Read the rest here – www.schoollibraryjournal.com

When it comes to encouraging kids to read, author Patrick Carman needed to figure out how to meet them halfway. “We need to get smart about tech,” Carman, the popular author of the Skeleton Creek series and Trackers, told attendees at SLJ’s summit on October 23 in Chicago. That way, he said, “we can get them to turn more and more pages.”

In his take on the conference theme, “The Future of Reading,” Carman described how technology elements can enrich the fictional narrative and engage young readers. With Skeleton Creek, for example, readers, at about every 20 pages, encounter a password and Web address with which they can watch the story advance. His book Trackers goes further in bringing kids into the story with a gaming element, where readers can play as a character in the book, as well as learn more about related technology.

Carman also spoke in praise of Skype and how the videoconferencing tool enables him to visit more classrooms and libraries; he currently does about 200 visits a year. He’s also joining forces with Jon Scieszka; their Skype program, completely free of charge to anyone who wants to sign on, will occur in March. Visit the site for details.

Posted at www.yourobserver.com

What happens when an author combines good old book reading with mini-movies you watch for the next part of the story? — the “Skeleton Creek” book series! The series by Patrick Carman has been a hit with students at Braden River Middle School for the last year. Students in the school’s dropout prevention and Exceptional Student Education programs got to speak with the author via Skype Nov. 4.

The East County Observer got the scoop regarding why this series has been such a success among students and what it was like to speak with the author himself.

Jacob Andrews
How many of the ‘Skeleton Creek’ books have you read?
I’ve read the first two books. I already read “The 39 Clues” series.

What was it like to meet the author?
That was one of the most exciting things in my life. He’s my role model.

Damian Williams
What do you think about having the video as part of the book?
Video makes me want to read more. It makes it scarier.

Katie Morin
How did you get hooked on the book series?
Everyone told me to read it, and it was amazing. I never thought I would like a book like that — it’s scary.

What do you think about watching the videos as part of the story?
They make me want to read more. But all my teachers in elementary school always said books are better than movies, and it’s really true.

Read the rest here – www.yourobserver.com

Happy Halloween everyone! I’m doing a murder mystery party tonight and dressing up like the ghost of Old Joe Bush to hand out candy. I hope you’re doing something scary and fun. I’ve included a classic Halloween touring video for your enjoyment, and our team at the studio created a brand new Halloween scare video you can check out. To find the new video….

Visit: www.sarahfincher.com
Use the password: 103110

Turn up the volume. Turn down the lights. Get reeeeaaaaaal close to the monitor.

Boo!

And here’s that classic costume video where I’m wandering inside Target looking for something to wear – that was fun.