Abstract
The study described here investigates the thoughts and opinions of young readers related to age banding on children’s books. Emphasizing the views of children themselves, rather than adults such as parents, librarians, teachers and authors, the research involved a series of three focus groups involving children aged 11–13 years. The discussions held by the focus groups revealed that participants thought that age banding is intended primarily for adults, and for readers younger than the participants. Age bands were thought to neglect individualism and to restrict autonomy; they were less obvious than other features on books so their position and appearance were significant.
Background
Age banding (also known as age guidance) is the relatively new practice whereby publishers print an intended age range for which a children’s book is suitable on its cover. The ages are printed on the back of books in black and white (either 5+, 7+, 9+, 11+ or 13+) and are placed near the barcode.
Age banding on children’s books has become an increasingly popular practice for publishers over the past year, and questions have been asked about what this means for the future of children’s literature. In particular, there has been growing concern regarding whether age banding might have damaging effects on children and what they read, most notably by author Philip Pullman and his online petition, ‘Say no to age banding’ (Pullman, 2009). Many teachers, librarians and authors have signed up to the petition, however, these are of course adults and the opinions of young people themselves in relation to age banding still remain largely uncertain. Though much previous academic research has examined children’s reading habits and choices, none has directly addressed the issue of age banding and its potential effects. This article describes research which aimed to overcome this gap in knowledge through inviting a sample of children to outline their views relating to age banding.
An issue which lies at the heart of children’s literature concerns the intervention of adults in children’s reading. With very few exceptions, it is adults who write and publish books aimed at children, and it is adults, particularly parents, who select and buy those books (Maynard et al, 2007). They therefore have a certain influence over what children are reading. Issues of whether children have any voice in a literature that is written and produced for them by adults have been widely discussed by interested parties (see, for example, Rose, 1992). It is consequently of importance to consider the views of children on the issue of age banding on books intended for them.
It has been suggested that we are of the time when it is rather ‘easy to take children’s books for granted’ (Reynolds and Tucker, 1998: xi), but also that recent developments in marketing and selling have had an impact on modern children’s book publishing. Former Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen has described modern children’s publishing as having been impacted significantly by ‘globalization’ (Reynolds and Tucker, 1998: 37), in the sense that children’s literature has become a platform for corporate publicity and widespread, international marketing. Retail initiatives in particular have become common tools for encouraging and increasing the sales of children’s books (Reynolds and Tucker, 1998: xii). For example, there has been a significant increase in the sorts of places in which books are stocked. Research by Maynard et al. demonstrates that, although bookshops are still popular venues for buying books, supermarkets are becoming more common for this activity. The study revealed that, of the various places where books could be bought, supermarkets were chosen by between 15 percent and 17 percent of participating Key Stage 2, 3 and 4 students (Maynard et al., 2007: 29).
Successful marketing has enabled books such as the Harry Potter and Alex Rider series to be identifiable worldwide and available in various languages. The clear rise of the value of children’s literature, socially as well as economically, is apparent in many government-led campaigns, such as the recent National Year of Reading which suggests that ‘everything starts with reading’ (Reading Agency, 2010) and the act of reading has never been so inviting and accessible to young people.
In addition, publishers have started to market their books through other, more engaging ways, taking into account the fact that many young people are ‘digital natives’, (O’Connell, 2008: 52) raised in a digitally familiar world. Playing video games, browsing networking sites and watching films are typical daily activities for young people. The debate as to whether these factors have affected the frequency of children’s reading continues (see, for example, Hall and Coles, 1999). Furthermore, the way in which many books are now presented is taking new, more creative forms. Graphic novels, in particular, are becoming increasingly popular and reveal a cultural and social change in patterns of reading (Hall and Coles, 1999; 137). Arizpe and Styles (2002: 42) suggest that written text has become an almost subservient or passive form of communication to image.
