E-Readers Catch Younger Eyes and Go in Backpacks

E-Readers Catch Younger Eyes and Go in Backpacks
By Julie Bosman

Something extraordinary happened after Eliana Litos received an e-reader for a Hanukkah gift in December.

“Some weeks I completely forgot about TV,” said Eliana, 11. “I went two weeks with only watching one show, or no shows at all. I was just reading every day.”

Ever since the holidays, publishers have noticed that some unusual titles have spiked in e-book sales. The “Chronicles of Narnia” series. “Hush, Hush.” The “Dork Diaries” series.

At HarperCollins, for example, e-books made up 25 percent of all young-adult sales in January, up from about 6 percent a year before — a boom in sales that quickly got the attention of publishers there.

“Adult fiction is hot, hot, hot, in e-books,” said Susan Katz, the president and publisher of HarperCollins Children’s Books. “And now it seems that teen fiction is getting to be hot, hot, hot.”

In their infancy e-readers were adopted by an older generation that valued the devices for their convenience, portability and, in many cases, simply for their ability to enlarge text to a more legible size. Appetite for e-book editions of best sellers and adult genre fiction — romance, mysteries, thrillers — has seemed almost bottomless.

But now that e-readers are cheaper and more plentiful, they have gone mass market, reaching consumers across age and demographic groups, and enticing some members of the younger generation to pick them up for the first time.

“The kids have taken over the e-readers,” said Rita Threadgill of Harrison, N.Y., whose 11-year-old daughter requested a Kindle for Christmas.

Read the Full Essay @ The New York Times

7-Year-old Raped; A Child Responds

A 12 Year Old Responds To The Raping Of A 7 Year Old In Trenton, NJ

by Marypat Hector

How can anyone breathing sit silently as young girls are being raped? While a young girl’s innocence is being stolen like a piece of gum from the candy store? The thought of a seven year old...no the thought of any child being harmed in that way brings a constant flow of tears to my eyes. But then again, as a self made ambassador of peace, I find myself getting angry and must check my feelings and begin to reflect. This is how Martin and Malcolm must have felt when they saw African Americans being lynched.

It makes me wonder why and who has failed us. Yes, we are both victims and perpetrators. But where were the caring adults? What about the neighbors, did they not hear her cries for help? Well, I here your cry and I will be your voice. Sadly, acts of violence like this are happening all over the world. Have adults also become desensitized to the violence?

At seven, a young girl should be playing with brat dolls and deciding what she will be when she gets older. Now, she is plagued with senseless act for the rest of her life. Again, I ask where were the adults, school teachers, neighbors and city officials that are suppose to protect kids from harm?

Read the Full Essay @ Global Grind