Ilsa J. Bick's Blog, page 42

Kids and eReaders: Something Gained . . . and Something Lost?

An interesting mention today on Fuse #8 about eReaders for small fry and B&N's color Nook for kids. Velocity is doing the same thing in a much sturdier version; read about the storypad here.

While this is all interesting, I still think that a crucial interaction between a parent and kid will be lost with a reader.  Call it my prejudice, but being a child shrink means I think about child development and human interactions–particularly between parent and child–all the time.  That kind of human interaction is just as important as manipulation of the environment.  There's something about holding and manipulating the actual BOOK that dovetails with the development of a kid's spatial-recognition skills.  In a way, this is why older teens haven't much liked eReaders and don't find them all that useful as textbooks (I believe it was Princeton that tried the experiment and concluded that eReaders were a no-go).  Spatial skills develop very early on and go hand-in-hand with acquisition of object permanence: that something continues to exist in three-dimensional space (and memory) even if a child can't see it.  It's why very young children will look behind a mirror to see where something's gone; why peek-a-boo works so well with infants but bores a toddler.  The toddler knows you're there; the infant is delighted to see you reappear; and the kid in-between will eventually reach out and take your hands away to reveal your face–> a key realization that utilizes both object permanence AND a knowledge of HOW an object occupies space.

This is also a highly adaptive survival skill.  If this were a cave-kid, this would translate, eventually, into an understanding that the wolf about to eat you is hiding behind that rock; it's not gone and if you don't realize that, you don't survive.  So these kinds of skills are very old: not primitive, just essential.

In the same way, think about how people find information in, say, a book.  The book exists in multiple dimensions, of which not the least important is 3-D: a book as an object with width, length and depth.  Depth (and not just depth perception) is extremely important in terms of accessing information.  If you talk to kids (and older teens and adults), many can tell you approximately how far *along* in the book a certain tidbit of information might be; this is how people find things in books (and space, in general; it's why you can recall not only the layout of your cluttered desk, but how you also remember that the paper you're looking for is third pile over, about halfway down).  Similarly, kids can also describe the look of the page and its layout, as well as what comes before and after.

While the ability to recall the look and layout of a page might translate with an eReader (and I'm still not sold on that), there is no 3-D in a reader and no opportunity to exercise spatial skills that might compensate if, say, your ability to recall WHAT the page looks like isn't as advanced.  Spatial skills are also something that many boys are better at by adolescence than girls.

Just some food for thought.  While there may be gains with eReaders, I wonder, really, what will be lost: which skills might not develop as well or be capitalized upon.  Conversely, would some kids develop different skill-sets?  Possibly.  Only time would tell–but, again, I'm not sure that neglecting innate abilities in favor of new tech is a good thing.

Of Blogs and Book Envy

Well, I'm back from KidLitCon 2010 and still recuperating/recombobulating/reintegrating and, in general, getting myself together again.  I'll post some of the pearls I picked up in a few days–although, in some ways, the best was both self-evident and easily overlooked: know your audience.  Understand who you're writing for.

Now you'd think that, as a writer, I'd have understood that already, but I'm not sure I did.  I've struggled with this blog because I haven't been clear of my audience.  Other writers?  Readers and fans?  Who?  If a blog falls in the forest, will anyone care or even hear?  All fascinating existential questions to be sure, and ones I'll certainly mull over in the coming days.  But today I'm not going to talk about blogs per se.

I'm going to maunder on about boots.

See, I walked away from KidLitCon with a serious case of boot envy.  All of a sudden, my perfectly serviceable and lovely pair of chocolate brown Durangos look so . . . hu-hum.  So jejune and insipid.  So NOT kick-ass.

I blame Maggie Stiefvater.

Now, don't get me wrong.  Maggie is funny, insightful, perceptive, gracious, smart . . . and oh, yes, she writes well.

But what some people might not know? This woman has some seriously good taste when it comes to boots. Jeffrey Campbell Brit Wrap Strap Booties, in distressed brown, to be precise.