In a bid to create more choice for individuals, publishers produce millions of books, for example, the Group Managing Director of Scholastic Books has claimed a total of around 10,000 new children’s books per year (Wilson, 2008: 203). It could be argued that, with such a ‘huge assortment’ (Zipes, 2002; 67) of children’s literature available, it is much more difficult for individuals to find the right book. The introduction of age banding (otherwise known as age guidance), in which age ranges are printed on book covers, is a reaction to this very problem. The Publishers Association have stated that there is a ‘reported demand’(Zipes, 2002: 67) for greater guidance on books so that young people can make more informed book choices. It can also be used as a clear marker for parents and relatives of young people (Rosoff, 2008), as it has been reported that 53 percent of children’s book purchases are made as gifts by adults (Publishers Association, 2008). Age banding is ultimately intended by publishers to widen the market of children’s literature and increase sales.
However, there has been much controversy over the potential negative effects of age banding. Clearly, book shops and libraries can provide the necessary wealth of knowledge relating to a book’s suitability and relevance, in the shape of their highly experienced staff. However, because supermarkets stock a much wider range of products in addition to books, staff do not obtain such quality of knowledge and service (Aronson, 2001; 57). As a result, many parents may currently ‘no longer feel confident about buying books’ for their children (Aronson, 2001: 54).
It can therefore be suggested that the information presented on a book cover is extremely significant and influential. The children’s author, Philip Pullman, has indicated that ages on books in particular do not amount to real information, because one reader may vary greatly in interest, ability, and so on, from another of a similar age and age banding is therefore a betrayal of trust between the reader and author. Pullman also points out that age banding may disregard the creativity of authors. Importantly, librarians (as represented by Tricia Adams, then chair of the Youth Libraries Group of CILIP (the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals)) have supported Pullman’s campaign to keep age bands off children’s books, describing them as ‘potentially harmful to children’s enjoyment of reading’ (Flood, 2008). Noting the possibility of children being sensitive to reading books banded at a younger age than theirs, or of confident readers being put off books that are appropriate for their abilities rather than their age, the CILIP representative ‘stressed the importance of respecting the tastes and needs of individual children, rather than applying guidelines’ (Flood, 2008). As a result of these concerns, public libraries would be ignoring the classifications and shelving the books as they thought most appropriate.
It has also been suggested that a book’s innate worth, that is, its story and meaning, can often be neglected when classifying books by the age of the reader (Zipes, 2002: 68). For example, it may be true to say that many great books are not written with a particular audience or age group in mind, so age banding would be difficult to apply consistently. In addition, age and appeal can ‘be suggested without direct statement’ (Chambers, 1969: 139). That is, the subtle markings or clues (for example, images, title, author, blurb, thickness and so on) of the packaging of a book can hint at its content and appropriateness. Age banding has also raised issues of censorship in that it may be considered to be restricting children’s reading choices.
With all of the above issues in mind, the study described here sought to examine the views of the young readers themselves regarding the concerns related to age banding on their books. This would be in contrast to the views of the interested adults discussed above.
Methodology
The central focus of the research for the study was to investigate the opinions of a group of young people on the issue of age banding and so a qualitative method was required. Focus groups were selected as the most suitable method of collecting data as they would enable the researcher to obtain extensive insight into the subjective experiences and opinions of the young people who participated. It was also thought that young readers would prefer to offer their opinions in a group situation, rather than participating in, for example, one-to-one interviews. The children involved were from English school Years 7 and 8 (11–13 years of age), chosen as a middle age range and as readers who would be situated centrally in the age band range. In addition, the researcher had experience of working with young people of this age.
This study involved three schools within the Midlands area, with one focus group of selected pupils being carried out at each of the schools. A pilot focus group took place at a school in Staffordshire; the other two were situated in Leicestershire. The schools were typical of schools found within the UK; all three are government-maintained, community secondary schools representing a diversity of pupils.
Procedure
Each focus group session lasted approximately 45 minutes and was scheduled during a tutor period so as not to interfere with timetabled academic lessons. The session included an initial period in which key information regarding the intentions of the researcher and the study were explained to participants and their questions were answered. A copy of Skulduggery Pleasant (Landy, 2007) was brought along by the investigator to the discussion in order to show participants an example of the age bands. The focus group questions were formed from the existing literature on the subject and were designed to ‘capture the intent of the study’ (Krueger, 1994: 63).
