If 'Alan Garner ' as quoted in the comments is the same Alan Garner that wrote The Weirdstone of Brisingamen, and its sequel, The Moon of Gomrath, then he is to be listened to, as a superb writer of excellent books. Nominally for children, I enjoyed the books as an adult; what age banding for them?

SusiQ, Melbourne, Australia

When I was 13 years old I read Nabokov's LOLITA and Carroll's THROUGH THE LOOKING-GLASS, both for the first time, in the same week, and liked them equally well. I feel strongly that kids should be allowed to read whatever interests them, and be prepared to discuss it with their parents if asked.

Steve Hoffmann, Redondo Beach, CA, USA

As a coda to the earlier posting I can report that HarperCollins have agreed not to impose age banding on any of my work.

Alan Garner, Blackden, UK

I am in complete agreement with the article. Parents do not need to be baffled by children's books. If they know their child, they can tell whether the book is suitable from the blurb and by skimming through the pages. They can take an interest and read book reviews.

Jenny, Reading.,

Parents may be baffled when choosing books for children, but when I was a kid I wasn't baffled by the choice at all! Kids know what they want to read, and they should be given free reign in this matter.

Zoya, Cambridge,

Having just spent 2 hours searching for a book on the facts of life for my 10 year old, I think an age guide would be useful as I have no idea which is appropriate for his age group, some too graphic and overly technical for a 10 year old -but not on ordinary reading matter - thats ridiculous!

Babs, Leeds, Yorks

i am a native student from Bangladesh. as a student of english department, i needed a great deal of confidence to go through books that were found difficult enough to comprehend, for which i changed my tactics and read Shidney at first---that brought me confidence thus made me a vociferous reader.

Nasih Ul Wadud Alam( Paolo), Dhaka, Bangladesh

I started reading Orwell at 12 or 13. My wife, a Year 6 teacher, has also introduced me to some wonderful modern 'children's' books which I've happily read on the tube. Publishers should not discourage people from reading what they fancy - only by experimenting can we establish our preferences.

Matt, London,

This is one of the best articles on this subject that I've seen. Thank you, Ben. I couldn't agree more. There are now more than 700 names on www. notoagebanding.org so other writers are also in the struggle. And librarians, teachers and a fair number of booksellers, too!

adele geras, Manchester,

A brief history of my reading odyssey:

Age 3: Dr. Seuss
Age 4: Ladybird
Age 7: Tintin
Age 13: Fantasy (elves etc.)
Age 15: Playboy, Club, Mayfair
Age 19: Tolstoi, Leskov, Pushkin, Lermontov, Solzhenitsyn, Dostoevskii, Herzen, Chernishevskii
Age 26: Tintin
Age 31: Mr.Men

Gryff de Schulenburg, London, UK

The age-banding scheme is NOT a system of censorship, it is simply to help people choosing books for children, following research by the publishers which shows that this is actually what buyers want. Please think of the many parents for whom bookshops and libraries are intimidating!

E Barnes , Santa Barbara, USA

If an adult cannot tell by flicking through a few pages of the book how appropriate it is for the intended recipient, then they obviously don't know the child well enough. In that case they should buy them a book token and let them choose their own book.

Frankie, Shetland,

I write fiction that is generally read by readers aged 11 or so, but I would honestly have no idea what age range to put on my covers. I was astonished to meet some readers aged 7 who had enjoyed my first novel, and similarly when an 18-year-old reader got in touch. Age-ranging is, simply, silly.

Nick Green, Hertford, UK

I am a school librarian and am in complete agreement with this article. I read a lot of childrens' literature and enojy it on many levels - age banding is far too simplistic a classification. Well done to Alan Garner and Philip Pullman for taking a stand - hope others will follow.

Hilary, Holywood, Northern Ireland

It would be a travesty if Alan Garner's fabulous work is age-banded - HarperCollins should take heed

James, Basildon,

Ben's article mirrors my experience of children's reading in my work as a school librarian. I shall be getting the black marker pen out and obliterating all reference to age on all novels arriving at my library!

Nicola McNee, Bath, UK

When I was 11 my local library decided that only people with "adult" library tickets could borrow "adult" books. So no Agatha Christie, Jane Austin or even GCSE set texts until after the age of 16.

Abi, Stroud, UK

Quite right - its a dreadful idea, and one which will harm both the precocious and, more worryingly the those with reading difficulties .

I applaud those authors who have asked that their works be excused this misguided pigeon holing

edward green, upminster,

Its stupid, DO NOT PUT AGE guide bands on books as it will as the article suggests, actually discourage young readers.

Dave Andrews, Glasgow, UK

Age banding will not address the problem of individual preferences when adults are buying books for children. It won't help me either if I buy one of the many excellent books intended for teenagers for my own consumption (Pullman's work is a good example). Brown paper covers will be required!

Bill Q, Derby,

They did this in my school library, and I was regularly reprimanded for borrowing books that were 'beyond my age'. The books for my age were just dull and extremely simple (yes, I was a smart boy). Only when a teacher who knew me personally intervened, the library allowed me to take these books home

steven, london,

Age banding is a practice that insults both book and reader, and attacks the root of literature. The shift from ‘prescriptive’ to ‘proscriptive’ is that of a single vowel.

Philip Pullman objected to his publisher, Scholastic, and they agreed not to impose age banding on him. I have formally asked my publisher, HarperCollins, to extend the same courtesy to my work that Scholastic has shown to Philip Pullman’s.

Alan Garner.

Alan Garner, Blackden, UK

"Parents’ bafflement when faced with the choice of children’s books is understandable"

As you go on to say - they wouldn't be so baffled if they took more of an interest!

I always have and still do read books for all ages, suitable and unsuitable. Seem to have survived ...

Jane Wickenden, Wincanton, UK