answer:I followed my parents’ example. Anyone was free to read any book in the house; but my mother guided my choices a little bit with such comments as “You might be ready for this” and “If you liked x, I think you’ll like y.” Also, to discourage certain reading: “That’s a little too old for you” and “You’ll enjoy that more when you’re a bit older.” I never thought she was concealing anything (though of course she could have been). Her advice on reading was usually right. My husband and I have always had plenty of books around—thousands, actually—and my children might have found things that were “too old” for them; but I noticed that when they tackled something too mature for them, they didn’t seem very interested. When they could handle it and discuss it (which they did), I figured they were ready. We also read aloud to them well past the time when they could do their own reading. I still love to be read to. E-readers, of course, were not in the picture. You don’t mention the ages of your children. That seems like a relevant point.