The pilot study involved asking six key questions, with the opening question asking participants to give a definition of the term ‘age banding’; unfortunately the question appeared to discourage some of the participants from contributing and they seemed reluctant to take part. In addition, an insufficient number of questions had been prepared for the pilot study and additional questions had to be produced at short notice. Though some improvised questions within a focus group can act to give new focus to the discussion, essentially, ‘a focused interview will include about a dozen questions’ (Krueger, 1994: 54). Therefore, subsequent to the pilot study, some time was spent in the re-phrasing of some of the questions, taking into account advice from the librarian who observed the pilot focus group. The remaining two pilot focus groups featured the same set of revised questions.
Results and discussion
The final participants were selected at random and according to their age (11–13 years), in relation to English set (so that a range of reading and writing skills were represented) and by gender (an equal number of males and females). Each focus group (including the pilot group) consisted of between six and nine participants.
The data obtained from the pilot focus group was sufficiently meaningful to be included in the analysis and to form part of the discussion. As might be expected, the responses from the three focus groups varied to some degree, inevitable when considering the varying locations, pupils, and contexts used for each one. Some distinct similarities in responses, such as frequently repeated comments or ideas, were also in evidence. It is also worth noting that variations to the configuration of the respondents occurred for reasons beyond the control of the investigator. For example, the final focus group contained a lower number of top set (high ability) pupils than originally intended, which may have had a slight effect on the discussion.
Throughout all of the focus groups it was noted that the lower ability participants tended to respond less in the discussions. This could be, at least in part, the result of their potential inability to effectively formulate responses, and therefore a result of verbal or cognitive communication barriers. A mixture of male and female participants contributed to the discussions. It was evident that the participants who were most comfortable with discussing issues of reading, that is, those who read the most frequently, contributed more. The position of participants was also important and might have affected their responses – frequent contributors were consistently at opposite ends of the table from the investigator.
After assessment and analysis of the findings, the following key themes were identified – these will be discussed below.
Age banding is for parents and other adults
Within the pilot focus group, the notion of age banding was frequently referred to in relation to the organizational aspects of arranging books. It was suggested that categorizing books, such as by age, would help adults who worked in bookshops and libraries to present their stock in a systematic way. One participant suggested that age bands would make it ‘easier’ for adults to arrange books, thereby recognizing the possible logical implications of its purpose and presence on books. It was indicated that age bands can aid in improving book selection and the ability to search for books.
Age banding was initially thought to guide readers in a positive way so that they can simply ‘find the books that they want’ and therefore, ‘go straight to the book’. However, a more prominent idea was that age banding was specifically for parents. It was identified that age bands can help to distinguish the suitability of a book in terms of both content and reading level, that is, ‘to help them see if their child would be able to read it’. It was mentioned that this could be appropriate when buying books as presents for young people, such as for occasions like birthdays.
Nevertheless, many of the participants were concerned with the implication of their parents’ ability to control and exert power over what they read. One participant repeatedly commented about the issue at various points in the discussion and showed feelings of fear and anxiety. He suggested that he did not want to make his parents ‘angry’ in wanting to read a book that was marked at an age higher than his. In this case, he was clearly reluctant to be, as another participant suggested ‘told off’ by his parents for wanting to read something older. Age bands could therefore create uncomfortable or difficult family situations.
Another somewhat distressing idea to several of the participants was that parents may ultimately declare ‘well you can’t have it!’ or they could ‘keep you down and not let you read the older books’. As a result of age bands, parents would have the power and choice to refuse permission for individual children to read a particular book. This could prevent the children from reading something they may really want to read, encouraging them to choose or read books that are for their own age and possibly subsequently stifling their reading. It could be argued that these actions could potentially put off some children from reading altogether.
There is a clear dilemma here for many of the participants between wanting to read a book marked for an older age group and not wanting to cause trouble or be reprimanded by their parents. It is possible that children may go on to feel a sense of resentment towards their parents if they manipulate their choice of book. Ultimately, hindering children’s aspiration to read higher than their age illustrates a rather disheartening message of reading, in which parents can mould and coerce their children’s own reading choices and preferences.
