aliceBB Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Waterstones are to stop labelling shelves for girls'/boys' books. Good idea? In your experience (of your own or your children's reading preferences), do boys and girls want different things from fiction? If so, is there any point pretending that all books will appeal equally to boys, and girls? Does the best children's fiction appeal to both? It seems to me there are some authors (like JK Rowling, Phillip Pullman and Michael Morpurgo) whose books are read and loved equally by both girls and boys, but others whose appeal is quite gender-specific (like Jacqueline Wilson). Perhaps Waterstones' policy will help reduce stereotyping, but I doubt it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salsafan Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 I definitely think that we should reinforce gender specific books. When I read about the PIE thread on here, I cried. I cried because I realised that in a certain period of time in this country, the politics affected the people and how they view themselves and their own gender too. This became in a way changing a person's biological make up in a nurtured way, (through their environments.) If I have girls, I will indeed raise them as girls, and if I have boys, I too would ask my partner for inputs and raise them as boys too. I cannot control what society will do, or what politics will change and affect my kids, but at least I can and try to protect them the best way I could know and how. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Clowning Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 Its called the homosexual revolution. Well maybe not not but in years to come it will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronthenekred Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 Waterstones are to stop labelling shelves for girls'/boys' books. Good idea? In your experience (of your own or your children's reading preferences), do boys and girls want different things from fiction? If so, is there any point pretending that all books will appeal equally to boys, and girls? Does the best children's fiction appeal to both? It seems to me there are some authors (like JK Rowling, Phillip Pullman and Michael Morpurgo) whose books are read and loved equally by both girls and boys, but others whose appeal is quite gender-specific (like Jacqueline Wilson). Perhaps Waterstones' policy will help reduce stereotyping, but I doubt it. I see no harm in removing Boys/Girls from the labelling of shelves. Titles or book content is a different issue. . Is there any book girl related that a boy couldn't read or Vice versa? Children, Teens, Youth. All non gender specific without being gender specific. ---------- Post added 19-03-2014 at 01:30 ---------- I definitely think that we should reinforce gender specific books. When I read about the PIE thread on here, I cried. I cried because I realised that in a certain period of time in this country, the politics affected the people and how they view themselves and their own gender too. This became in a way changing a person's biological make up in a nurtured way, (through their environments.) If I have girls, I will indeed raise them as girls, and if I have boys, I too would ask my partner for inputs and raise them as boys too. I cannot control what society will do, or what politics will change and affect my kids, but at least I can and try to protect them the best way I could know and how. How would you go about raising a boy other than a boy? I have girls, It never occurred to me to raise them as girls. Are you talking about Blue n pink, Guns n dolls, dresses and pants, football n cake baking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*_ash_* Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 Waterstones are to stop labelling shelves for girls'/boys' books. Good idea? In your experience (of your own or your children's reading preferences), do boys and girls want different things from fiction? If so, is there any point pretending that all books will appeal equally to boys, and girls? Does the best children's fiction appeal to both? It seems to me there are some authors (like JK Rowling, Phillip Pullman and Michael Morpurgo) whose books are read and loved equally by both girls and boys, but others whose appeal is quite gender-specific (like Jacqueline Wilson). Perhaps Waterstones' policy will help reduce stereotyping, but I doubt it. Bold. Link ? The idea could be discussed better with Waterstone's own words. Saying that, either way, I doubt they'll last another year or two, so it's almost a non-story. (I don't wish that on them though) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliceBB Posted March 19, 2014 Author Share Posted March 19, 2014 Bold. Link ? The idea could be discussed better with Waterstone's own words. Saying that, either way, I doubt they'll last another year or two, so it's almost a non-story. (I don't wish that on them though) http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/mar/16/campaign-gender-children-publishing-waterstones-malorie-blackman Why is it a 'non-story'? Only perhaps for people who never go in a bookshop, or who aren't interested in the issue of gender stereotyping of children. ---------- Post added 19-03-2014 at 08:44 ---------- I see no harm in removing Boys/Girls from the labelling of shelves. Titles or book content is a different issue. . Is there any book girl related that a boy couldn't read or Vice versa? Very good point. In fact the content/title is much more important, in my opinion, than how a book is labelled by the shop. Ironically, on the Radio 4 report where I first the discussion (about book-shelf labelling), Enid Blyton's books were held up as an example of 'non-gender-specific' children's fiction. Cracking narratives (ie, exciting and fast-paced), but anything more sexist in content would be hard to imagine! WHS Smith's labelling system (for all books) drove me to the point of no return (literally) some time ago. Where does a work such as 'To Kill a Mockingbird' belong when you have shelves labelled unhelpfully with (amongst other things), 'Modern Fiction', 'Classics', 'Books for Teenagers', 'American Fiction' and 'Crime'? It didn't help that the shop assistant hadn't heard of it, either...I left before she could suggest looking in 'Ornithology'... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tzijlstra Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 It is about time. Do we have gender specific adult fiction? There has always been too much attention on gender with kids, surely in this day and age kids can grow into whoever they want to be, liking whatever they like? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halibut Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 It's a good move from Waterstones and I hope other retailers follow suit. ---------- Post added 19-03-2014 at 08:03 ---------- Its called the homosexual revolution. Well maybe not not but in years to come it will What a bizarrely old fashioned notion, you are a strange one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SevenRivers Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 I didn't know they did have girls and boys sections. It will still be fairly obvious if books are marketed towards girls, boys or unisex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wornout53 Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 Its called the homosexual revolution. Well maybe not not but in years to come it will What rubbish!!! Removing the gender specific labeling is a good idea....good books are good books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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