Ghost in the Machine

Patrick Carman is a bestselling children's author with over four million books in print including perennial favorites Skeleton Creek, Atherton, 39 Clues, Floors, Fizzopolis, and The Land of Elyon. Mr. Carman's books have been translated into 26 languages.Skeleton Creek, one of Mr. Carman's most popular series, has won or been nominated for the following awards:Nevada Young Readers' AwardPennsylvania Young Reader's Choice AwardsNew Mexico Land of Enchantment Book Award shortlistChildren's Book Council book of the year nomineeDelaware Diamonds ShortlistOregon Battle of the Books ShortlistPatrick Carman writes books for young adults and children for Scholastic, Harper Collins, Penguin Random House, and Little Brown Books For Young Readers, and launched Gokidgo in 2019 to visit schools on a broader scale.Patrick Carman on his mission:Since 2003, I've been writing books for young readers and spending a lot of time on the road, meeting them where they're at. More than 2500 school visits later, I can report from the field that kids still love books, even as a tidal wave of distraction try to keep them from turning pages. Books still shape young minds, and they still provide unparalleled advantages every kid needs. My mission after nearly two decades and thousands of school visits hasn't changed: get every kid excited about reading, because reading helps every kid thrive.When I visit schools I always ask lots of kids the same question: what's keeping you from reading? Let me count the ways! Netflix, YouTube, Fortnite, Minecraft, Snapchat, Roblox, and Instagram top the list. None of these things are bad in and of themselves, but taken together, they build a wall around books that can be difficult for a kid to climb. That's why Skeleton Creek goes looking for kids where they are. Through the use of video content and words, Skeleton Creek draws kids in and hooks them on reading. Sometimes we just have to be willing to meet them halfway.