Following on from this, it was proposed that, if a child wanted to read an older book and was prevented, they would have to wait until they were old enough to read it. Therefore, the child might not be able to keep up-to-date with current and popular books. The impact of this could be that children lose out on certain social aspects of reading such as being able to discuss well-known books with the people around them. This could, again, create hostility towards parents and might potentially discourage children from reading entirely.
Age banding is for younger readers
The next theme related to age banding being a tool that very young children or ‘little kids’ would use; this issue was raised by numerous participants. At least one participant from each focus group mentioned that age banding could aid to shield younger readers from profanity or ‘swearing’ that could be found in older aged books. In addition, in terms of those particularly ‘gory books’, age bands could be beneficial as they mean that young readers are less likely to be ‘scared’ or have ‘nightmares’. One participant even suggested that if, for example, a young reader were to read a book about bullying, it could influence their behaviour and therefore, ‘they might do it … they might start bullying’. Though this is a rather extreme case, it is significant to highlight that young people can be naïve and easily manipulated.
Another participant indicated that, if younger readers were to read a book marked older than their age, they might not necessarily ‘understand what it’s about, cuz it’s probably too complicated’. It is possible that some younger readers may lack the necessary comprehension skills to determine for themselves the appropriateness of a book. It is therefore possible that certain unsuitable material could be overlooked or go undetected by the reader. The participant’s observation here may well confirm the idea that age bands are ultimately futile and unnecessary.
However, the comments made by participants regarding younger readers are likely to contain certain preconceptions. Though they did not want to admit that age bands might be useful for them, participants appeared to think that age bands are necessary for children younger than themselves. Essentially, there is a perception that books which are banded at the age of the participants are innately harder than those banded at a younger age. Many of the participants were suggesting that younger readers were essentially weaker, or lower ability readers. Several participants mentioned that someone may be named ‘stupid’ or ‘a baby’ if they could not read a book that was within their own age band. In this way, it was assumed that these weaker readers may feel demoralized and disheartened in having to read a younger aged book, which may not be of any interest to the readers in terms of genre, plot or themes.
This assumption was emphasized further when the participants were asked how one might band a book such as Harry Potter. Comments were made as follows: ‘There’s loads of difficult words in it so all the kids wouldn’t be able to understand the words. They’d be asking what they meant and how to say it’.
It became clear throughout the discussions that many of the participants did not want to be identified as, or be associated with, inferior readers. Several were particularly keen to reveal their triumph in their reading accomplishments and clearly show how they have developed as readers since they were younger. For example, ‘when I was younger and I’d read that much of it (gestures about an inch) and then … and then I’d lose interest in it’. Another participant claimed she only reads ‘thick books’, as she gets ‘put off when books are really thin’ because they ‘might be boring’. Books for older readers were also described by one participant as ‘better than like the younger books … it’s bigger, it’s got longer words which mean like they’re good’. They were also said to be ‘more interesting’ and ‘more adventurous, more cool’. When reading books for older readers it was thought ‘you get to know more’ and can therefore help to build knowledge.
Interestingly, participants discussed what might happen if someone their own age wanted to read a book in a lower age band. One of the participants suggested that if he were to recommend a younger book to a friend, they might not want to read it because of its age banding. In this instance, the participant showed concern as he compared his own reading preferences with those of his friends. It was significant that the friend might reject the book on account of the age it was banded at, whereas the participant would not. This disparity between the two viewpoints was troublesome to the participant.
Surrounding this issue was an inherent fear of rejection or mockery from others in wanting to read a book in a lower age band. There was evidence that certain participants had felt some degree of social pressure to conform to the reading norms of their peers. That is, because they were capable of reading a book for their own age, they should not want to read anything for a younger age band. This was evidenced when one of the participants reacted to seeing an age on a book that was lower than their own: ‘Oh, nine … I should go for a higher book, I should probably read a higher book, it’s probably harder’. Through the use of the word ‘should’ it is clear that the participant feels that they ought to read something higher, even if they may not necessarily want to. Another participant declared that, ‘the only time I’d probably read a younger book is when I read to my brother or sister’. This suggests that it is only socially acceptable for young people to read younger books when they are reading them to younger children.
