I'm the school librarian at G.S. Lakie Middle School. As you can see - me, reading and comfy chairs go way back. I still enjoy Asterix and many other graphic novels. My main reason for blogging is for reviewing books for the students and anyone else that might be interested in YA literature.
Strange things happen in Skeleton Creek - and when they do, Ryan writes them down and Sarah captures them on video. Now, the spookiness is spreading, and the mystery is going to take them far beyond
Skeleton Creek -- into places both unexpectedly sinister and spine-chillingly haunted.
Love this series - it's no wonder that Skeleton Creek the first book is second in our top ten list.
Here's the book trailer.
And here's Patrick Carman the creator of the series:
I am once again wowed by Patrick Carman and where he is taking his readers, mystery adventure high-tech suspence captured in a vook that has readers - reading as fast as they can so that they can watch the next video clip to help piece together the puzzle. He's the author of Skeleton Creek and Ghost in the Machine. I think is will be another huge hit at our library and I can't wait to tell you more about it.
If you liked the Alex Rider series or The Cherub series or Little Brother or Skeleton Creek - I think you will become an instant fan of Trackers.
Here's the summary.
In the 21st century landscape of bits and bytes, everyone leaves a digital footprint... even the most advanced cyber criminals. And that's where the Trackers come in. Four tech-savy kids armed with high-tech video cameras and esoteric coding skills, the Trackers can find almost anyone, anywhere. Told through a collage of video, text and websites, Tracker #1 follows Adam, Finn, Lewis and Emily as they become entangled in a high tech, high-stakes game of cat and mouse with Shantorian the world's most dangerous hacker. At least that's who they think they're after...
As the four dig deeper into the shadowy world of online crime, they soon learn that things aren't always as they seem.
Here's a teaser from the author and the book trailer.
On Friday I was at a workshop on library stuff - a one of the sessions was on ebooks / ereaders and all sorts of other fancy high-tech stuff. This session was impressive because it reminded me that reading is changing - I know you think how is reading changing? Well here is a for instance: Vooks - here's a trailer about vooks
(part video part book or story) think of titles like Skeleton Creek and Ghost in the Machine, but there are others - try this link if your curious. http://bit.ly/c5urYe
It's an interactive short story mystery. Requires reading and a computer.
Wow, this follow up book to Skeleton Creek was an equal as far as the trilling suspense ride created in the first book.
What's unique about this two book series is that Carman has combined a traditional style text and a world of video entries (that involve secret passwords) . The two forms of storytelling are told from the perspectives of Ryan (you follow his journal entries) and his best friend Sarah (Sarah and Ryan have been instructed by their parents to stay away from each other - because Ryan broke his leg while they were checking out the creepy, mysterious dredge). Sarah's side of the story is told through videos she emails Ryan in hopes that together they can find out what the people of the small town of Skeleton Creek are trying to hide.
Idon't want to give much more than this away, I just want to say that I couldn't put it down and had my laptop at the ready for the next password. Perfect for mystery loving kids.
I just learned that they've defined this new style of book/video as a "vook."
I love this concept, part book- part movie, clues coming at you from both sources, suspence on every page, every character holding back a secret, in fact the whole town has a secret. Loved it! Thought the idea is brilliant, and am fairly certain that this new style of storytelling will be seen more and more. Can't wait till the follow up book arrives.
