Kid lit in Twitters fast lane

While he doesn’t Tweet enough himself, Mike Hutchinson—@hutchinsonjm on Twitter and the mind behind the Salem Middle School Guys Read club—remains one of the most knowledgeable experts on the best reads for middle schoolers.

He’s CONSTANTLY putting good books into the hands of our kids and has almost singlehandedly made reading “cool” for a heaping-cheese-ton of 12-year-old boys.

The guy is money.

In a perfect synergy between tool and individual, Mike has sought out DOZENS of great YA authors to follow on Twitter.  I figured you’d be interested in knowing more about which authors are worth adding to your stream, so I asked him to put together a guest post for the Radical.

Hope you enjoy it—and share it widely.  I’m not sure how many people realize that YA authors are Tweeting too!

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Kid Lit in the Twitter Fast Lane

By Mike Hutchinson

Many people put together many lists of blogs you should read, videos you should view and people you should listen to.

Bill asked me to jump into this list making world for my big educational passion, children’s literature.

 

Here are a list of my top eight young adult authors who are out there in a big way on Twitter. I have also added in two authors who have Twitter accounts but rarely use them—to the detriment of us all.

 

Neil Gaiman (Coraline, The Graveyard Book):

My Take: The cool uncle of the literature world. A million and a half followers can’t be wrong.

Recently Tweeted: “Just wrote “he gets rescued from pirates by a timetravelling dinosaur in a hot air balloon” as a note to myself for tomorrow. I love my job.

 

Adam Rex (The True Meaning of Smekday, Fat Vampire):

My Take: Pushed into the Twitterverse, but continues to add a wise and humorous voice.

Recently Tweeted: Just happened upon some videos of kids talking about my books on YouTube, and now I feel like I can lift a car over my head.

 

Patrick Carman (Skeleton Creek, Trackers):

My Take: Like it or not technology and literature are becoming one. Carman brings out the tech geek in us all.

Recently Tweeted: The Beast arrives tomorrow. Want in? Grab your iTouch, iPhone, iPad, or Android and search the app store for 315. http://j.mp/jO6Rgi

 

Scott Westerfeld (Uglies, Leviathan):

My Take: Steampunk’s current champion and strong YA voice.

Recently Tweeted: I repeat: it’s Steampunk Summer in Seattle! Free hidden copies of Leviathan and Boneshaker! http://tinyurl.com/6ydmqy9

 

Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson, Kane Chronicles):

My Take: Keeps the tweets few and far between at times, as he cranks out new series.

Recently Tweeted: Olympian Week announced! Oct.4-10 Seven locations will win a live Son of Neptune event w/me: http://www.camphalfblood.com/

 

James Dashner (Maze Runner, Scorch Trials):

My Take: Also new to Twitter, but his #dashnerarmy is growing in recruits.

Recently Tweeted: Hey #dashnerarmy I wonder if maybe we should join forces with @kierstenwhite and destroy @neilhimself. Or @Cassieclare. Just a thought.

 

Libba Bray (Going Bovine, Beauty Queens):

My Take: A voice for the underappreciated oddball in us all.

Recently Tweeted: If you ever wondered what it would be like to have me read you a story, you can pick up the audiobook for BEAUTY QUEENS.

I promise that no beauty queens were harmed in the recording of that audiobook. Well, not many…

 

Maureen Johnson (13 Little Blue Envelopes, The Name of the Star):

My Take: YA Twitter superhero.

Recently Tweeted: Twitter is going A LITTLE BONKERS! Don’t worry. I’ll fix it. *heads into internet with hammer*

 

And now for two authors who have Twitter Accounts but tragically rarely use them:

 

JK Rowling (Harry Potter):

My Take: I would read her shopping list—and probably duplicate it.

(Not So) Recently Tweeted: This is the real me, but you won’t be hearing from me often I’m afraid, as pen and paper are STILL my priority at the moment.

 

Jon Sciezka (Stinky Cheese Man, Guys Write for Guys Read)

My Take: Guys reading champion.  We need more like him.

(Not So) Recently Tweeted: Enough World Cup. Aliens have invaded Brooklyn! Spaceheadz Book #1 hits the stores (and the 42nd St. NYPL) tomorrow. Be there. Be SPHDZ.

 

Come on, JK and Jon—we’d read ANYTHING that you’d write. How about dropping a few 140-character nuggets of digital love to your YA fans every now and then?