Age-appropriate Reading

I never have enjoyed reading books that are considered “appropriate” for my age. In sixth grade I brought Steven King’s The Shining for individual reading time in English class. The teacher was concerned and asked, “Isn’t that a little old for you?” I shrugged my shoulders and kept reading, because I am extremely stubborn and absolutely hate being told I shouldn’t do something. The Shining may have been “too old” for the average sixth grader, but (in terms of reading level) I was about a decade “older” than my peers. Certainly I thought mere kids’ books were beneath me.

These days (a few years later) I adore kids’ books. Technically I guess they’re called “young adult” books now. The long list of books I wish I had time to read is full of kids’ books (and British mysteries, but we’ll talk about those some other time). As an adult, I’ve often been accused of wasting my time reading books that are presumably “too young” for me. Again, I shrug my shoulders and keep reading. No amount of criticism has ever turned me away from a good read.

But why young-adult books now? Two reasons, I think. First, as a child I took myself very seriously, but I am pretty much over that now, which means I can start catching up on all the fun I may have missed out on in my younger days. I used to love Thomas Hardy, but let’s face it, Harry Potter is a lot more fun. Second, I am really sick of cursing, violence, and sex. As an editor, I have read more than my share of books in which characters swear constantly, rip each other’s guts out periodically, and bop like bunnies on every third page or so. Trust me, it gets old. It’s so refreshing to crack open a book that I know will be good clean fun.

I was going to write something here along the lines of “I’m an adult who is young at heart, and that’s why I like young-adult books,” but having just revealed my longing for good clean fun, well, I feel a little old, and possibly prudish. Oh, well. I’ll go on enjoying those age-appropriate young-adult books, sans cursing, graphic violence, and sex, and if anyone laughs at me I’ll shrug my shoulders and read on. Hey, I’m older and even more stubborn now, and I know what’s best for me.