The majority of major book publishers, including the likes of Harper Collins, Random House, Penguin, and Scholastic, have put their weight behind a proposal to offer age suitability guidance on children’s books from autumn 2008.

The plan is to include a new item near the barcode on the back of children’s books stating the recommended age range: 5+, 7+, 9+, 11+ and 13+/teen. These are to start appearing on reprints around now, with new  publications including them from the autumn.

Elaine McQuade (MD, Scholastic Children’s Books):

Potential book buyers were putting books down because they didn’t know where they stood.

It has taken almost three years of debate to make what seems a very obvious move to become reality and once more demonstrates how slow the huge publishing powers can be. I’ll bet the debates were more about power, control, and influence than doing what is best for their readers.

But the meetings and discussions are not as yet over, with the ‘pioneers’ reaching out to any and all bookselling businesses, and libraries, in the hope everyone will understand their motivation and the potential bonus of this move.

Is it really that tough to understand that people these days need a little help in determining what is best for their children’s edication and entertainment?

In a bookstore, I would suggest this was less of an issue. Trained and knowledgeable staff on hand to help guide potential purchases mean wrong choices are minimised. But this should be a boost for booksales in places such as supermarkets.