It started in 2007. Two brothers, John and Hank Green, made the decision to abandon text messaging to each other and communicate, instead, through daily videoblogs on YouTube. In these vlogs, the brothers discussed social justice issues, Hank wrote/sang hit songs, and John discussed his many books for teens/young adults.
What started as a private project, Brotherhood 2.0 (youtube.com/vlogbrothers), turned into a YouTube sensation as the people who watched the videos started to form a community. The community began calling themselves the Nerdfighters: Fighters for the Rights of Nerds.
In 2008, with over 40,000 subscribers, the brothers created a website: nerdfighters.ning.com. From this website they talk about books, writing, reading and social justice issues. The site has become a kind of "sandbox" for the teens and young adults that have followed along, allowing them a way to express their creativity through writing and art. The Green Brothers have become an Internet sensation and are taking their show on the road as only the VlogBrothers can.
John and Hank's videos have been watched more than 11 million times, making theirs one of the most popular channels in YouTube history. The Green brothers have been featured in The Wall Street Journal and on NPR, Fox News, and BBC Radio.
On Saturday, November 15, Tour de NerdFighting will be visiting Racine for two exclusive appearances. At 2 p.m., the Racine Public Library, 75 Seventh St., will host a meet and greet with the celebrities where John's books, Hank's cd's, and other NerdFighter items will be available for signing.
At 4 p.m., the Racine Park and Recreation Dept. will host the Tour de NerdFighting event at the John Bryant Center, 601 21st St., where John Green will read from his newly released book, "Paper Towns," Hank will share his much beloved hit songs, and a NerdFighter discussion of all things important will take place. The Green Brothers will be available for signing books, CD's and other NerdFighter items after the program. The event is free and no registration is necessary.
John Green, the celebrated author of 2006 Michael L. Printz Medal winner Looking for Alaska and 2007 Michael L. Printz Honor book An Abundance of Katherines, is bringing readers his highly anticipated third novel, Paper Towns. Green is the only American to be twice recognized by the Printz committee. Both his previous books were finalists for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and are being developed into films. John's work has been translated into eleven languages, winning many awards internationally.
As a final enticement, John Green says of the NerdFighter's event: "General NerdFighting will take place! Tell the people there will be lots of free stuff floating around! At every tour stop, we'll give away books; but more importantly, because we're doing the city-to-city gift exchange, there will be t-shirts, NerdFighter art and jewelry, and God knows what else to give away. Then, during the signing, we'll collect gifts for the next city."
Mark your calendars, NerdFighters…its time to get organized!
More Information about John Green's latest book: PAPER TOWNS
In Paper Towns, the popular and extravagantly mischievous Margo Roth Spiegelman cracks open a window and climbs back into her next-door neighbor Quentin's life after a decade grown apart from him. Though their all-nighter through Orlando feels to Q like the beginning of a new life, he arrives at school the next day to discover that Margo has vanished—always an enigma, she has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that Margo has left behind clues—and they're for him. With nothing left to guide him but a seemingly random collection of maps, books, online entries, and an annotated copy of Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself," Q and his friends must find Margo and unpeel the ever-changing layers of meaning behind her "paper towns." Urged down this disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees of the girl he thought he knew.
A brilliantly ambitious novel, Paper Towns is distinguished by Green's trademark wit and searing emotional honesty, which have inspired a new generation of readers. For more information about John Green's books and videos, you can visit nerdfighters.com and sparksflyup.com.
About John Green
John Green has been a commentator on National Public Radio's "All Things Considered" and has reviewed books for publications including The New York Times and Booklist. His first novel, Looking For Alaska, won the 2006 Michael L. Printz Award and his second novel, An Abundance of Katherines, was a 2007 Michael L. Printz Honor Book. Although John grew up amid the subdivisions and theme parks of Orlando (where Paper Towns is set) he now lives in Indianapolis, IN with his wife, Sarah.
For more information, please contact Jess Michaels, Associate Director of Publicity Penguin Young Readers Group, 212.414.3437/ jessica.michaels@us.penguingroup.com
No comments:
Post a Comment