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Cross – what?
Gretchen, Stop Trying To Make Fetch Happen.
The beauty of that quote is it can apply to so many things.
Kelly at Stacked has a longish post with Some thoughts on “new adult” and also “cross-unders”. As Kelly explains, the Atlantic really, really likes the term “cross unders”; they themselves say it’s the term they prefer for when an adult reads young adult books. Here is the post where the Atlantic explains the term they really, really like.
Kelly, talking about the term, says “Because “cross-unders” is the precise term for an idea that exists but it is being used as a way of being different when it’s actually a way of talking about an idea that already does exist. In other words, “cross unders” is a way to describe books that have cross over appeal to readers. Is this semantics? You bet. But there is a huge difference in what a cross over sounds like than what a cross under sounds like. The first sounds like a bridge, whereas the second necessarily places a judgment on the literature. Cross over appeal is a phrase used to describe books that are published for one market but will appeal to readers in another. Cross under, on the other hand, is being framed by The Atlantic (and yes, they are the only source using this term) as a way to describe books published for the teen market but that appeal to adult readers. In other words, these are books that grown ups have permission to read, even though they’re not meant for grown ups.”
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I really, really don’t like the term “cross under.” I agree with Kelly that the term has judgment; if I cross “over” to a book, there is equality. If I go “under,” I’m going beneath myself.
So, what do you think?
When adults are reading young adult books, is it:
a. cross over?
b. cross under?
c. just reading, what’s with the labels?
To make it even more simple, I set up a Survey Monkey so either leave your response here in the comments or click here to answer the survey.
Filed under: Reviews
About Elizabeth Burns
Looking for a place to talk about young adult books? Pull up a chair, have a cup of tea, and let's chat. I am a New Jersey librarian. My opinions do not reflect those of my employer, SLJ, YALSA, or anyone else. On Twitter I'm @LizB; my email is lizzy.burns@gmail.com.
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