I talked to some really cute kids at an elementary school a couple of months ago, and one boy asked me if I had any particular lesson I wanted the kids to learn from MARE'S WAR. And I immediately got hives. I said, "Lesson!? Oh, NO. No, no, no. Thinking is good. Just... I hope it makes you think, maybe in some different ways than you've thought of things like history and women and stuff -- that kind of thing."
And then I wondered why I'd gone all rabid about the word "lesson."
NOW I know why. Thank you. I am NOT a celebrity...
Oh, I always groan when I hear the hapless author on talk shows or in an inteview, say "well, my book teaches kids the lesson that (insert "stirring character trait or terrible problem" here) blah, blah, blah.
Yes, I am a child and I WANT to read a book that will TEACH ME A LESSON. That is REALLY why I read for fun.
As a kid I loved books that made me think (still do.) Books that were all about making me think bored me to tears (and still do.)
12:42 PM
Operation: No Celebrity Left Behind continues as Tyra Banks and Delacourt announce a book deal for a new series, MODELLAND You can always detect a "celebrity book" when the word LESSON appears in the description.
Harry Potter had a wand, Percy Jackson has his pen/sword, Riptide. Tyra's characters will, no doubt, wield their Cell Phones of Death.
The highlighting below is from BookMoot.
New York, NY, May 11, 2010—Delacorte Press has acquired MODELLAND, the first novel in a three-book series written by international, entertainment, and media icon Tyra Banks, it was announced today by Beverly Horowitz, Vice-President and Publisher, Delacorte Press. Drawing from an area of expertise she is avidly passionate about,
Tyra’s MODELLAND is the story of a teen girl in a make-believe society who finds herself competing for a way of life that's both hotly desired and woefully out of reach at an academy for Intoxibellas, the most exceptional models known to humankind. As the plot unfolds, readers will uncover lessons that are buried beneath the surface of this magical world. The premise of the 3-part fantasy series is deeply rooted in Tyra’s core mission of expanding the definitions of beauty. In MODELLAND, Tyra’s innate ability to connect with women on issues ranging from relationships to body image finds a natural extension to the page. MODELLAND will launch in summer 2011 and will be supported by a major national marketing and publicity campaign.
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1:01 PM
...and the scream continues, Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
1:43 PM
I talked to some really cute kids at an elementary school a couple of months ago, and one boy asked me if I had any particular lesson I wanted the kids to learn from MARE'S WAR. And I immediately got hives. I said, "Lesson!? Oh, NO. No, no, no. Thinking is good. Just... I hope it makes you think, maybe in some different ways than you've thought of things like history and women and stuff -- that kind of thing."
And then I wondered why I'd gone all rabid about the word "lesson."
NOW I know why. Thank you. I am NOT a celebrity...
1:44 PM
Oh, I always groan when I hear the hapless author on talk shows or in an inteview, say "well, my book teaches kids the lesson that (insert "stirring character trait or terrible problem" here) blah, blah, blah.
Yes, I am a child and I WANT to read a book that will TEACH ME A LESSON. That is REALLY why I read for fun.
11:27 PM
As a kid I loved books that made me think (still do.) Books that were all about making me think bored me to tears (and still do.)
12:42 PM