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My Videos
- Meet Robin Jarvis
- Meet-Robert-Munsch Meet storyteller Robert Munsch. In this video the author of The Paper Bag Princess tells us how he gets his ideas for stories.
Added: 11-03-2013
- Authors-on-Ebooks Authors on Ebooks Authors on Ebooks “Part of what ebooks can do is to make it possible for a lot of knowledge and wisdom to be portable,” says Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alice Walker. Walker and her fellow Open Road authors Richelle Mead, Pat Conroy, Brian Freemantle, Martyn Waites, Dori Hillestad Butler, and Scott Spencer have experienced the benefits of ebooks from both a writer’s and reader’s perspective. With their portability, purchasing convenience, multimedia offerings, and ability to attract reluctant readers, ebooks have changed the world of reading. Watch as these Open Road authors discuss the role ebooks play in their lives and in the lives of their readers.
Added: 14-03-2013
- Meet-Newbery-Winning-Author-Patricia-MacLachlan "Everything I write about is from my childhood in one way or another. I think that maybe inside this body is a very young person" says author Patricia MacLachlan who has taken on the mantle of writing the very first Boxcar Children prequel. "I felt a great responsibility to really protect these characters. They are resourceful, they are kind to one another, and we can learn from them," she says. As a Newbery Award Winner and best-selling author of more than 20 children's books, MacLachlan notes: "The rules for writing for children are never to talk down to them." I don't try to educate, I try to tell a story so they can find themselves in there somewhere."
Added: 14-03-2013
- Celebrating-100-years-of-Tarzan “Tarzan has influenced the world in ways that no other character has,” says author Andy Briggs. For Tarzan’s centennial this year, Briggs reboots the beloved hero. The novels Tarzan: The Greystoke Legacy and Tarzan: The Jungle Warrior “reinvigorate the character and give him a fresh approach for a new generation.” In this video, Briggs joins Thomas Yeates, an illustrator of Tarzan comics, and Ron Ely, the actor who portrayed Tarzan in the 1966 TV series, to reflect on Tarzan’s hundredth birthday
Added: 14-03-2013
- Meet-Caroline-B-Cooney “When you are afraid in the dark,” says young adult author Caroline B. Cooney, “even though you know perfectly well it’s the same old maple tree brushing against the side of the house, it’s so much more fun to think that it’s something else . . . something filled with menace.” Cooney has written more than ninety suspense, mystery, and romance novels for teenagers, which have sold over fifteen million copies and are published in several languages. Her writing has earned her a vast following; she believes teens “want to think about deep things—like loyalty, need, and hope.” Watch this video of Cooney describing how she creates a perfect thriller for a YA audience.
Added: 14-03-2013
- Turning-Kids-into-Readers “There’s nothing more satisfying to me than taking a nonreader and turning him into a reader,” says Dori Hillestad Butler, author of the Buddy Files children’s book series. Kids who struggle with reading often find it hard to catch up once they’ve fallen behind, especially after a summer spent away from school. Books that have capitvating stories but are written at lower-difficulty reading levels, can help these reluctant readers feel more confident, and eventually bring them into the fold. As author Peter Lerangis says, “the deep secret is reading is fun. Once you start doing it, you realize this is amazing!” Watch this video to hear these authors, along with Patricia Reilly Giff and Anna Perera, discuss how they work toward turning reluctant readers into enthusiastic readers.
Added: 14-03-2013
- Caroline-B-Cooney-on-Writing "The important thing is to produce every day," says bestselling author Caroline B. Cooney. In this video, Cooney discusses rejection, advice for aspiring writers, and the best thing about being an author.
Added: 14-03-2013
- Meet-Janet-Taylor-Lisle "The best writing is totally intriguing, and drags you into a world that is unfamiliar," says award-winning children's author Janet Taylor Lisle. In this video, Lisle discusses how the natural world inspires her, the importance of imagination in children's literature, and how she is an "awe and wonder person."
Added: 14-03-2013
- Meet-Betsy-Byars "I don't think I could write if I didn't have all this other life where we had adventures and . . . flew. That's the kind of life that I like." Award-winning children's author (and pilot!) Betsy Byars discusses her writing, relating to children through her stories, and her love for adventure.
Added: 14-03-2013
- Meet-Rosemary-Wells "A book is a present you can open again and again," says bestselling children's author and illustrator Rosemary Wells. In this video, Wells discusses her approach to children's literature, and how she writes "not in a world of should, but in a world of is."
Added: 14-03-2013
- Meet-Dan-Gutman "When I first got started, I thought I was a genius. No one could possibly not acknowledge that," admits bestselling author Dan Gutman. But he soon faced numerous rejection letters, until the birth of his son inspired him to write for children. In this video, Gutman talks about how he writes especially for reluctant readers and his mission to "get kids excited about reading and writing."
