Report from Annual 2011: Teens Reading Digitally

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When I left the Teens Reading Digitally panel discussion on Sunday at Annual I was thinking to myself, “Wow, I love hearing how people are pushing the boundaries in order to connect teens to content, and to get them excited about reading and writing.” For example:

  • iDrakula author Bekka Black explained how she came up with the idea for her multi-platform novel that highlights the ways in which teens are reading in the digital age. Black joined the panel via Skype and was kind enough to stay throughout the entire session even though she was not face-to-face. One story Black told was about how one night when sitting at a restaurant she noticed a boy and girl (brother and sister) texting with each other as they sat next to one another at the table. Read More →

At Annual Talking About Teens That Are Digital and Mobile

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Two YALSA programs at Annual Conference are geared to helping librarians think about and plan for how to connect with teens within the mobile and digital reading environments.

On Sunday, June 23, from 1:30 to 3:30, YALSA will sponsor the program Teens Reading Digitally Going Handheld and Mobile. The focus of the program is on how teens read, write, and learn using digital devices. Speakers include:
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App of the Week: iDrakula

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Name: iDrakula
Platform: iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch (requires iOS 4)
Cost: Free preview (first five days) and $1.99 to finish the story

I’m kind of obsessed with Dracula and I rather enjoy my iPhone, so when I heard that Bekka Black had written a modern retelling of Dracula that I could read on my phone, I had to have it. ‘ Like Stoker’s original version, the story is told in correspondence, in this case, through texts, emails, voice mail, and browser history.’  Check out these cute YouTube promotional bits.

Here’s the title page and contents:

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