Author Chat

WOW! What an experience! I really enjoyed speaking with the author of "Kid Houdini," Dwight MacPherson, in a chat room along with the rest of my class and professor. He was laid back and answered a lot of great questions! My favorite aspect about the chat was that we were really able to get an idea of the man behind the story. I was able to understand where his characters came from, how he created them and why he wrote the story! Not to mention, he wrote the story and had it completed in less than a month (which I found to be very impressive). His son is extremely ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and struggles focusing on reading stories in class and at home. He wrote the graphic novel "Kid Houdini" so that his son could find a story interesting and entertaining without feeling overwhelmed and bored. "Kid Houdini" is very visual and I can see why the author created the story the way he did. It has a lot of visual and a lot of VOICE, so children can understand and comprehend the story a little bit easier than they could by solely reading a story. By speaking with Mr. Macpherson I was able to becom inspired to write my own graphic novel for all students alike with disabilities. I have a younger sister who is deaf and constantly struggles with comprehending what she has read. Even though she is a sophomore in College at Gallaudette University, I think it would be enjoyable for her to get to read graphc novels for enjoyment.

One aspect of the book chat I did not enjoy was the crowd of people. I think it would have been better organized if there were only about 5 people at a time (including the author) to speak and ask questions. I believe it would go smoother and everyone would get their vital questions answered, and the author wouldn't be too overwhelmed. I am not sure if I would do book chats with my own student, it would have to depend on age and convenience of technology.

Overall, I enjoyed the book chat a lot and look forward to doing more in the next school year.