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How do you promote kids and reading?
Some kids love to read, but many need a little encouragement. With three sons of my own, who had completely different reading tastes, I learned very quickly that where one child may see wizards and want to devour something magical, the other might see wizards and lose himself in a sports magazine keeping up to date with the Washington Wizards. I think the main thing to remember is that it doesn’t matter what a child is reading, as long as he or she is reading.
Tell us about your website?
www.kemjohnston.com is my tool for informing potential readers about my latest book release. I post photos from my school presentations and my interviews. I try to update it regularly, but do also ask my readers to friend me on Facebook (Karen EM Johnston). I am more inclined to post new info here—like my recent award. I am excited to announce my second novel Big Boys Don’t Spy won the 2011 Silver in the Florida Publishers Association Award.
What are your thoughts on the new technology for reading a book?
Good question, and a very contentious one at the moment. My thoughts are that this is a very exciting time for writers. I believe that within the next five years a high percentage of readers will switch to an e-reader, but perhaps this will get more people reading than before. The e-reader is just an alternative format to read a book. Although personally, I still love a print book, I want to know the history of that book, I wonder who read the book before me (you don’t get dog-ears on a hand-held screen), I can see an advantage of an eReader—especially for traveling, for example. Overall, I do not think e-books should be something we as writers should be afraid of. It’s the way of the future, no doubt.
What advice do you have for parents on getting their kids reading?
Find the child’s passion. Not all children want to read fairy stories, some kids like sports—so let them read a copy of Sport Illustrated Kids. Or get them a biography on one of their favorite sport’s personality. One of my rules was always for my kids to read for twenty minutes every day. I didn’t care when, they just had to read for that time. Now that the boys are older, I do a trade off. Extra screen time can be earned by reading for a half hour for example.
How long did it take you to get this idea to where it is now?
I’ll use Big Boys Don’t Spy as my example as this is my most recent, published book. I got this idea when reading aloud to my boys when they were all in elementary school. My eldest, Thomas, was extremely interested in anything to do with spying and he gave me some great ideas for gadgets for my main character. Thomas also helped me plot and ultimately write the book. And it wasn’t quick. I wrote the first draft in around six months, then took another six months rewriting and editing. After this, I sent it around agents and editors, and after a long wait (patience is definitely a virtue in this industry) the book sold to my wonderful publisher, Kitsune Books. It then took about a year to hit the shelves.
What will kids love most about your book(s)?
I hope they will enjoy the humor. I love to hear kids laugh—I love the way they have few inhibitions, and nothing beats the sound of a kid chuckling or laughing out loud. And hopefully, they’ll find the plots pretty cool, too.
What will parents and teachers love most about your book(s)?
I hope parents and teachers alike will enjoy the way a child can learn about the American Civil War without even realizing it with my Civil War ghost mysteries. I also hope that the humor in all three books will grab the kids, especially reluctant readers, and get them hooked on reading.
What's your next project?
I just started a young adult novel about a teenage girl who finds out her crush has a short list for invites to the upcoming prom--she's fourth on the list. Not a happy chappy. I’m at the early stages of the novel, my favorite part, when I start to get to know the teenagers I’m about to spend the next nine months with.