To hear her tell it, Maggie decided on these boots  prior to going on her big European tour and lucky me, she was wearing them when she gave the keynote at KidLitCon.  Yeah, yeah, it was a great talk–it really was–but I zeroed in on her boots, like, immediately.  When she talked about how she got them, I was all ears.  After the talk, I corralled her and she GRACIOUSLY hiked up a pant leg to show off those puppies.

Oh.  My.  GAWD.

I fell in love (with the boots, guys, with the boots).  You know how sometimes you see things–art, jewelry, a pair of jeans, whatever–and you KNOW it's fate?

Yah.  Total fate.

Now, like I said, I have Durangos: several pairs, in fact, in several different colors and probably a hold-over from my Texas days.  Gotchyer red, gotchyer purple and brown.  I used to have boots done in a fabulous denim-blue; another pair in rainbow; another in emerald-green lizard that always got second looks.  But then my stupid feet got too BIG.  All the hiking I have done and still do has taken its toll.  So, sadly, some of those really kick-ass Durangos have gone away, and I just haven't found boots I like.  Plus, living in rural Wisconsin, nifty places to try on decent boots just aren't around.  I'm a little finicky when it comes to boots, too, because I really can't do the whole stiletto-spike thing.  For me, boots have to be comfy AND stylish.  Clomping around in my hiking boots just doesn't cut it.

Well, these Jeffrey Campbells are . . . well, nice is too bland.  They look great on Maggie.  More to the point, they look solid.  They look comfy.

They look like boots my feet would enjoy.

So now I'm on a mission aimed at addressing my boot-envy.  I've looked at a bunch of sites and this morning, I found a place that has my size in the color I want.  Now, I'm  a little leery of committing to boots without slipping them on first.  But that might be the price of greatness–or simply the price one pays for a kick-ass pair of boots.

I'll keep you posted.

SLJ Starred Review

All the reviews for Draw have been very good, but this is . . . squeak-worthy.

Enjoy!  I certainly did.

*BICK, Ilsa J. Draw the Dark. 338p. CIP. Carolrhoda Lab. 2010. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-0-7613-5686-8; ebook $9.53. ISBN 978-0-7613-6221-0. LC 2009051612.

Gr 9 Up–Christian Cage's mother and father disappeared from the small town of Winter, WI, long ago, leaving him with his pragmatic Uncle Hank, the town sheriff. Clues left behind by his mother have led Christian to believe that his parents are both trapped in "the sideways place" and unable to return home. An outcast at school because of the belief that he caused the near-suicide of his first-grade teacher years earlier, the 17-year-old spends his spare time obsessively drawing images of the sideways place. As the novel opens, he discovers that in his sleep he has painted swastikas on a prominent citizen's barn. Soon after, he begins to have waking nightmares in which he sees a violent incident from the past through the eyes of a young Jewish boy. Frightened and bewildered, Christian researches Winter's history for an explanation, unearthing long-forgotten World War II-era events involving a camp for German prisoners of war. He also searches for answers about his growing ability to draw the thoughts and nightmares of those around him. Bick has created a likable teen protagonist whose unique ability is completely believable in the author's skilled hands. The novel brilliantly strikes a compelling balance between fantasy and contemporary fiction. Readers will be on the edge of their seats waiting to find out what happens next and will clamor for a sequel to follow Christian into the sideways place.–Leah J. Sparks, formerly at Bowie Public Library, MD

Sheboygan Children's Book Festival

Sheboygan's (and Wisconsin's, I think) first-ever children's book festival launched Friday night with a reception for Wisconsin authors and illustrators, continued through yesterday with presentations and workshops given by internationally-celebrated writers like James Dashner and Avi, as well as treasure trove of illustrators, such as Keiko Kazo and Matt McElligott (who's also an author) — among many others.  The festival concludes today with more Avi, Renee Graef and David McLimans as well as the grand opening of Bookworm Gardens, a fabulous space devoted to books and nature (gotta love that Japanese Tea Garden and the Magic School Bus).

