I don't know that I would limit the "too much" label to just young adult novels. I have been very surprised at the content marketed to younger children in picture books and early reader chapter books.
That said, we don't tend to get many books that cause us to raise an eyebrow. It may be that our target audience is younger; or it could be that authors/publishers for YA material don't see us as fitting their review demographic.
I would like to add, though, that we have received some incredible books for young adults that our teen reviewers have loved. The teens see stories with lots of action and characters they can relate to; the parents see books with wholesome stories and life lessons.
Keeping an eye on what our kids read is part of being a parent. I would put it in the same box as knowing about what movies they watch, what video games they play, or who their friends are. I think there is more to our culture and society than sex and violence. Yes, there is plenty of it and it is marketed to our kids as "cool." We can only shield our kids so much. At some point, we have to have faith that they will make the right choices. As parents, we get the "pleasure" of making the hard call when we have to.
Is there anything else you would like to say about you or your organization?
The Reading Tub® is the result of my own love of reading. I am very lucky to be able to build this resource and share my enthusiasm with others. If we can inspire just one person to read with a child, then we will have helped the world!
Thank you for this opportunity to share my passion.
Thank you, Terry! It was a pleasure to have you here!
Article comments
1 - Cathy Puett Miller
I loved this blog interview - especially the parts about how important it is for parents to read with their children and the plug for the Reading Tub, a worthy organization. Keep up the good work.