Middle Grade Books

Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys have never gone out of style, nor have mysteries for young people. In fact, a new mystery series by Kim Harrington called Sleuth or Dare debuts this week with the first novel, Partners in Crime.

Reluctant readers, it seems, like fart jokes. They also seem to like gross food, nonstop action, and the occasional illustration. For those not in the business, the term "reluctant reader" tends to be a synonym for "boy."

Most of today's teens are online and that's where publishing has to go if they want to reach them. Why not take advantage of the rich storytelling opportunities that multimedia has to offer?