article and her aspersions on those who cry censorship? Not when this North Texas librarian has already done it so beautifully and succinctly (must read link).  So what's left for me to say?  I will address this article as a parent and avid reader (of YA and many other genres).

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, not every book is for everyone.  There are books out there on very serious topics of rape, abuse, etc. in both the YA and adult sections ...and I'm not reading any of them ...and that's okay.  How can you begrudge someone a book that helps them know that they aren't alone in their situation?  How can you begrudge teens the opportunity to explore serious situations that are blasted all over the news?  This is how we learn to problem solve, interpret, and cope.  (If you don't believe me try reading Everything Bad Is Good for You: How Popular Culture Is Making Us Smarter.)  Would you rather they experience it in person rather than on the page?

I'm not saying that a mature YA book is the right read for every 12 and 13 year old out there.  It may never be the right read.  But if my daughter comes to me and wants to explore these books that I don't want to read, I'm not going to stop her.  We read to understand the world around us, and last time I checked, it wasn't all unicorns, rainbows, and happy endings.

I honestly think there's an article buried in that editorial (I'm calling it an editorial because it is not factual reporting), but they missed the boat ...showed up on the wrong coastline for embarkation, in fact.  Ms. Gurdon finally touched on it at the end of her article as dose Adam at Roof Beam Reader in his post:  Parents need to guide and monitor their children's choices. While that may not be news (we monitor what they watch on TV, and where they hang out and with whom), it's something to be discussed.

It may seem an overwhelming task -goodness knows I love books, but even I find the rows of beautiful books in a bookstore overwhelming at times.  As a parent, there is so much to be aware of, you don't have time to read all the books your kids are reading too. But there is help out there:

1. Ask a Librarian - There are no more Hairy Scary Librarians like in the Meathead Public library on the Isle of Berk... there may still be a few like Madam Pince, but for the most part they are a friendly lot ready and willing to help you.  If you need guidance in guiding your young reader, ask!  Whether it be the school's librarian or a public one, s/he will be thrilled to help you select books you feel are appropriate for your young teen.  
2. Ask a Salesperson - If you arrive at the bookstore and you suddenly feel overwhelmed ask a sales person!  If they don't have an answer they will help you find someone who does have one.
3. Read a Blog - We are filling up the web with our thoughts on books and we're here to help too!  A great one for guidance in the YA genre is Parental Book Reviews.com, and there are plenty more out there. And if you are lucky -or unlucky- enough to meet one of us book bloggers in a store, we may give you our opinion, whether you want it or not.

Like everything else to do with raising children, we can only guide them the best we can.  At a point, we stop holding their hand and let them go.  We take a leap of faith and trust their judgement.  If you are trusting you teen with your car keys, I hope you can trust them to choose their own reading material.

Jenn's Review Part Deux: The Host

In skimming other reviews of The Host over the past week, I've come across criticism suggesting that the female characters are weak. This bothered me enough to want to refute it in a post of my own. I will try to do this while being as "unspoilery" as possible.

While I think it is a somewhat valid assessment of Bella in the Twilight series, weakly written females are hardly the case here. Melanie is so strong, she can't let go of a body she no longer fully possesses. Wanda cannot tolerate violence of any kind, but that doesn't make her weak. She makes the decision to live in a way that is completely inconceivable to others of her kind. And what about The Seeker? These are not weak women.

Jeb created his own society (in a space he practically carved out himself), and he gets to make the rules. That's not chauvinistic to me, that's a benevolent dictatorship. (And as for a body belonging to it's family members, I completely understand that too.) True mostly guys go on the raids, and the women stay home and care take, but this is a time of war, and in our society, it's mostly the men who go off to fight.

As for Petal, she was chosen by Jamie, someone who knew the host best, and saw her for who she was... not to mention the choice also made sense from a tactical stand point. No matter the body, the spirit is still strong.

I can see, to an extent, that the non-central female characters come off as pale in comparison to Melanie and Wanda, but that's a literary device. Where I can concede that there was weakness in Bella (though I think she overcame it by the fourth book), I feel that those who find it here are seeing what they want to see.

Am I off base? I'd love to know what you think, so please leave a comment!

My Full Review of The Host

Coming Soon: The Tales of Beedle the Bard

Well, it's been quite the week for Harry Potter news!

Just yesterday, I alerted my friends to the existence finally of the new Harry Potter movie trailer and today Jenn saw it fit to return the favor by letting us know that this book is available for pre-order!

Say what now?!? Not too long ago scores of fans thought that they'd have to suffice with only the reviews Amazon put out late last year and now we can preorder not only a standard edition, but also a collectors edition, with all proceeds going to charity. Nicely done!

