Hi Everyone--
Thanks to Ed Nizalowski for the heads up on the People Magazine article about
James Patterson and www.READKIDDOREAD.com. I'm so excited about this new site
because, well, um, I've been the one who selected the books and wrote all the
reviews for it. I've been working on this project since March, and it's been
live for the last month or so, but I wanted to wait until its actual launch to
tell you all about it. The People article was supposed to come out 3 weeks
ago, but they delayed it, and I didn't even know it was out until Ed's post. (My
husband's out picking up a copy right now.) Wahoo!
I wrote a nice mission statement for the site, but it's not up yet. We're a
work-in-progress right now, but it's still pretty darn gorgeous. (And the live
logo is a riot.) So far, there are 120 reviews (many more to come, as fast as
I can write them, including 20 more I finished last week) in 4 main age
groupings: Great Illustrated Books (Ages 0-8); Great Transitional Books (Ages 5-8);
Great Pageturners (Ages 8-12); and Advanced Reads (Ages 10-16). Within each
section, we've broken down the titles into 4 groups: Fantasy & Other Worlds;
Real World Fiction; Action, Adventure & Mystery; and Just the Facts. I've tried
to select an eclectic mix of titles that kids love and will read without
whining.
For each book I review, I also post a list of themes and an extensive
bibliography called, "IF YOU LOVE THIS BOOK THEN TRY." I've been looking for titles
that call out to kids--not necessarily the big prize winners or esoteric books
that we adults love, but ones that will make kids readers. I call them Key
Books, books that will suck kids in and have them begging for more. (And hasn't
Diary of a Wimpy Kid been a godsend this year? When I mention it in school
visits, the kids cheer. It's so great.) We're going to label some titles "Classics
Every Kid Should Know" or "A READKIDDOREAD Classic" or something like that.
I'm trying to figure out a balance between oldies through all the new books
just out this year.
Patterson's mission is to give kids books that they will pick up and read. He
wants to make it more fun and fruitful for parents (and teachers, librarians,
and other kid-loving grownups) to find/borrow/buy/share/read aloud great
books for their kids. This is his idea and his baby--he is paying for the site,
and he's monitoring it very closely. Here's a guy who writes 8 books a year,
including kids' books like the Maximum Ride and Daniel X series, who somehow
finds the time to be totally hands-on with this site. He's just amazing. (Did you
know that Patterson is a former head of the J. Walter Thompson Agency? Did you
know he wrote the slogan, "I'm a Toys-R-Us kid"?) It's been a real joy
working for him.
I've been having a blast helping to put together the site. It's not just the
reviews, though. There's also a Community Ning site, a Face Book-like place
where people can discuss issues about kids/books/reading. We're working on the
first monthly newsletter, to come out in about 2 weeks. (Remember I asked if
you had any advice about boys and what they read for an article I was working
on? That's what it was for. I'm doing a follow-up one on girls and books. And
I'm also finishing up an article about great books to give for the holidays.)
You can get it sent to you if you sign up on the website, or read it online
there.
Could you pass the word about READKIDDOREAD to your staff, parents, and other
interested folks? I think kids will also enjoy looking through the lists for
good new books to read. I have far more on my upcoming list than I have time
or space to review, but I'm trying hard to hit the high points. I'm sure you
won't agree with every book I've picked, so if there are titles you'd love to
see reviewed, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know. If you find errors/problems/odd
formatting/ or anything at all that you think I should know about, I'm all
ears.
I'm off to my first week for BER on Sunday, and rushing about the house
trying to finish notes, the Big PowerPoint from H*ll, and get all the props packed.
My cat Percy keeps running off with the bunny ears headband I need to pack,
and who knows what else he's stashed away.
Thanks so much for all of your constant input--a day doesn't go by that I
don't learn something new and wonderful from LM_NETters. Have a great weekend.
Reno here I come!
Judy
Judy Freeman
Children's Literature Consultant
Reviewer for www.READKIDDOREAD.com
Author of Books Kids Will Sit Still For 3
(Libraries Unlimited, 2006; www.LU.com)
and Once Upon a Time:
Using Storytelling, Creative Drama, and
Reader's Theater with Children in Grades K-6 (2007)
65 North Sixth Avenue
Highland Park, NJ 08904
732-572-5634 / BKWSSF@aol.com
www.JudyReadsBooks.com
> Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008 09:29:23 -0400
> From: edward nizalowski <enizalowski@NVCS.STIER.ORG>
> Subject: Share: "Getting My Kid to Read"
>
> There is a great article in the latest issue of People magazine (Nov.
> 10th, pg. 101). Best selling author James Patterson with 150 million
> copies of his various titles in public circulation had a son, Jack, who
> was a reluctant reader. James decided to write a few things himself
> that have become quite popular with the younger circuit i.e. Maximum
> Ride and Dangerous Days of Daniel X. He has a website with his
> recommended titles: www.readkiddoread.com.
>
> Ed Nizalowski, SMS
> Newark Valley High School
> Newark Valley, NY
> enizalowski@nvcs.stier.org
>
**************
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