Age banding neglects individualism
Many of the participants suggested that age banding was not something universally advantageous or relevant to every reader. As one participant simply noted, ‘all readers are different, they like different sorts of things’. This notion of difference was demonstrated throughout the focus group discussions in the diversity in reading preferences of the participants themselves. When asked what they liked to read outside school, several of the participants talked about certain genres of books, such as adventure, horror and fantasy. Others commented on individual authors, for example, Jacqueline Wilson, Anne Cassidy and Darren Shan. A small number of the participants pointed to the investigator’s copy of Skulduggery Pleasant as a book they liked and some said that they liked to read non-fiction, ‘books about people, like diaries’. Participants also tended to comment specifically on the thickness of the books they enjoyed reading. Three of the participants indicated that they liked ‘medium sized’ books.
Such range in response, which particularly concentrated on book genre and the physical width of a book, strongly emphasizes this notion of individualism. Within the second focus group, some consideration was given to how or why the participants had formed these preferences. Many indicated it was a result of external and cultural factors. Firstly, one of the participants commented on their experience at a previous school where it was customary for books to be colour coded, by the librarian, in relation to their reading level. This motivated many of the young people to read as it promoted a sense of competition so that pupils tried to read ‘as much as we could’ as well as to ‘get onto a higher level of book, to see who could get higher’. It well may be true that the reading conventions and practices of this previous school may have influenced the participant’s reading habits.
It was also suggested that what one decides to read can depend on certain contingent factors, such as ‘what mood you’re in when you pick up a book … I won’t be in the mood to read a book and then the next day, I might be and I’ll pick it up’. This highlights the fact that reading preferences are often easily changeable and can shift over time, even over quite short periods. A person’s frame of mind at one particular time, no matter their age, can inevitably affect what they choose to read.
Drawing on an issue discussed above, age banding can be problematic for many readers who want to read a book that is banded outside their own age. Several comments were made which suggested that ‘you still might want to read it even if you’re not at that age’ or that you ‘might actually like it anyway’. Age bands can be argued to perpetuate the idea that all young people of the same age are alike, with identical reading interests or preferences. It was noted that ‘some ages are not always accurate’ and a reader may be of higher or lower ability than deemed average for their age. One of the focus groups deliberated on the potential consequence of not being able to fit comfortably into a particular age band. For example, participants showed clear unease that age bands might prevent readers from having a wide or worthy choice of suitable books to read.
When asked if they read or would consider reading outside their age band, many of the participants who responded said that they already did or would do so. However, in their responses to this particular question, the participants inherently tended to refer to reading books that were aged higher than their own age, which once again highlights their desire to be perceived as confident readers.
The position and appearance of the age bands is important
Many of the participants in the pilot focus group frequently responded in relation to the physical appearance and position of the age bands. As a result, this issue was developed into a question and put to the participants of the further two focus groups. It was firstly identified that age bands are presented in the form of icons. Clear and obvious signs on books were described as being potentially helpful to young people when choosing what to read as, ‘you might just look for the symbol straight away’. In this way, age bands are signposts which ensure it is not necessary to thoroughly decipher a book’s suitability. This could save time for many young people in searching for books.
However, many other comments noted that the position or location of the age bands is subtle, hidden and therefore, not particularly obvious to potential readers. For example, one comment was: ‘it’s like right in the corner so you can’t actually see it properly’. Age bands were also often identified in relation to their size. When shown the location of the age band on a book, one immediate reaction was to laugh out loud; the same participant then noted: ‘it’s a bit small’, and later: ‘so small you could, just like, cover it up with your thumb’. These aspects of age bands were viewed by many of the participants as particularly negative because there was a danger of them being overlooked or missed. This issue is confirmed by the fact that other participants had not noticed the age bands on the books they had read. During one focus group, one of the participants asked the investigator where the age bands were located on books very early on in the discussion.