Me, being a piker, I was privileged to be invited to the Friday night reception where I met Kathi Appelt (love the hair and see you in Minneapolis next week), Gerald Morris, Jo Ann Early Macken, Barbara Techel (and Frankie; what a cutie); Renee Graf sported this fabulous black gaucho that had me drooling with envy.  (Yes, I am a shameless hat fan, have several and would wear them more often if I weren't so blasted self-conscious and could live with hat head.  Ilsa, you have to get over this aready . . .)  I spent a very nice couple of hours meeting readers and talking to one aspiring writer; and I got to meet Lanora Hurley of Next Chapter Books down in Mequon.  Sales of Draw went pretty well, and then Lanora had me sign the few remaining books–and I think they sold out yesterday (YAY!).

So, that was cool.  But you know what was WAY cool?  No, BEYOND cool?  Listening to James Dashner.  Meeting James Dashner.  Shaking his hand.  Giving him my card–and then my book and then signing it for him.  Slay me, really.  James–gosh, does he like James or Jim; I don't know–is THE most laid-back, gracious guy: great with kids; a perceptive listener; a fine presenter.  He really knows how to engage a crowd and I was definitely taking notes for the moment if and when I ever get to trade up for his problems.   Having read both TMR and now Scorch Trials, it was a privilege to meet and hear the writer behind the words, and I hope I get the chance to hang with him a bit more someday.

I also met one of my Goodreads fans and blogger, Erica, right after Dashner's presentation.  We had a too-short but fabulous chat; but now, Erica, time to get on those college apps!  (NYU, watch out; this is one determined young lady.)

The good times lasted into the night with a special preview of the Kohler Arts Center's Animal Instinct: Allegory, Allusion and Anthropomorphism exhibition.  Among the artists in attendance were Tom Uttech, Casey Reardon Millard and Duane Slick (who did a VERY fun and funny sand-art presentation).  The exhibition runs through June 5, 2011 and I know I'll be back several times over.  This has to be one of the best shows the KMAC's ever mounted.

So . . . an exciting and fun weekend (so far).  Monday–and time to buckle down and draft and write the next ASHES book (SHADOWS)–will come soon enough.  But for today, more books, more celebration–and, yeah, probably some football and a nice, juicy brat (kosher, of course).

Surfacing to Discover . . .

Well, just finished the mark-ups on ASHES and sent that yesterday.  So, now I'm surfacing and dealing with life and I discovered . . .

A very nice mention for DRAW in the Pioneer Press:

http://www.twincities.com/life/ci_16279442?nclick_check=1

Okay, I really loved the line: "This is psychological horror at its best."

Now to get on with housekeeping chores, some reading and that outline for SHADOWS.

DRAW THE DARK on Free Book Fridays

Stop on by Teen Free Book Friday and enter to win!

DRAW THE DARK on Audible

DRAW THE DARK is now available as an audiobook through Audible.  Joshua Swanson narrates, and he does as fabulous a job here as he's done in the past with Westerfeld's PEEPS and Giles's RIGHT BEHIND YOU and WHAT HAPPENED TO CASS MCBRIDE?

Give it a listen!

Hmmm . . . do I detect a giveaway in the near future?

Oh, and DRAW is one of ALAN's September Picks.  Check out the review.

September 2010 Recommended Reads and Listens

Part of a writer's job is to read—something I'd do anyway because I love reading and so I thought I'd pass on the love every month with my picks: articles and books that I think are worth your time and effort. So, nothing snarky or negative here; these are books I would suggest you consider, not foist on your worst enemy. Life is tough enough.

Also, you'll notice that, occasionally, I'll pass along a tip on an audiobook I've enjoyed. Now, I love audiobooks for a variety of reasons, not the least of which I DON'T have time to read EVERYTHING because there's the rest of life to attend to: little things like cooking, doing laundry, exercising, stuff like that. Audiobooks are a great way for me to keep up with my "reading." They're not everyone's cuppa, so that's fine. I have found, though, that a great narrator can make an otherwise so-so book truly fun.

In addition, not everything I read is new; sometimes I go back to authors I've liked and re-read some of what I consider to be their best stuff. Other times, I'm just catching up on stuff I've been meaning to read. That means that I will sometimes recommend books and articles that came out a while back.

 Two more caveats: First, I read a lot and in many different genres, so sometimes I'll pass along a tip on, say, an adult thriller or memoir rather than a YA. Just so that's clear.

