November 26, 2006
A library mystery
I went to the library yesterday. It’s probably the only place on the Waianae Coast that has more books than I do, but it’s not cluttered at all. Neatly organized and attractively displayed, its bounty is a beauty to behold. I went because I had gotten a call a few minutes after I returned from a library visit on Friday. The book I had been looking for had been found. We had looked in the wrong section. Of course we had! Based on review by my dear friend sassymonkey, I had gone to scout out a copy of Princess Academy. I like good kid lit. Some of the best stuff out there is being written for children these days. And I trust sassymonkey’s judgement, so off I went to the library. I had allowed my library card to lapse out of existance for a while, because I ususally bought books that interested me, but have recently acquired a new card and fallen in love with my library all over again. You would think, with my book-clutter problem, that a library card would not be a necessity, but it comes in handy when I’m interested in a book that I don’t already own. Borrowing makes so much more sense. I’m committed to not buying any new books until I’ve finished culling, so my library card is once again a precious possession.
But I’ve rambled off course, haven’t I? I went to the library to find Princess Academy on Friday. As I approached the Young Adult section I spotted the rack, front and center, placed to entice young readers a bit closer with its choicest goods. I HAD to browse that rack, of course. And I spotted The Goose Girl. Sheer coincidence, I know, but a pleasant one. I had never heard of author Shannon Hale until sasssymonkey’s review. Yet here I was at the library looking for one of her books when another practically leapt off of the shelf and into my arms. (Don’t you love such serendipitous events?) I tucked The Goose Girl under my arm and went to the correct location on the Young Adult shelves to find my true target, but it was not to be found. A little help from the librarian did not turn it up, though the computer data bank said it was available at my branch. I checked out The Goose Girl after ordering a copy of Princess Academy from another branch. No sooner had I gotten home and taken off my bra than the phone rang with the happy news that The Princess Academy had been found. It was not a Young Adult book, and had been found in its proper place in the Juvenile section. I explained about the bra and the librarian understood completely, so I made a committment to come back on Saturday to collect the book, which would be sitting on the “hold” shelf with my name on it.
Now here’s where I get confused: why are two books by the same author, which appear to be for the same targeted group of readers, in separate sections of the library. Why is one considered Young Adult literature while the other is classified Juvenile? I’m not sure what the difference in the two groups is and I need to educate myself. Does our heroine have a groping boyfriend in one, thus making her story suitable only for the twelve-and-over group? Is the vocabulary in the other more limited, making it the right choice for twelve-and-under? Shouldn’t two fiction books for girls, written by the same author, be situated at least within a neighborly distance of each other in the library?
So I went to the library yesterday and now have both of my Shannon Hale books. The librarian and I talked about bras and why we do what we do with them*. I forgot to ask about the kid-lit classification mystery. Blast! I guess I’ll have to go back.
*For any male reader who hasn’t been involved enough with a woman to know this, for the gay guys or anyone else reading who doesn’t understand: many of us gals remove our bras the moment we walk into our homes. We don’t want to put them back on and will jump through hoops of fire to avoid going back out after bra removal. It is a once-a-day salute to freedom and comfort. It is completely spoiled by anything which necessitates putting the unholy contraption back on so that the public can be faced again. We do that only under extreme duress.
Posted by skeet @ 3:16 pm • Recreation, Society & culture
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November 26th, 2006 at 5:48 pm, sassymonkey Says:
The line between “juvenile fiction” and “young adult” (not to mention young adult and adult) fiction is murky. It could be labeled one way in one library and the opposite in another.
Haven’t read Goose Girl so I can’t say what the difference is.
Now you’ve given me the chance to ask you - ever gonna blog about any of those books cluttering up your place?
November 26th, 2006 at 6:54 pm, skeet Says:
So murky that the librarian I spoke to on the phone wasn’t sure. I could kick myself for not remembering to ask the other one when I went back the next day.
Would it surprise you to know that I’m considering setting up a spearate book blog? QUIT LAUGHING and listen. Yes, the same skeet who was never, ever going to blog but now does, is considering having a scond blog just for books.
The books I register and release have journal entries on my BookCrossing bookshelf. Many of them were purchased especially for release and don’t suit my own taste (I try to find “something for everyone” when I’m buying for release.)Those books don’t get journaled. The ones I actually read do get a journal entry. Unfortunately, I tend to put it off until it’s time for the monthly book brunch, then I have to hurry up and journal a dozen or more recent reads. Some get short shrift and the entry is not a true review. I’d like to do better, thus the exploration into starting a book blog. It would be linked right over there to the right, thus I would see it every day, thus I would be more faithful in reviewing. That’s my logic, anyway. We’ll see.
My recent elusive Canadian read did get journal entry, only about a week after I read it. I’ve been meaning to send you the link. Sorry, sorry, sorry!
February 11th, 2007 at 8:28 pm, Skeet's Stuff Says:
[…] blogged a while back about a little mystery concerning children’s literature at my local library. The question I posed was this: why were […]