Heh. I think that's why that screenshot made it to a site called "failblog". [link] That site is hilarious.

Poisonwood- Oh for goodness sakes the army ants just showed up. I guess in a novel about an extended stay in Africa it was sort of ineveitable but first Indy 4 and now this? Is the universe trying to tell me to face my fear?

I think the original lending libraries were rental services. They were seen as dangerous because they exposed the lower classes to ambitions beyond their station, and dangerous to all because they exposed the all classes to longings beyond propriety. 21st century librarians proudly carry on that tradition.

Quick question, Buffistas - my dad asked me about a Balzac quote, and none of us can remember where it's from, and I'm uncaffeined (yet) so Google fails me.

"To live in the presence of great truths and eternal laws, to be led by permanent ideals--that is what keeps a man patient when the world ignores him, and calm and unspoiled when the world praises him."

Does any of you know where it's from?

There's a controversy brewing in UK children's publishing -

[link]

Jars, I hope that idea dies a quick and ignominious death.

Huh, I kind of thought that many if not most kids books in the US already had some notes about the suggested age/reading level. Not an industry-wide sticker sort of thing, but provided as part of cover copy by the publisher.

And for "early readers" there is a very detailed and very prominently noted staging (pre-reading, then levels 1 2 3 all boldly emblazoned on the wee little baby chapter books.)

As a teacher, it would be nice if there were content warnings, although, practically speaking, that would be more "advertising" than "warning" in practice.

flea, I think those refer to difficulty of text (I can't imagine a level 3 book having things in it that would upset the parents of a level 1 reader), whereas this idea seems to be very content-related (which putting an age on is ridiculously subjective)

Ah, I didn't get the content emphasis. I have very poor reading comprehension this morning. Perhaps I should return to early reader stage 2.

As a teacher, it would be nice if there were content warnings, although, practically speaking, that would be more "advertising" than "warning" in practice.

sure, but lately those seem to be "First two sentences" - a friend of mine's first chapter of a children's book started with her character singing protest songs while locked in an outhouse... that was likely fairly self-selecting.

OT (sort of) - I read the Stephen King short story "In A Tight Spot" last night, after a friend had called it a classic. I'm still kind of stunned. Then I went back to my four pages of Chabon's Maps and Legends - it's lovely writing, but so smooth that I fall asleep. Which is good. and not.