Comments on: Are efforts to get boys reading more barking up the wrong dead tree? http://thewayoftheweb.net/2009/01/are-efforts-to-get-boys-reading-more-barking-up-the-wrong-dead-tree/ The digital convergence of media, entertainment, marketing and PR Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:39:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Chris Thorpe http://thewayoftheweb.net/2009/01/are-efforts-to-get-boys-reading-more-barking-up-the-wrong-dead-tree/comment-page-1/#comment-3992 Chris Thorpe Wed, 14 Jan 2009 01:45:00 +0000 http://thewayoftheweb.net/?p=706#comment-3992 Really interesting Dan. I'm a big fan of things like the <a href="http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/football/index.html" rel="nofollow">National Literacy Trust's Reading the Game</a> program where they get footballers to act as reading champions and role models. Totally think it's how the discovery happens which will get especially boys into reading. They need role models about reading even more now in the era of video games being the alternative and the area where the peer pressure is likely to lie. Like you I'm a new(ish) father and I'm passionate both about Sam reading and about me reading to him (especially as he enjoys it and as it's a lovely bonding thing. The wonderful thing about stories and books is that they are interpreted by you rather than for you and this leads to active imagination and an entirely different set of cognitive pathways compared to push media (including in many cases games, which although interactive push at you reducing the need for imagination). I hope we can generate a next generation who have active imagination still, without it we'll be less inventive and will have far less creativity I fear. This experience doesn't have to be dead tree based though I agree. I was lucky enough to work at <a href="http://www.mindcandy.com" rel="nofollow">Mind Candy</a> on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perplex_City" rel="nofollow">Perplex City</a> and <a href="http://pauldenchfield.typepad.com/" rel="nofollow">Frozen Indigo Angel</a>, both of which are multi-format, multi-author semi collaborative fiction (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternate_reality_game" rel="nofollow">alternate reality games</a>). The engagement with the story, sometimes <a href="http://www.wonderlandblog.com/wonderland/2007/04/frozen_indigo_a.html" rel="nofollow">played out through twitter</a> and other social sites never diminished the sense of story or the sense of imagination, and some of that teams later work (<a href="http://www.sixtostart.com/" rel="nofollow">Six to Start</a> - <a href="http://wetellstories.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">We Tell Stories</a>) carries this forward with story telling through <a href="http://wetellstories.co.uk/stories/week1/" rel="nofollow">Google Maps</a>. Really interesting Dan. I’m a big fan of things like the National Literacy Trust’s Reading the Game program where they get footballers to act as reading champions and role models. Totally think it’s how the discovery happens which will get especially boys into reading. They need role models about reading even more now in the era of video games being the alternative and the area where the peer pressure is likely to lie.

Like you I’m a new(ish) father and I’m passionate both about Sam reading and about me reading to him (especially as he enjoys it and as it’s a lovely bonding thing. The wonderful thing about stories and books is that they are interpreted by you rather than for you and this leads to active imagination and an entirely different set of cognitive pathways compared to push media (including in many cases games, which although interactive push at you reducing the need for imagination).

I hope we can generate a next generation who have active imagination still, without it we’ll be less inventive and will have far less creativity I fear.

This experience doesn’t have to be dead tree based though I agree. I was lucky enough to work at Mind Candy on Perplex City and Frozen Indigo Angel, both of which are multi-format, multi-author semi collaborative fiction (alternate reality games). The engagement with the story, sometimes played out through twitter and other social sites never diminished the sense of story or the sense of imagination, and some of that teams later work (Six to Start – We Tell Stories) carries this forward with story telling through Google Maps.

]]> By: david cushman http://thewayoftheweb.net/2009/01/are-efforts-to-get-boys-reading-more-barking-up-the-wrong-dead-tree/comment-page-1/#comment-3864 david cushman Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:34:39 +0000 http://thewayoftheweb.net/?p=706#comment-3864 I like this Dan. Very thoughtful. And I see the point you raise for all media. The people you and I can connect with about the books that interest us are embedded in social media though (for the most part). Taking all journalists and authors on that journey is the challenge for publishers. Alan Moore (down at BD towers today) wondered out loud about how wonderful it would be if every author had a site and social media policy as fantastic as Stephen Fry's. I like this Dan. Very thoughtful. And I see the point you raise for all media.
The people you and I can connect with about the books that interest us are embedded in social media though (for the most part).
Taking all journalists and authors on that journey is the challenge for publishers.
Alan Moore (down at BD towers today) wondered out loud about how wonderful it would be if every author had a site and social media policy as fantastic as Stephen Fry’s.

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