Michael Balkind's Blog - Posts Tagged "gymanstics"
Getting more kids (pre-teens & teens) to read – just for the fun of it!
Huge smiles on the faces of the last few kids that I handed signed copies of Gold Medal Threat to, made me feel so good. Maybe I’m wrong, but it seems to me that kids can be so much more appreciative than others. I’m not sure if it was getting my book, or my signature, or maybe even meeting me – but the truth is, I don’t really care. Whatever gets them smiling and reading more, makes me feel like I’m doing something worthwhile.
Obviously, I write to sell books, but that isn't the whole reason. I write to entertain - to hopefully provide people with a story that they can lost in for a little while. And, when a kid is enjoying one of my books, for some reason, it really makes me feel great.
Getting more kids to read, just for the fun of it, has been a long time desire of mine, but it really hit me when I was doing a book signing a few years ago at Barnes & Noble. A high school football player asked when my 2nd book, Dead Ball, was coming out. I asked if he’d read my first book, Sudden Death. His answer, “Yes, I loved it.” But, he added, that as a devoted high school football player, he didn't have time to read. Then he admitted that he really “hated reading.” He proceeded to tell me that when he read Sudden Death, he realized that he didn't “hate” reading, he just disliked all the books that he “had to read” for school. “Sudden Death made me realize that reading can be fun!”
Well, as you can imagine, that statement warmed my heart. It actually made me feel that I had accomplished something big with my writing. Getting even one kid to realize that reading is fun, was, for me, a tremendous achievement.
Over the years, I have had many parents ask me at book signings if my books are appropriate for their children. Many parents felt my books would be the perfect incentive to get their young athlete or sports fan to put down their ball or game controller in order to pick up a book and read for a little while. Although many kids have read Sudden Death and Dead Ball, those books were not intended for kids. My newest book, Gold Medal Threat, on the other hand, was written for kids and about kids.
I really enjoyed writing Gold Medal Threat. It was a lot of fun, and very different than writing my adult mysteries. Of course, the kid’s voices have to be different, but also the way they think and act. I guess I’m lucky that I have yet to grow up.
I am thrilled with the great reviews that kids of various ages are giving Gold Medal Threat. I am obviously hoping to hear similar magical words from many more kids who read the book, as well as my other, upcoming Casey Clark Mysteries.
Thanks for your support, and if you've read and enjoyed Gold Medal Threat or my other books, please let me know.
Michael Balkind
Gold Medal Threat
Sudden Death
Dead Ball
Michael Balkind
Obviously, I write to sell books, but that isn't the whole reason. I write to entertain - to hopefully provide people with a story that they can lost in for a little while. And, when a kid is enjoying one of my books, for some reason, it really makes me feel great.
Getting more kids to read, just for the fun of it, has been a long time desire of mine, but it really hit me when I was doing a book signing a few years ago at Barnes & Noble. A high school football player asked when my 2nd book, Dead Ball, was coming out. I asked if he’d read my first book, Sudden Death. His answer, “Yes, I loved it.” But, he added, that as a devoted high school football player, he didn't have time to read. Then he admitted that he really “hated reading.” He proceeded to tell me that when he read Sudden Death, he realized that he didn't “hate” reading, he just disliked all the books that he “had to read” for school. “Sudden Death made me realize that reading can be fun!”
Well, as you can imagine, that statement warmed my heart. It actually made me feel that I had accomplished something big with my writing. Getting even one kid to realize that reading is fun, was, for me, a tremendous achievement.
Over the years, I have had many parents ask me at book signings if my books are appropriate for their children. Many parents felt my books would be the perfect incentive to get their young athlete or sports fan to put down their ball or game controller in order to pick up a book and read for a little while. Although many kids have read Sudden Death and Dead Ball, those books were not intended for kids. My newest book, Gold Medal Threat, on the other hand, was written for kids and about kids.
I really enjoyed writing Gold Medal Threat. It was a lot of fun, and very different than writing my adult mysteries. Of course, the kid’s voices have to be different, but also the way they think and act. I guess I’m lucky that I have yet to grow up.
I am thrilled with the great reviews that kids of various ages are giving Gold Medal Threat. I am obviously hoping to hear similar magical words from many more kids who read the book, as well as my other, upcoming Casey Clark Mysteries.
Thanks for your support, and if you've read and enjoyed Gold Medal Threat or my other books, please let me know.
Michael Balkind
Gold Medal Threat
Sudden Death
Dead Ball
Michael Balkind
