h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Tropical Storm Hanna is currently pissing all over the carolinas. I am still going to the beach tomorrow.

MR, the tropical storm? Why'd anyone think that?

Now, as for books for age groups, more or (certainly) less, I must confess that I've read some of 12 and 15's books, primarily written for teens. Eragon & a certain Potter springs to mind...

i think Eragon is only marketed to teens because it was written by a teen.

Anyone got any tea?

I do, but it's old tea in (gasp) bags...

Have a great holiday, Ben and Z!

time to

Those hurricane/tropical storms that skirt up the E coast of the US have a habit of getting to Newfoundland and turning right . They then come back across the Atlantic and give the UK a drenching . What with all the rain we are already getting that would not be good .

Today the phone box says 'The big tidy up'

click for pick http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3238/2823768401_153c52e261.jpg

Yeah, never had a hurricane named after me. Irv has, though. Back in the 90s, wasn't it? Did some damage to Florida, if I recall...

Someone compared age-banding books to having ratings on films and games. There's a difference here, in that if a film gets a U or PG (or whatever you have where you are) that's not an indication that it's aimed at younger viewers, merely that it doesn't contain any unsuitable violence, sex, bad language etc (admittedly we have a Uc - especially suitable for young children - rating here, but that's an exception). The book banding idea is about reading level and complexity of ideas, I assume.

*goes to download Disciples II to see what it's like*

[RNick - wondering how wet his tribe will get, in Newfoundland]

Baggers, you're right that movie/video game labeling isn't exactly the same, but it does provide a way for parents/other adults to judge something that they may or may not know. Age banding does the same thing for books. Do I think that either one of them is a perfect system? heck no. But I do think that both age banding on books and ratings on movies serve the same function, if in different ways.

perhaps books could be done the way video games are done...E for everyone, T for teen, M for mature, and leave it at that?

(For why the movie rating system, at least in the US, is so abysmally bad, see the documentary "This Film is Not Yet Rated")

I give books for birthdays. I am working my way through my old faves to overcome the problem of not having a clue about age appropriateness, and I tend to overpitch just in case. So far Best Friend says her child appreciates the choices, although given the age we are talking the Hungrey Catapillar and you can't go too far wrong with that.

Mind you, I was surprised that there are books pitched at babies the Star's age. Have I said this before? Lack of sleep is starting to make me halucinate I am sure.

Incidently, I hate reading aloud in schools, once you've got beyond the level of literacy needed to match sounds to spellings, which is all it's good for. It doesn't help with developing higher level comprehension skills, where silent reading is needed. I could not believe that every time any subject needed to deal with a text in class it was read aloud in this day and age of emphasising literacy in schools, but that's what I discovered in my PGCE year. My former colleagues in the TEFL industry were horrified, as this is considered incredibly bad practice, although it does explain the difficulty we had with previous school teahcers on this issue. But then all the literacy training for teachers in schools focuses on writing, and assumes reading will be improved by exposure to books once the kids have learnt the basics.

When the Star is a bit older I'm going to re work a couple of seminars on reading for the state school sector and send them off to a few people. I will change the education system single handed if I have to.

Deary me. One day back and already ranting.

In other news, the flat is looking slightly less like an applicant for How Clean Is Your House, and the Star is still as cute and even more ginger as ever.

[mags]

I'm torn on age-banding. I think it has its uses, but I also think it should be subtle (perhaps in small writing next to or above the ISBN) to avoid the issues of younglings being too embarrassed to be seen reading a book that's 'too old' or 'too young' for them. Since gaining a decent level of literacy, I always have been, and possibly always will be, quite happy to read books aimed at any old age, though I never really liked books for teens (either too much puberty-related angst or too much sport for my liking).

Welcome back, Sol!

I didn't know the Star was ginger. Titian. Titian doesn't rhyme with minger for a start.

I'm feeling slightly bug-eyed. I've decided that if t'Employer decides to pay me to go away, then it would be useful to have a good professional online presence so if new employers google me they discover that I've been running a good professional blog on line in my own name for a while.

Unfortunately I only had this idea a week ago. It's up and running, and I've spent most of my recent evenings submitting my new blog to blog directories. It's tedious work, and I've no idea if it's worth it. No-one wants to read about Business Analysis for some reason! Can't think why.

I've also linked to it from my current blog (in the Wierdos list) and if anyone else wants a look, then drop me an email at agirlcalledben at yahoo dot co dot uk and I'll whizz you back the URL. I must admit at the moment I'm gagging for link-love and traffic.

(The Business Analyst's Tale is on there too).

Ben

[GDZ]

He's not Titan, or red, or aubern, but unmistakably ginger. Did I not tell y'all this? Strawberry blonde is the best we could manage, but that seems inappropriate for a boy.

Can't think where he gets it from unless it's my Dad's beard. It's revenge on B for going on about my Irish roots I reckon.

The librarian in me is amused over age banding. How on earth am I supposed to catalog and shelve books if there is no regard to reading levels? Throw the infants board books on the shelf with the chapter books with the young adult with the graphic novels with the... Having said that, I don't use actual ages. Never have. I've seen ages used in other libraries and grade levels. But it is all the same principle.

Children should read at whatever level is right for them and that holds their interest. Do I think this is the end of the world as we know it? Of course not. Kids will read what they choose anyway. No one is saying that because a book says it is recommended for a child 8-10 no one be allowed to read it otherwise. It's a starting point for selection.

I like my shelving system. The library had three juvenile categories when I took over. Now we have seven. And believe it or not, the parents actually appreciate it.

If I've dropped in calling cards previously I'm not risking the blue pants by posting now, am I?

Nod started at secondary school this week. One of the few things about the school which has annoyed her is the fact that she can only borrow from the Junior library, and the books she wants to read are in the Senior library. She has defiantly taken in a copy of HP7 from home as her reading book.

I may be required to Campaign.

Mol

Ben, I'll read your blog, if it helps you. I'll read anything.


and please, can some explain the phone box to me? why does it tell people to tidy up??

Have you followed the link that Todaymueller gives?

Or you could just accept that phone boxes are bossy buggers!

Ben
(Feeling slightly ashamed of such blatant self-promotion)

It must be paying off, Ben. You're in the first page of results on a google search. I've bookmarked, and read a bit.

Yes, the tropical storm is Hannah. Officially still in North Carolina, but big enough to cover New Jersey at the same time. We won't get the serious rain until later this evening.