So, if you didn't know, now you do... get your orders in now, because you know hotcakes won't have anything on this book, what I suspect will be the last of any and all Potter reading material.

Me - I've already ordered both!

Beedle the Bard Contest at Amazon

Amazon is sponsoring an amazing writing contest open to anyone 13 and over... with a grand prize of sending you and a friend to London, England to spend a weekend with the rare handwritten book of fairy tales by J.K. Rowling.

Answer one of three questions in 100 words or less:

• What songs do wizards use to celebrate birthdays?
• What sports do wizards play besides Quidditch?
• What have you learned from the Harry Potter series that you use in everyday life?

The contest runs from April 9th through the 22nd so start scribling my friends!

To read more about the rules and to make submissions click here.

Plumtastic!?!

The new Stephanie Plum book is due out June 17th, Fearless Fourteen, and I must say I'm looking forward to it. I still have Plum Lucky on my 'to read' pile even though I'm not a huge fan of the "Between the Numbers" books. (They always seem a little whimsical and silly, but still a good dose of Stephanie while waiting for the next Number Book.)

I know Julie is getting a little frustrated with Stephanie. She's ready for her to grow up and move on with her life... I'm not sure I'm ready for that though. Although, I am waiting for one of the men in her life to grow up.

What are your thoughts? Oh, and be sure to mention whether you are you a Babe or a Cupcake...

2007 Books & Holiday Shopping

Okay, yes, I'm one of those crazy woman who likes to have the majority of her holiday shopping done by the end of November. But if you are looking for the book lover in your life... or even just for you, Amazon has put together their list of Best Books of 2007 - I'm not usually a societal conformist, and I don't tend to read things just because they're popular, but the Editor's Top 100 list is a great way to review the year in books - you can even shop by genre - and see what catches your eye.

Go ahead see what you/we/I may have missed.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: UK vs US Edition

I started reading both versions of these books about seven years ago - just after I started reading the series. A friend of mine was going on and on about how much he preferred the British editions as they were closer to what JK Rowling actually wrote (not overly edited and Americanized) – not to mention the difference in artwork.

I thought it prudent to investigate for myself... and found that there is a world of difference between the Sorcerer's Stone and the Philosopher's Stone. Rowling herself was greatly displeased with the American publication as she found it to be overly translated from English (or as my mum would call it "The Queen's English") into "American." There are several times where this is understandable (for example, the difference between a jumper being a sweater in English and a dress in American) but I would have to agree with JKR that the first novel was overly edited (mum to mommy, for example), something which she made sure did not occur again in the novels that followed it.

The differences between the books from here on out are slight, with a few notable exceptions. JKR pointed one out herself in an interview a few years back about Goblet of Fire where the order of appearance for Harry's mother and father (during Priori Incantatem) get switched backwards in the first UK edition as an editor questioned JKR and thinking she was wrong, JKR changed it around.

Also, notably missing from the UK edition is part of Dumbledore's final conversation with Draco in Half Blood Prince. The text in red was omitted from the UK publications:

"He told me to do it or he'll kill me. I've got no choice."

"He cannot kill you if you are already dead. Come over to the right side Draco, and we can hide you more completely than you can possibly imagine. What is more, I can send members of the Order to your mother tonight to hide her likewise. Nobody would be surprised that you had died in your attempt to kill me -- forgive me, but Lord Voldemort probably expects it. Nor would the Death Eaters be surprised that we had captured and killed your mother -- it is what they would do themselves, after all. Your father is safe at the moment in Azkaban...When the time comes we can protect him too. Come over to the right side, Draco...you are not a killer..." Malfoy stared at Dumbledore. ~(HBP US Edition pg 591/UK Edition pg 552)

This text also does not appear in later paperback versions of the American editions either, so apparently it was a textual cut that didn't make the first US version.

As for the Deathly Hallows, from what I have observed, the differences are minimal. There are the typical variations in spelling and the substitution of a word here or there. Otherwise, it falls in among the rest of the series.

So yes, I own both versions of the Harry Potter series. Do I have a preference? Reading book one, yes, I prefer the British edition... after that, it depends on whether I'm reading/re-reading at home or carrying it around with me... the UK versions are a little more compact, but I do so love the Mary GranPré illustrations... so it's a toss up.

Reading Is Sexy!

I love it when my favorite things come together. In this instance reading and televisioncomes together in the form of a t-shirt. How cute is this? Rory wore it in episode # (umm... I swear I'll find out) of Gilmore Girls (RItvP). Now I am going to grab one, because "Reading Is Sexy".