Content Ratings for Literature (guest post)

I used to try to read all of the books my kids got at the library, but as they have become avid readers, it has become increasingly difficult to keep up with them.  When Jennifer told me about her service, I just had to share it with you also!

Guest Post by Jennifer from TheLiterateMother.org

How many times has one of your children come home from the library or book fair with a book you have never heard of? It has a great looking cover, which is probably why they chose it, but you have no idea what the book’s content is and you wonder if it is appropriate for the age and maturity of your child. Or, this actually happened to me, the school librarian suggests a book to read aloud to your 2nd and 4th graders. Half-way through a very interesting book, a story line is introduced about a teenage girl who gets pregnant and you just weren’t planning on having that conversation right now! What’s a mother to do?
At www.TheLiterateMother.org we personally read and objectively rate youth and young adult literature on a scale of 0 – 5 in the four categories of violence, language, sexual content and adult themes. As a parent or concerned adult you will then have the information you need in order to suggest or discourage certain books, discuss sensitive material or simply strike up a conversation with your child about the book he or she is reading. Whether you have a sensitive child you would like to steer away from certain topics, a voracious reader who needs to be guided toward more appropriate books, or just want to be informed on the subject matter to which your young reader is exposed, we hope you will find help at www.TheLiterateMother.org.