Tales from a Loud Librarian

Today, my interview with author James Patterson was published. You know, the article practically wrote itself because he talked, and I listened. I did have to come up with the questions but that wasn't too difficult.  Click here to read my article in the newest edition of SLJTeen. The timing of this interview coincides with a contest that Mr. Patterson is sponsoring called The Funniest Kid in North America. He is in search of funny kids across the country. All a kid has to do is write some jokes, perform them on a 60 second video and then submit the video to the contest. Click here to open the link to read all about how to enter .

Over the holidays, I got a nice gift. I was asked if I would interview author, James Patterson, for SLJTeen . The phone interview is scheduled for the end of this week, and the interview will be published in the February 6th edition of SLJTeen . You will be able to find a link here once it is published. Patterson's newest Middle School book was published last month. It is called, I Funny . It is about Jamie Grimm, a handicapped orphan who uses jokes and comedy to overcome his sadness about the loss of his family. After the car accident that killed his family and put him in a wheelchair, he is adopted by his aunt and uncle whose son happens to be one  of the biggest bullies in school. Jaime uses his humor to charm old and young alike. When his town hosts a funniest kid contest, he is ambivalent about participating. Cute book, and it is very funny. With a male protagonist, it will be an easy sell to middle school boys who may be reluctant readers. The reason for the int...

On Thursday, October 13th the 7th graders, Ms. Bordelon and I  joined 1100 other schools to watch a live presentation by James Patterson from Palm Beach, FL. He was in the auditorium of his son's middle school with several hundred students in attendance. He was there to talk about his new book, Middle School, the Worst Years of My Life . The event took place during our lunch period, so all the students were munching during the presentation. Since Mr. Patterson could not see us or hear us, it was not an issue. His message about reading was right on target. He believes that all kids need to read and read well. Good readers will have more choices in life and end up with better careers. He said to read like your life depended on it. If you want to be a good writer, then you must READ! He said that kids need to find good books that will engage them. Besides his titles, he also recommended the Percy Jackson series, Warrior series, Book Thief , and The Invention of Hugo ...