Participants were asked early on in the discussions how they usually choose the books they read. All responses were made in relation to the physical characteristics or features of books. Frequently mentioned as an influence on book choices were the: front cover, author, title, pictures, first few pages and stickers (that is, if the book has won or been shortlisted for an award). Other features which were also considered were the: blurb, synopsis, popularity of a book and colours. It is worth noting that these features on books have been commonly identified by young people in various studies (see, for example, Maynard et al., 2007). Crucially, none of the participants directly mentioned age bands in relation to this question, that is, as helping them to choose whether to read a book. This may indicate that young people do not recognize or consider age bands to be a useful feature on books.
This evident lack of awareness of age banding may also be due to the fact that the bands remain a fairly new feature on many books. However, it is clear that if age bands were positioned more prominently on books, a higher number of young people would be aware of them. It was suggested that age bands are comparatively not as obvious as, for example, age restrictions on films. Although similar in purpose and intention, age bands and film age restrictions are different because ‘on films and stuff it’s … big … like in a big circle’. A distinction should be made between these two forms of age restrictions because of the legal implications of a young person watching a film classified for viewers above their age. Nevertheless, many of the participants viewed these restrictions in the same way because they thought they would create similar consequences. That is, if disobeyed, both could instigate some form of reprimand.
The fact that age bands were not noticeable to many of the participants shows that they could be ultimately misleading to many readers. As one of the participants suggested, there is a danger that ‘if it’s on the back they’ll start reading it and think it’s good and then they’ll actually realise it’s a nine and they might feel a bit scared’. Another suggested that people might ‘look at the front of the book and think it’s a good book. But then when they look down at the bottom of the page and see “9+” they might think “ahh, no!’’’. These comments indicate that, appearing in this way, age bands can conflict with, or defy, readers’ initial opinions of a book which can lead to inner confusion or ambiguity. It was clear that the participants thought, due to their precarious position on books, age bands could potentially deceive readers.
As a solution to this issue, it was proposed that age bands should be bolder and more prominent on books, with many participants suggesting that age bands should be ‘bigger and stand out’. Other responses indicated that age bands should be on a book’s spine or, as more commonly suggested, on the front of the book as ‘not many people turn the book over and see the age’. However, this last comment appears somewhat unjustified as it was noted in the previous theme that some of the participants did actually look on the back of books, specifically when looking at the blurb. On the other hand, it may be true to suggest that ‘you are more likely to see [an age band] if it’s on the front’ and would more openly inform potential readers. Following on from this, one participant suggested that age bands should clearly be ‘on the front for younger kids whose parents like check the books first’ or ‘if buying a book for someone else then I’d probably take notice of it’.
It is worth noting that age bands being made more apparent on books contradicts the issues which were proposed above: that age bands are only for parents or for very young readers. It was suggested that, even if age bands were more visible on the front of books, some young people might knowingly choose to disregard them. For example, young people ‘might notice it but they still might not take any notice of what it is’. In this way, some readers might not want to be informed of the age band at which a book is aimed. Rather, they want to make their own observations and conclusions regarding its suitability (drawing on the theme of individualism).
One participant suggested that age bands should, therefore, not formally or prominently appear on books; suitable ages could perhaps feature within the blurb which might read, ‘ideal for … like teenagers and stuff’. In this way, ages can be implicitly highlighted and proposed to potential readers. Rather than appearing as warnings or commands, age bands could become obliging recommendations so that readers remain informed of what particular reader age a book would be most appropriate for. However, they might not immediately or necessarily be put off by a book because of its age band. In this way, readers are given the freedom and ability to decide for themselves whether to acknowledge or act on this information. This is a thought-provoking solution to many of the issues caused by age banding that were raised in the discussions.
Age banding restricts autonomy
This theme follows on from the idea that age bands can impede readers’ freedom to choose the books they want to read. It was evident throughout the discussions that, although age bands were often identified as beneficial for parents or younger readers, they were thought to be ineffectual tools for the participants. Within one focus group in particular, the issue of choice and autonomy was significant and a matter of concern for many of the participants. It is worth noting that these concerns largely follow a distinct turning point in the discussion in which one of the participants, who had previously contributed very little to the discussion before this moment, said:
I don’t think you should have any age on it because it can affect the way people are gonna … like I know people have already said about different books and about how people might like older books and younger books. Because if you have an age on it you might not even bother reading, having a look at the blurb or anything, just because it’s a bit too young or bit too old. So it can change your decision about choosing a book.
