Lynn Neary

What Kids Are Reading, In School And Out

Lynn Neary — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 20:51:00 +0000

Walk into any bookstore or library, and you'll find shelves and shelves of hugely popular novels and book series for kids. But research shows that as young readers get older, they are not moving to more complex books. High-schoolers are reading books written for younger kids, and teachers aren't assigning difficult classics as much as they once did.

At Woodrow Wilson High School in Washington, D.C., the 11th-grade honors English students are reading The Kite Runner. And students like Megan Bell are reading some heavy-duty books in their spare time.

McCann's 'TransAtlantic' Crosses Fiction And Fact, Ireland And U.S.

Lynn Neary — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 20:52:00 +0000

About five years ago, Colum McCann stumbled upon a small piece of history he had never known: In 1845, Frederick Douglass, then an escaped slave who was already famous for his anti-slavery writings and speeches, visited Ireland to raise money and support for his cause. McCann says he knew almost immediately that he wanted to turn this historical fact into fiction: "This intersection between history and fiction, between what is real and what is not real, fascinates me," he says.

How Ellen DeGeneres Helped Change The Conversation About Gays

Lynn Neary — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 21:00:00 +0000

In 2008, during the brief window when it was legal for same-sex couples to get married in California, perhaps no couple drew more attention than Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi.

After their wedding, photos of the couple were everywhere; DeGeneres, beaming, in a white suit and holding hands with de Rossi, the very picture of the princess bride so many young girls dream of being one day.

'Wave' Tells A True Story Of Survival And Loss In The 2004 Tsunami

Lynn Neary — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 08:40:00 +0000

On Dec. 26, 2004, Sonali Deraniyagala was vacationing with her husband, her two sons and her parents in Yala, Sri Lanka. The day was just beginning when she and a friend noticed that something strange was happening in the ocean. Within a matter of minutes, the sea had wiped out life as she had known it. In a new memoir, called simply Wave, she recalls her experience with the tsunami that killed more than 200,000 people, including her own family.

Today, Deraniyagala lives in New York.

E-Readers Track How We Read, But Is The Data Useful To Authors?

Lynn Neary — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 21:14:00 +0000

Reading always seemed to be the most private of acts: just you and your imagination immersed in another world. But now, if you happen to be curled up with an e-reader, you're not alone.

Data is being collected about your reading habits. That information belongs to the companies that sell e-readers, like Amazon or Barnes & Noble. And they can share — or sell — that information if they like. One official at Barnes & Noble has said sharing that data with publishers might "help authors create even better books."

The data is also, of course, a brilliant marketing tool.

A Colorful Anniversary: The Caldecott Medal Turns 75

Lynn Neary — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 08:24:00 +0000

Some children's book illustrators might not have gotten a lot of sleep over the weekend. That's because they might have been wondering if this could be the year they win one of the grand prizes of children's literature: the Randolph Caldecott Medal.

This year is the 75th anniversary of the Caldecott, which is given to the most distinguished children's picture book of the year.

'Fifty Shades' Is The One That Got Away. At Least From Me

Lynn Neary — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 21:18:00 +0000

Sometimes "the one that got away" is a book that was easy to overlook. A little gem of a first novel, or a memoir by an unknown writer that unexpectedly captured everyone's imagination.

But sometimes, it's the elephant in the room that you just haven't looked at yet. Everyone knows about it. It's one of the biggest sellers of all time. It's a cultural phenomenon — it's Fifty Shades of Grey. And I ignored it until I couldn't anymore.

It wasn't just that you couldn't go anywhere without hearing about it. Nor was it the record-breaking sales.

Now You're Talking! The Year's Best Book Club Reads

Lynn Neary — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 17:33:22 +0000

A young boy seeks justice. A young woman wants to stay alive. A friendship is tested. The child of a commune comes of age. A solitary man gives himself over to love. These are the bare actions underpinning the novels that I'm suggesting for book clubs this year. Some are first novels; others the work of well-known writers. Some might touch your heart; others might challenge the way you think. At least one will make you laugh — and a couple might make you cry. They are all good reads. And they are, above all, books you'll want to talk about with your friends.

Self-Publishing: No Longer Just A Vanity Project

Lynn Neary — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 08:49:00 +0000

They used to call it the "vanity press," and the phrase itself spoke volumes. Self-published authors were considered not good enough to get a real publishing contract. They had to pay to see their book in print. But with the advent of e-books, self-publishing has exploded, and a handful of writers have had huge best-sellers.

TV blogger Alan Sepinwall's self-published book, The Revolution Was Televised, came out just before Thanksgiving.

Oprah's Book Club Turns Over A New Page

Lynn Neary — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 08:04:00 +0000

Oprah Winfrey became a publishing powerhouse when she started her book club in 1996. Her picks went to the top of best-seller lists — and stayed there for weeks.

Oprah's Second Pick: A First Time Novelist

Lynn Neary — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 08:18:00 +0000

Earlier this year, Oprah Winfrey announced an updated version of her popular book club, this time called Book Club 2.0. Her first pick, Cheryl Strayed's memoir Wild, experienced best-seller list success thanks to what some people are calling the "Oprah bump." And last week Winfrey announced her second pick, a novel called The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis, a first-time author.

Mathis was on vacation in Paris when she picked up the phone — and Winfrey was on the other end of the line. "I think I said, 'no it isn't,' " Mathis says.

'Testament Of Mary' Gives Fiery Voice To The Virgin

Lynn Neary — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 08:44:00 +0000

The Virgin Mary is one of the most familiar icons of Christianity. For centuries, artists have depicted her on everything from backyard statues of a rosy-cheeked innocent to paintings of magnificent Madonnas hanging in museums all over the world. But few writers have taken up her story or tried to create their own version of the events of her life.

Now, Irish writer Colm Toibin does just that.

Put Down Your E-Reader: This Book's Better In Print

Lynn Neary — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 07:30:00 +0000

Most people who read a lot have gotten used to reading on a screen, whether it's a laptop, a tablet or an e-reader. Some say they prefer it to the experience of reading a heavy, awkward print version of the book. But every now and then, a book comes along that just seems to insist on being physical — something about it simply can't be transferred to the screen.

Gillian Cross' new retelling of Homer's The Odyssey is aimed at kids 8 and up, and like many children's books, it's brightly colored and beautifully illustrated.