Book Embargo

Be part of a new experiment in publishing and community

Concord Free Press is publishing its first book—Give and Take by novelist Stona Fitch—in October, 2008. We’re distributing it free online and via a network of independent bookstores. In return, we ask readers to make a voluntary donation to a charity or someone in need. And we ask them to pass the book on, so that every time the book changes hands, it generates more contributions.

“Give and Take is a smart novel with a surprise on almost every page, an unexpectedly admirable hero, and an infectious spirit. Fitch has a moral and political point to make, but he’s an entertainer first and foremost, with a wry take on generosity and greed, and a jazzy style that’s irresistible. All that for free?” –Stephen McCauley

They publish books and give them away for free. Its that simple.

We’re dedicated to a different kind of publishing, one that connects readers and their communities in new ways. We’re interested in expanding the definition of publishing and re-invigorating the book, which isn’t dead yet, by the way.

No matter who published them or how good they are, most books go on a familiar trajectory—new, used, shelved permanently, dusty. Ours keep going from hand to hand, generating donations along the way. Readers are generally good people. We give them a chance to get great books for free—and make contributions to organizations and individuals right in their own community, wherever that may be.

From our global headquarters in West Concord, Massachusetts, high above (well, we’re on the second floor) the mighty Nashoba Brook (a creek, actually), we’re creating books that connect reading and giving like never before.

(All these quotes are direct from their website. But there is more information there if you want more. Head over to Concord Free Press to get more info!)

I got my book and chose to give money to our local humane society. I can’t wait to start reading. This is a really interesting concept that I think can go far.

A humorous website, Stuff White People Like.com has a post about gifted children…

This is important if you ever find yourself needing to gain white person acceptance. If you see their kid playing peacefully, you say “oh, he/she seems very focused, are they in a gifted program?” at which point the parent will say “yes.” Or if the kid is lighting a dog on fire while screaming at their mother, you say “my he/she is a creative one. Is he/she gifted?” To which the parent will reply “oh, yes, he’s too creative and smart for school. We just don’t know what to do.” Either situation will put a white person in a better mood and make them like you more.

But NEVER under any circumstance imply that their child is less than a genius. The idea that something could come from them and be less than greatness is too much for them to bear.

I did a post about Brisingr by Christopher Paolini. Just to say, “hey look! book coming your way!” but somehow it turned into a discussion of what “Gifted” children should read. First of all let me say this. This is really just a place for me to blab about whatever books or book related things have thrilled me lately but I really enjoyed that people were commenting about this topic. It is a good discussion.

I feel that even if a child is gifted, they should still try to read books that are aimed for their age. Yes they need to be challenged to grow, but I think it is important to still read books that are written for where the kid is physically if not “mentally.” Books written for 6th graders are written for kids… (get this?) IN SIXTH GRADE… not just kids reading at a 6th grade level. Saying a ten year old can read all seven Harry Potters… well that is great, but how much of book seven did they really UNDERSTAND?

Same thing with the Eragon series. It is written for the young adult crowd. To me at my bookstore that is basically 9th grade and up, with 8th grade being on the cusp. A lot of the young adult books are taking place IN high school with fairly nasty girls (think Clique, Gossip Girls, A-list, etc) and I think that you should be IN that situation before you are reading it. Think “sexualization of our youths” but that is a WAY different conversation.
Back to point, when I was in 3rd grade I read Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson.

Now, I was a kid that LOVED reading, I read as much as I could as often as I could. My local librarian knew me by name and there were entire shelves that I had ready everything on. But, I still had to read JHIL twice because I just did not feel that I understood it. Well, even now, reading Paterson’s other stuff, there is a LOT going on. You could reread Bridge to Terabithia every year and get something different out of it. Just because I read this long book, did not mean I “got” it. It is more important to understand and comprehend what you are reading than it is to say “look at this list of books that I have read.”

Yes it is important for all kids to be challenged, but here is my list of grievances.

1. You should not get special treatment because you are in an accelerated program.
2. You should make sure you are still reading books that deal with people in your age group.
3. You MUST make sure you understand what you are reading. What is the point without that?
4. Make sure you are doing this because you ENJOY it. Without the enjoyment of learning and the challenges that it can bring, what is the point?

So…. any replies? I welcome your thoughts, though please, keep it pleasant

I just found a new book! No idea how I missed it since apparently there are now four out in the series. Oh well! I just know that it is FUN! Shannon Greenland has written a series called the Specialists. It is about teens who excel in one area, and are recruited to a secret government organization (who becomes more like a family) where they learn limits, further their skills, and learn respect for themselves and their friends.

From Shannon’s website, here is the description of the first novel, Model Spy…

Sixteen-year-old Kelly James is in a lot of hot water. When David, her incredibly nice, not to mention super cute and irresistible, college RA, asked her to uncover some top-secret information, she thought why not? All she has to do is hack into the government’s main computer system. Simple enough for a computer techie genius like herself. But a few hours later, she is caught. Only this isn’t a run-of-the-mill arrest. Rather than serve a jail sentence in a juvenile detention, she accepts the option to change her identity and enlist in a secret government spy agency that trains teen agents to go undercover. After all, she has no family or friends at school. What does she have to lose? Instantly, Kelly Spree, a.k.a. girl genius GiGi, is born. And as if that wasn’t overwhelming enough, she discovers that David works for this agency as well. Before she even begins to understand what is going on, she’s sent on her first mission as an undercover model. Her partner? None other than David himself!

A really nice review here at FlamingNet.com.

And from Shannon’s website is a great bio.

You name it. Shannon Greenland’s done it. Hiking, rafting, swimming, snorkeling, sailing, surfing, mountain biking, spelunking, canoeing, power lifting, running, camping, para sailing . . . well, you get the drift. She’s traveled the world extensively and is thrilled to be living on an island, looking for her new adventure. Believe it or not, Shannon dreaded reading and writing when she was a kid. How ironic that she’s now an award winning author.

Goes to show you, you don’t have to start out liking books and reading to end up loving them Check out the Specialists Novels, because they are F-U-N!