Among the many novelties that were present at the Book Expo America 2013, one of them was really original and intriguing: the StorySticker. This product allows the user to turn any children’s book into a recordable audio book. You record yourself reading a story, page by page, and then save it to a StorySticker. The sticker is then placed inside the front cover of the book chosen and can be played back anytime, anywhere with the StorySticker free app, just by scanning the code, or entering the 10 digit letter code, on the sticker.. It’s perfect for traveling parents and out of town grandparents, uncles and aunts.
Another novelty for kids was the Story Lines books, where stories can be illustrated by the readers. At the book signing there was a very smiley Shale Yamada, the 8-year old author of Rainbow Kitty Saves the Day, proudly signing her illustrate-your-own book. You may want to see her in our video of the day…. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhHEbrFmfpc
Another product that you will find on the video is the Chinese Cubes, a fun and interactive Chinese language learning program designed for beginners of all ages. Each physical cube represents a Chinese character and AR technology brings the cube to life on the screen, by viewing the AR Marker with a Webcam (that comes with the program). You can therefore make sentences and hear their proper pronunciation; great gift for would-be polyglot.
The video also briefly shows Mr. Edward Land, author of Lube of Life, giving a brief explanation of how his book was born and Ms. Kim Anderson offering a thorough interview.
At the expo there were many nonfiction books aimed at a large audience. Among them stuck out for its marketing presentation: How to Slay a Pirate, by Barbara E. Gottesman. The set up at the signing booth may have appeared kitsch or out of a Marketing 101 class, but it certainly did the job and kept the people on smiling: a treasure chest with overflowing gold coins, free temporary tattoos, pirate decorations and objects were the only barrier between the visitor and the cheerful author, who aims to help the reader “achieve exciting and real success by inspiring them to set their goals in motion, slay their pirates, and finally achieve what they’ve only dreamed of until now”. It’s a marvelous book by a life-coach and motivational speaker and I am sure it will have a big success.
Another interesting book was Eliza Reynolds & Sil Reynolds’ Mothering and Daughtering, a book meant for women who have teenage daughters. Written by the mother’s point of view and guide in one direction, the book offers a different guide in the other direction, and I mean physically speaking. You will have to rotate the book 180o to be able to read both guides; very clever.
Don’t Buy THAT Health Insurance, written by K. Woodfield, wants the reader to learn how to reduce their insurance premiums and lower their medical expenses. It claims that the “trick to choosing the right plan for your family is to do some homework first” and that “you can keep your money in your wallet and put money in the bank”. It is worth reading it.
For the people who are always trying to find a way to better their body, a good book with an even catchier title: GREAT BODY NO DIET. The book offers a fresh perspective on how to achieve and maintain a healthy body without depriving oneself of occasional indulgences. It is a manual for safe and satisfying eating practices that promise to “help the reader develop the right mindset toward their body so that they burn more that they eat”. Racha Zeidan, the beautiful author of the book, stood by her booth as a living proof of her theories.