 Second, I read far more than I end up recommending. For example, this past month, I read about two books a week—sometimes more, sometimes less–and a handful of articles and a couple of short stories. So that's, what? Eight? Ten books? Twelve? Something like that. Yet I was pretty much underwhelmed by most everything I read. One book I actually stopped reading about a third of the way through; despite all the fuss the book received, it was only ho-hum: nicely atmospheric but populated with one-dimensional characters and a situation I've read before. (I actually skipped ahead to the end, read that and figured . . . oh boy, I know where this is going next.) Other books—sequels, most of them—were simply blah. Just not that interesting and not worth the time.

I think it was Stephen King who once outlined the 20% rule of thumb: if after reading 20% of a book, you're not getting back more than you're putting in, move on. Even if it wasn't King who wrote that, I figure that's good advice. There are only so many hours in the day and always too many books. Sometimes that means I won't finish a book if I judge it's simply not worth my time—but I won't tell you about those experiences either.

 Having said that, remember: These are my opinions. A bunch of other people have nudged people I wouldn't recommend onto bestseller lists. Just because I don't see why doesn't mean the writers don't deserve to be there. Reviews, even from influential folks like the New York Times or PW, are simply opinions; they reflect the tastes of the people writing them. I've certainly read books other people raved about and just shaken my head; other books I've loved and other people hated. All a matter of personal taste, and tastes change. Just so we're clear on that, too.

 This past September, I read a fair amount: a bunch of YA series' (three complete series, to be exact, and the first in another—so ten, pretty hefty books); two YA contemporary stand-alones; four adult thrillers, three from writers I've loyally followed for years; a memoir; a nice handful of science articles because I'm pretty much of a geek. Out of all that, I found some stuff to be enjoyable but not recommendable; other stuff was just . . . well, suffice it to say that I asked my husband to stop me if he sees me reaching for this author again. (Having liked some of this writer's stuff before, I always have such high hopes—and I'm always disappointed.)

 So the pickings are kind of slim for this month, which is kind of a bummer, but here's stuff you might consider:

 Agassi, Andre, Open: An Autobiography; Vintage, 2010. The reason I picked this up was not because I'm a huge tennis fan or necessarily all that curious about Agassi. The reason I decided to try this book was because J. R. Moehringer wrote it. If anyone hasn't read Moehringer's fabulous memoir, The Tender Bar, do so. That book was hand's-down one of the best memoirs I've ever read and so good I gifted it to several friends. Moehringer, a Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist, is a fabulous writer, and he does an excellent job here of presenting Agassi's life-story. Some bits are repetitive and others snarky, but what you begin to appreciate is the drive elite athletes must have to endure the sacrifices they do. Agassi is particularly perceptive when it comes to understanding that victory is fleeting while defeat is forever. Whatever you decide about Agassi by the time you finish this book—and I won't tell you what I think—you will enjoy the journey. Worth your time.

 Grant, Michael, Gone; Katherine Tegen Books, 2008. Okay, so I'm late to this YA series; mea culpa. I'd heard of this before but kept putting off the read for any number of reasons. What finally motivated me to get my butt in gear was that the third book in the series just came out and I figured, heck, honey, you better get moving.

 The premise is pretty interesting: what if everyone fifteen or older simply disappeared? Not only that, but what if the kids who were left were isolated from the rest of the world by an impenetrable barrier? And what if some of those kids acquired interesting powers? And what if some of the animals did, too?

 Think of this book as what might have been had Stephen King written Lord of the Flies. Some elements—the superpowers, for example—are a tad deus ex machina, and there is one plot point that should derail the entire book. The beauty of Grant's writing is his ability to keep things moving, and because of that, most readers will probably glide right on past that element without a second thought. This book is well-plotted, crisply paced and thoroughly engaging. Despite the age of the protagonists, though, this is not for younger readers or even tweens but older adolescents who want their thrills gritty and stark. Not for the faint of heart.

 King, Stephen, It; Audible Audio Edition/Penguin Audiobooks, 2010; Don't ask me why I never read this book because I'm not sure. I think it had something to do with the clown. Clowns don't particularly scare me, and neither do very long books, but I just wasn't that interested in this one. I think I'd concluded that King had riffed on John Wayne Gacy, which elicited nothing more from me than a shrug.