Here, age bands are questioned in relation to their function and purpose on books. A similar comment was: ‘I don’t actually see why you need the age restrictions, like there’. These comments highlight the idea that age banding can greatly influence and affect a person’s reading choices in a particularly negative way in that it can restrict and prevent someone from being able freely to choose which books to read.
It was also noted that ‘reading should be free so anyone can pick whatever book they want’ and that ‘you should be able to choose what you want not what things say’. One of the participants proposed that one of the inherent problems with age bands is that they are created by adults. Consequently, he suggested that young people of different ages should judge individual books and then put them into the relevant age bands, as ‘publishers should just get people to read it and then decide for themselves’.
In this way, the locus of control would shift from publishers to young people who can independently review books. It begs the question: who better to assess books for young readers than the young readers themselves? In taking on the role of book moderators, young people become appropriate representatives for their peers as well as other young readers, adding a sense of weight and perspective to the age bands. Essentially, this idea stresses the need for many young people to be given the freedom and opportunity to create their own boundaries, which they will be more likely to adhere to and employ than any that are formally dictated or prescribed for them by others.
Conclusions
As shown from the results, it is clear that many of the young people involved in this study are to some extent aware of age banding and can recognize it might have a positive influence on which books they choose to read. However, they are also aware of various explicit and implicit social problems which are associated with age banding. Of particular note here in the current research is the sense that age banding is provided for adults and gives parents the ability to control what their children read, perhaps preventing young readers from reading a book which has been banded for those older. The participants thought that the result of such a prohibition might be that they are unable to keep up-to-date with the latest books and thereby miss out on the social aspect of being able to discuss these with others. It might also result in a dilemma between reading a book and displeasing parents. In contrast, another social issue revealed by the research relates to participants feeling that readers younger than themselves require shielding from unsuitable material and that age banding can contribute in this context. Related to this is the desire by participants not to be associated with younger or inferior readers by reading books banded at an age below theirs. Lastly, in relation to social problems, it can be concluded from the study that age banding neglects individualism by failing to take into account the diverse and ever-changing reading preferences of different children. It is also evident that age bands can help parents to make more informed decisions of what to buy for their children and attempt to combat many parental concerns regarding the suitability of the content of particular books. A significant number of the participants thought of age bands as especially intended for parents and younger readers. Nevertheless, despite their potentially helpful function on books, few of the participants confirmed that age bands were useful tools for them in choosing the books they read. Most found age bands to be redundant because many were not even aware of age banding and its implications.
Many of the participants thought age bands could inhibit and restrain their choices of which books they could read. Participants showed great emotion and anxiety when discussing the idea that age bands can essentially regulate the number and variety of books available to readers merely because of the age they are marked for. Participants were concerned that age bands can eradicate readers’ freedom to choose what they want to read by assuming that all readers of the same age are alike. In addition, placing age bands discreetly on books appears to contradict their bold and official appearance which can confuse potential readers. It is clear that these opinions clearly support similar objections to age banding identified by many authors.
Ultimately, it became evident that these latter opinions greatly superseded those which supported the introduction of age bands on books. Although the results suggest age banding is a complex issue, it was ultimately one which was not wholly embraced by the young people who participated in the study. Essentially, the results indicate that if age bands are to continue to exist on children’s books they need to change, in some way, in order to become more useful for the reader.
In an attempt to resolve some of the potential flaws of age banding outlined in the focus group discussions, many solutions were proposed and considered. The majority of suggestions were linked to the appearance and location of the age bands. Most compelling was that ages should be implied and should appear in a ‘review’ format within the blurb. Many of the participants suggested that age bands should be located in an already familiar place, where readers can easily find them. In this way, prospective readers are guided by the ages but not necessarily constrained by them. Ages should be reviewed and recommended by young people. It is clear that this will help other young people to recognize the potentially valuable and constructive influences age bands can have on choosing books.