Previously I’ve pointed out humorous bits from the Chicago Manual of Style’s monthly Q&A, but this month I found a rather appalling question.

Q. I’m currently editing a manuscript for a children’s fiction book that has been written in present tense. A few months back, when Americanizing another manuscript, I changed it from present tense to past tense. Although I have no citable rule to back up my decision, I feel as if these books should be written in past tense. Present tense just sounds odd for children’s fiction. Is this a paradigm that I should be willing to ignore, or is there an arguable reason that I have this tendency? I would appreciate any rationale you have to offer.

A. The choice of tense is so personal, and so critical to a fiction writer’s purpose, that it would seem rash to restrict an entire genre like children’s books to a single tense. Many excellent children’s books have been written in the present tense. If you feel that the past tense would improve the book, however, rewrite a paragraph or two and send it to the author for discussion.

Doesn’t changing the tense of an ENTIRE NOVEL seem a bit above and beyond the scope of what a copyeditor should be doing? In any case, it certainly seems like something you should discuss with the author first, as the CMoS suggested. Can you imagine opening up the package with your copyedited manuscript, only to see that the copyeditor had rewritten the entire book? Boy, imagine all the stetting you’d be doing.