$300 Writing Prize Focuses Kids on Gender Equity

"He would need some magic spell or potion to change himself from a 'Harry' to a 'Harriet,'" joked Nimmo, who is an expert on entertainment for children and young adults.





"Describing how the famous boy wizard would behave as a witch would be enjoyable for author and reader alike," Nimmo said. "And it is just the kind of fun, witty and creative submission our judges are looking for."





Nimmo, author of the emerging "Mustard Twins" fantasy series, says that trends in literature aimed at young people risk trapping kids in what he calls a "kind of reading time-warp."





"Certainly, where representations of gender in fiction heroes and characters are concerned, kids' books lag way behind today's society," he said. "A lot of popular fiction reflects outdated stereotypes of masculine and feminine roles. And books aimed at children and young adults share much of the blame. I am not only talking about mainstream books either, but Newbery and Caldecott medal winners as well."





To challenge the status quo, Nimmo is encouraging contestants to describe how a favorite fiction book or story hero would act or react in a dramatic situation. But there's a twist: Entrants are first required to swap the hero's gender role or characteristics.





With the contest, Nimmo hopes to positively attune parents and kids alike to the subtle messages being transmitted through popular entertainment.





"Readers - especially younger ones - are constantly being exposed to values that are completely out of step with modern times," he said.





Studies show that, from Harry Potter to Artemis Fowl, boys outnumber girls about four to one in books and TV shows, including those written by women. Furthermore, Nimmo points out, even books with female or gender-neutral names in their titles frequently revolve around a male character.





Why should parents be concerned?





"Society's values are largely transmitted to children through fiction," Nimmo said. "It is therefore important that parents be aware that self-esteem and personal development are influenced by the sort of book and story heroes we emulate as kids."





Nonetheless, Nimmo said, there are things parents can do to sensitize kids to the issue.





"Make sure to include books in your reading selection where individuals are portrayed with distinctive personalities irrespective of gender, where achievements are not evaluated on the basis of gender and where individuals are logical or emotional depending on the situation," he said.





To encourage young people to challenge the conventions in stories and books written for them, Nimmo is offering a $300 cash prize, plus signed copies of his latest novel, "The Ancient Egyptian Ennead," which tells the story of two spunky teenage female heroes and their exploits in ancient Egypt in the time of the pharaohs.

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A Closer Look At A Hello Kitty Store

Hello Kitty is without doubt a global phenomenon that a lot of people regardless of age in almost all countries in the whole world whether they are wealthy first world nations or smaller developing countries know a lot about. For several decades until now this simple small white cat has encouraged the imagination of children and grownups alike. And for several people, this little cat has become among the quintessential symbols of all that is Japanese and well, super cute. Hello Kitty also has broken the norms that pop culture enthusiasts go for. And this is none more evident in the numbers of Hello Kitty store that you will find nowadays. Usually, fictional characters that attain popularity and fame as well as instant recognition all over the world tend to lose recognition and fame rather quickly. And this falling into obscurity did not happen with Hello Kitty and the numbers of Hello Kitty stores that continue to flourish until these days. Year after year and several generations after, the distinctive shape and look this tiny white cat as well as every single item that it appears in have been selling quite well.

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Ways Of Writing For Money: Profitable Writing Ideas

There are many way to make money from writing, but getting started can be challenging. Writing for money can mean both fiction and non fiction. It can mean anything from 500 word articles for the internet to 100,000 word novels or text books. The opportunities are wide and varied but making a start can be daunting.

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Interview with JP Moss children`s author.wmv

Interview with author JP Moss as he talks briefly about his series of children`s books The Kind Fairy Adventure`s.

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"Friends" Became Our Friends And HD TV Became Our Society

It's interesting how television can infiltrate the lives of people in households around the world. Hit TV shows and popular movies so quickly become the topic of conversation among friends. From discussing the breakup of Ross and Rachel on Friends to quoting Pedro from Napoleon Dynamite, television has become an integral part of our society.

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Tips on reseraching for a non fiction book

There exists a predicament which unfortunately just about all authors have. How to study for writing a non fiction book without having to use up far too much time?
It's really an issue which i've needed to combat for countless years.
And yes it exists simply because, as I have recently realized, I'm keen on research. The truth is, I enjoy investigating a lot better than I like writing. Writing is without a doubt work. Research is entertaining although being aware of when you should stop researching generally is a challenge.
But that's the main element to studying without the need of totally wasting precious time... find out when you should stop. In the following paragraphs, I will provide you with a few tips regarding how to research free of throwing away precious time.
To begin with you should utilize a organised procedure for research as you do designed for writing. To put it differently, this means that you need a system. This system should include a organised intellectual tool. Inside our circumstance we call it an interest map. Nonetheless, a mind map is definitely an unstructured variant and in the next few paragraphs I will put it to use as opposed to the topic map.
Everybody knows a little something concerning the topics we all come up with. It might not be much however it will likely be something. Rarely are you given the job of authoring some thing you know absolutely nothing about. At the very least not as an experienced author. For that reason start with that. Sketch a mind map to exhibit the knowledge you presently know about the topic. Allow it to go on it's own for just a day perhaps in between attempts and include data while you remember it.
Now go look at the kid's portion of your local library. Yes, I proclaimed the children's section. The reason why? Because your present job is to get a simple perception of the subject. In order to complete the mind map you have already drawn with a little bit of the data you do not know... essentially to assist you find out what you do not know. Kid's sources are simple to go through, quick to read and offer a summary of the subject. Which makes all of them ideal for your present job.
Congratulations , you really should have a mind map that is fairly complete about the subject however at a extremely high and basic degree. Your task is currently going to be to complete it.
However merely to the degree you really need it completed.
So your task now could be to ask questions. Exactly what queries will you need solutions to? Exactly how much details will you be needing to complete? Do you know the limitations towards the study you will have to perform? Exactly where should you fill out details?

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Reading through and Activity Books for School children

It is not easy to sort out the best reading and activity books for school going children for variety of reasons. A vast variety of publications are there on the scene and the whole task becomes very time consuming. Also, each child has his own unique way and style, which also makes it quite cumbersome to point out as to what will work across the board.

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