Saturday, March 9, 2013

The 11+ Reading Level - a Bermuda Triangle?

It's November - already! To coincide with the eleventh month, we're undertaking a mini-blitz on books for the 11+ age group. You may have noticed that this age group has been mysteriously missing from our Reading Level browse feature since our launch - and not because we have any bias against 11-plusers! No, somehow it's just that this age group is somewhat overlooked, or perhaps more accurately, one that slips through the cracks. Series descriptions from publishers often specify 10+ or 12+...but almost never, 11+. Of course, there is the ubiquitous '9-12 years', but the poor old 11-pluser is really wedged in there without fanfare.

if you're 11 years of age, you could be forgiven for feeling you've disappeared into the Bermuda Triangle of the reading public...

For librarians, parents and, of course, the readers themselves, eleven is a pretty key age. Readers are inching beyond the stable realm of the primary school books and looking ahead to all those enticing and well-promoted series firmly on the YA shelf. They want more action; more excitement; more intrigue; more complexity...perhaps even a tiny bit of romance; still, they're not really ready for the often dark and issue-ladden stories firmly in the 'young-adult' or 12+ age group. So, what's available for them then?

Well, we've done our best to start the ball rolling and hope you'll find some good choices as we unveil our 11+ age category. If you have any series you think work well for this important age group, please email them to us. We'll be continuing our search on behalf of the 11-plusers throughout the month of November. 11-Plusers - unite!

Marielle [November 2, 2012]

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