Added: 14-03-2013
- Authors-Speak-Out-Against-Bullying Blockbuster authors Dean Koontz, Peter Lerangis, Bette Greene, Patricia MacLachlan, and Dr. Logan Levkoff speak out on bullying in this powerful video. These authors reveal their own experiences with bullies, and open up about a stressful issue that is all too common for children today.
Added: 14-03-2013
- Meet-Dean-Koontz “The magic of the real world is all around us; most people just don’t stop to recognize or see because they’re too busy, but it’s really there,” explains author Dean Koontz in this video shot at his home in California. Watch as he discusses how he builds magical worlds in his writing and creates free will for his characters. /nWith Oddkins, his first book for young readers, Koontz introduces a magical and dazzling world of toys and terror, good versus evil. Oddkins is a fable for our time, a deeply moving story for all ages.
Added: 14-03-2013
- Write-For-Fright "I never make my villains glamorous," says author Dean Koontz. In this video, Koontz and YA authors Caroline B. Cooney and Patricia Reilly Giff discuss how they write for fright. Giff "can’t let that child go without having him or her read one more page," while Cooney claims she has a "twisted mind." Watch to find out how these masters of suspense, horror, and mystery write chilling stories for young readers.
Added: 14-03-2013
- Meet-Chris-Raschka "I like to think of the art as the book," says Caldecott Medal winner author and illustrator Chris Raschka. In this video, Raschka discusses his illustration process, spontaneous brushwork style, inspiration for his books, and the importance of drawing and art.
Added: 14-03-2013
- The-Human-Dog-Bond "There's something in the human-dog bond that's just astonishing," says bestselling author Dean Koontz. From Jonathan Carroll noting "dogs are minor angels" to Patricia Gaffney's relationship with her foster dog this video includes William Styron, Dori Butler and Jean Craighead George and explores the connections authors have with their dogs
Added: 15-03-2013
- Childrens-Mystery-Writers "There’s nothing more exciting to me than taking a nonreader and turning them into a reader," says Dori Butler. "Mysteries can do that." Indeed mysteries are often the most engaging books for young readers, teaching them about the unique power of suspense in written form. Many writers of children’s mysteries, including Butler, choose the genre because they have fond memories of how they responded to such books during childhood. "I liked following the clues," says Butler, "seeing if I could figure out the mystery before the detective." In this exclusive, documentary quality video from Open Road, learn more about why Butler and other children’s book authors, including the prolific Patricia Reilly Giff, love mysteries.
Added: 15-03-2013
- Meet-Tomie-dePaola By the time he could hold a pencil, Tomie dePaola knew his life’s work would be writing and illustrating children’s books. In this video, dePaola reflects on how his childhood love of folktales has translated into his work as an adult—and his overarching goal of unlocking the door to imagination in children’s minds. “You are never going to escape who you are. So you can have a lifelong battle with who you are, or you can have a wonderful party with who you are,” says dePaola.
Added: 23-07-2013
- CHILDRENS-AUTHORS-CELEBRATE-FATHERS-DAY-2013 "What I learned from my father is the discipline of writing—he was quite a prolific writer—and also just a dedication to one's work," says Chris Raschka. In this video, children's and young adult authors Janet Taylor Lisle, Chris Raschka, Zilpha Keatley Snyder, Hilma Wolitzer, Patricia Reilly Giff, Dori Hillestad Butler, Patricia MacLachlan, and Peter Lerangis reflect on the impact their fathers had on their childhood, life, and career as writers. MacLachlan explains her father "believed in the importance of children and that they knew things."
Added: 23-07-2013
- Meet-Jane-Yolen “I think writers write the kinds of stories they would like to read. At least I do. But we also want to find out what happens,” says author Jane Yolen. In this video, Yolen discusses her love of adventure and mystery stories as a child, the importance of children’s literature, and her writing process. Yolen is an award-winning novelist, poet, fantasist, journalist, songwriter, storyteller, folklorist, and children’s book author who has written more than three hundred books.
Added: 23-07-2013
- Meet-Robin-Jarvis Robin Jarvis spent most of his school years in art rooms. While doodling one evening, he began inventing names and stories to go along with his drawings—and thus began his writing career. “For the Hagwood books, I made a conscious decision to completely invent the whole place. You can get away with a lot more,” says Jarvis, who wanted to “put the reader in that . . . no-idea-what’s-going-to-happen-next sort of place.” In this video, Jarvis talks about his drawing; creating worlds within his writing; and experiencing what he’s writing.
Added: 23-07-2013