 What an idiot. (Me, not King.)

 The only reason I finally got around to this book was because Audible came out with this unabridged recording done by a fabulous narrator, Steven Weber. Weber's a prolific movie and television actor and no stranger to Stephen King, having played Jack Torrance in the television version of The Shining (hand's-down five hundred thousand times better than Kubrick's movie, which is only watchable because of Jack Nicholson) and Steve Ames in Desperation which aired several years ago. So I know Weber's work and like him: simple as that.

 Now I've listened to a bunch of King's books; I've read a bunch of them; and I've read and listened to many as well—and I can say, without hesitation, that Weber does one heck of a great read. Many narrators have trouble when it comes to voicing different characters. Not Weber: His isn't just doing a reading. He performs; he acts (and oh, so well) and the guy never lets up during the nearly 45 hours of this audiobook. (That's got to be some kind of record.) Remember when I said that a great reader can make an otherwise okay book immensely enjoyable? That happens here, in spades. The novel has flaws, no doubt about it; it's an ambitious undertaking. (Think of The Stand on steroids, and you start to get the picture.)

 I will be the first to admit that this is not my favorite King book, and I might not have finished this if I'd started reading it. King is a fabulous story-teller and It's themes—the eternal struggle between good and evil; the stain evil leaves throughout generations; the many faces of evil—are familiar King territory, but he's just tried to do too much here. And, to be very honest, there is one plot element that I found not only unbelievable but incredibly tasteless and downright offensive.

 An adult listen, though, It is worth every moment because Weber is just that good and knows his craft.. He makes the clunkier portions of this book work, and the superb sections shine. When King's firing on all cylinders, there is no one on the planet better at drawing you in and holding you there. If you haven't listened to an audiobook before, this is one that makes for a great introduction.

 Sandford, John, Bad Blood; G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2010. Of all the adult thriller series writers out there, John Sandford's always been one of my favorites. His Prey series featuring Lucas Davenport has been, by and large, very well-written, well-plotted, and entertaining, even though the last few books have been showing signs of a series that may be on its way out (and more's the pity). This particular book is the fourth in a new series featuring Virgil Flowers, a Minnesota BCA agent introduced in Invisible Prey. I'll say right off the bat that Flowers's character lacks the complexity of Lucas Davenport's, primarily because he's a very different kind of guy: an easy-going Gen-Xer with an eye for the ladies. This series is, I think, pitched for a different audience than those who grew up reading Sandford's Prey books. To my mind, the Flowers book are not as well-plotted or half as interesting—and the same can be said of this latest installment which revolves around murder, child abuse and a secretive cult in rural Minnesota.

 So why recommend this book? For the adrenaline rush. For the sheer joy of reading a set-piece done well. Each Flowers novel has some spectacular set-piece—many of the Davenport books do, too, and there tend to be more of them packed into a single book along with more involving and intricate characters.  As a writer, I appreciate the skill required to pull off a shoot-em-up, and there's a doozy here.

So, if you are an adult reader, like action, don't feel like breaking a sweat and want something that is pretty much straight-line, without much of the way of puzzles or deep characterizations, then the Flowers series is for you. This read is fast, effortless mind candy. You want something with a darker vibe and more complexity, check out the Prey series instead.

What a fun interview!

I had a fabulous time with Joshua Graham (BEYOND JUSTICE) and Susan Wingate (EASY AS PIE AT BOBBY'S DINER) on their blogtalk radio show, DIALOGUE.  If you care to listen, go here:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/susan-wingate

Scroll down to the bottom and download the episode from 9/16/10.

or

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/susan-wingate/2010/09/16/about-writing-with-susan-wingate-joshua-graham

The program will automatically begin.

Enjoy!  I did.

Opinions?

As part of the ongoing saga of the GREAT BLOG MELTDOWN of this past weekend, I've changed over to a new background.  We're still in the trial phase here, and the nice thing about computers . . . you can almost always reverse what you've done.   (Well, if you flame someone or say something outrageously dumb . . . then, no.)

Anyway, opinions are welcome!  What do you'all think?