James Patterson moves into children's books
James Patterson launches, 鈥淢iddle School, The Worst years of My Life,鈥� a book aimed at kids, on the same day as his latest adult release, "Now You See Her."
Patterson's new book aimed kids tells tells the story of a boy named Rafe, who copes with the awkwardness of adolescence: crushes, bullying, family issues.
Last year he sold more books than Stephen King, Dan Brown, Stieg Larsson, and John Grisham combined. He鈥檚 been called a publishing powerhouse, a media mogul, and a publishing-entertainment entrepreneur.
He鈥檚 prolific novelist James Patterson and he鈥檚 changing the definition of modern-day publishing with his wide reach.
Mr. Patterson started writing novels in the mid-1970s. Last year he expanded his company, James Patterson Entertainment, into comic books. Several of his books are being made into movies, including 鈥淲itch & Wizard,鈥� a young adult fantasy.
And now he鈥檚 trying his hand at children鈥檚 books again 鈥� with a clever twist. This week Patterson鈥檚 publisher Little, Brown & Co. released two Patterson books on the same day, one for adults and one for kids.
They鈥檙e hoping parents who come to purchase his new suspense novel, 鈥淣ow You See Her,鈥� will try out his young readers鈥� fiction, 鈥淢iddle School, The Worst years of My Life.鈥�
Co-written with Chris Tebbetts, the young adult novel is his first book targeting middle school students. It tells the story of a boy called Rafe, who copes with the awkwardness of adolescence: crushes, bullying, family issues.
Critics are saying it鈥檚 a marketing ploy, but in , Patterson insisted childhood reading is his passion.
鈥淚 am obsessed with it,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a huge, huge problem in our country and probably all other countries. But we have millions of kids in this country who have never read a book in their life.鈥�
In 2008 Patterson launched to help parents pick kids' books.
Patterson, who began his career in advertising before becoming a novelist, is a mass-marketing machine. He has had 45 of his hardcovers hit #1 on New York Times bestseller list and has sold 230 million copies of his books worldwide.
If he can sell as many children鈥檚 books as he has adults, Patterson will have millions of kids reading. Whatever his critics say, getting more kids to read is a big plus in our book.
Husna Haq is a Monitor correspondent.
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