Summer break begins on Tuesday, and on Thursday I start working with the three students I'm tutoring for the next number of weeks.
Today, I went to Border's to get two copies of my favorite children's novel Mick Harte Was Here to read with two of the kids. If you haven't read it, look for it, it's the perfect little book.
Anyway, I was dismayed by how Border's arranges their kids' fiction. It's so fragmented: friendship stories, adventure stories, sports stories, fantasy stories, award winners, classic etc., that I had a hard time figuring out where to look for this book.
Though I looked in every category it might fit into, I never did find it, seems they were all sold out. That's a bummer, but it's not the part that bugs me.
What made me sad, I guess that's the word for it, and what bugs me is how narrow a focus they give to kid readers. How would a child looking for a Matt Christopher book (sports) ever accidentally find himself reading the back of a fantasy book and deciding to buy it when they are shelves away from each other? How would someone assigned to read a classic ever stumble over a current award winner that was just as good but not in the same genre?
As a kid, getting to a bookstore and picking whatever book I wanted was a joy. It was the same for my son. We loved going to stores where the staff had actually read the books and knew what to suggest to stretch us beyond what we'd usually read--Mac was a voracious reader, just like I was when I was a kid, and though he read hours on his own, I read aloud to him all the way through his elementary years.
Obviously they're marketing to sell books, but they're not marketing to READERS.
So, I'm sad.
8 comments:
I know - whenever I go into a book store and are searching for the perfect picture book for my class, I start at "A" and examine every title, and look at every book that is displayed on the shelf. I am the same way in our school LRC - I am always searching through the stacks or getting a head rush leaning in and examining the titles - you are right - Borders should make the journey more adventurous, resulting in a sweeter, more satisfying conclusion.
That is an excellent point. Some of the best books I have read were those I "stumbled" upon while browsing the shelves.
You know that corner bookstore that Meg Ryan's character has in the movie You've Got Mail? I want to own a bookstore like that.
That's so interesting that they do that. I've never noticed before, probably because I've never spent much time in that section.
Is it really all that different than the "Fantasy" "Romance" "SciFi" distinctions that they give to the grown-up sections?
I'd get all passive aggressive and start moving books around. ;-) Spread the love a bit!
That makes me pretty sad too. As a cross genre reader (seriously: fantasy, mystery, science, historical fiction, biography, chick lit, classics, horror, history - you name it, I've read some of it) I love trying new authors and new stories and its sad that young readers aren't encouraged to do the same.
What benefit can possibly arise from pigeon-holing readers into genres at such young ages? I can see the desire to draw kids to books that are similar to ones they have already enjoyed, but shouldn't that be the job of the bookstore staff?
what ever happened to arranging alphabetically... but then again i don't frequent book stores too often now. i amazon.
have you watched the chick-flick 'you've got mail'? it's sort of like the main character owns a children's book store and how the mega stores just lack that knowledge and intimacy of a small mom & pop stores that actually have staff that really do know the books.
The main reason I wander through a bookstore is exactly as you wrote! There is NOTHING more annoying than the exploitation of young readers with the garble they try to throw down their throats.
We never run into Borders, or B&N, or even the library for that matter. It's always an hour, at least, that we spend roaming and meandering.
Maybe THAT is the real marketing genius behind their plan...they know we're smarter than they are, until we're spending more $$ on all the stuff we find beyond the shelves nearest to the entrance.
Now, who's smarter? :-) They still got us...
I really love all the comments you write about the 5th grades letter. I took this as a sample to show it to my son's teacher. I think you made a great job. How do I find your website, by mistake,isn't is funny?. Take care.
Maria Mccabe
Thanks Maria! I love it when someone stumbles across my blog!
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