Maddy Lederman's Blog - Posts Tagged "literature"
EDNA IN THE DESERT on an English Honors Summer Reading List
After their cell phone-free experiment (see report below), Carle Place High School has added Maddy Lederman’s debut novel, Edna in the Desert, to their list of summer reads for English Honors 9 students.
Edna in the Desert chronicles a spoiled, tech-addicted teen's summer without cell phone service, Internet or TV.
Long Island High School Students Challenged To Go A Week Without Cellphones
April 4, 2014, CARLE PLACE, N.Y. (Reporter Jennifer McLogan, CBS-NewYork)
(excerpts)
Students at one Long Island school went through withdrawal from Instagram, text messages, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr this week, but they learned they could actually live without their cellphones.
As CBS 2’s Jennifer McLogan reported, the unplugging experiment was held at Carle Place High School. Students in Ms. Melissa Mehling’s English class were studying Ray Bradbury’s dystopian futuristic novel “Fahrenheit 451,” about a bookless, hedonistic and illiterate society distracted and infatuated by mass media.
“I challenged the kids for one week not to use their cellphones and social media,” Mehling said.
And in taking on the challenge, some students admitted that they were distracted and infatuated by electronic devices.
“You don’t talk anymore and you don’t start conversations,” one student said.
“It’s so hard to cut back when you are already so used to it,” another said.
“Some of us are really obsessed with our phones; some couldn’t last one period when we got our phones wrapped,” a third said.
Some students went so far as to call their cellphone, iPad and Internet use an “epidemic,” and wondered whether they had the inner strength to hand over their “obsessed” possessions to their teacher.
“At first, a lot of the kids had a hard time; the shakes – as if they were a drug addict,” Mehling said. “By the third day, by Wednesday, they said, ‘You know what? I feel relieved I don’t have my phone;’ especially the girls — they said they were released from drama.”
Full article here: http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/04/0...
More about EDNA IN THE DESERT: http://www.maddylederman.com/news/pro...
Edna in the Desert chronicles a spoiled, tech-addicted teen's summer without cell phone service, Internet or TV.
Long Island High School Students Challenged To Go A Week Without Cellphones
April 4, 2014, CARLE PLACE, N.Y. (Reporter Jennifer McLogan, CBS-NewYork)
(excerpts)
Students at one Long Island school went through withdrawal from Instagram, text messages, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr this week, but they learned they could actually live without their cellphones.
As CBS 2’s Jennifer McLogan reported, the unplugging experiment was held at Carle Place High School. Students in Ms. Melissa Mehling’s English class were studying Ray Bradbury’s dystopian futuristic novel “Fahrenheit 451,” about a bookless, hedonistic and illiterate society distracted and infatuated by mass media.
“I challenged the kids for one week not to use their cellphones and social media,” Mehling said.
And in taking on the challenge, some students admitted that they were distracted and infatuated by electronic devices.
“You don’t talk anymore and you don’t start conversations,” one student said.
“It’s so hard to cut back when you are already so used to it,” another said.
“Some of us are really obsessed with our phones; some couldn’t last one period when we got our phones wrapped,” a third said.
Some students went so far as to call their cellphone, iPad and Internet use an “epidemic,” and wondered whether they had the inner strength to hand over their “obsessed” possessions to their teacher.
“At first, a lot of the kids had a hard time; the shakes – as if they were a drug addict,” Mehling said. “By the third day, by Wednesday, they said, ‘You know what? I feel relieved I don’t have my phone;’ especially the girls — they said they were released from drama.”
Full article here: http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/04/0...
More about EDNA IN THE DESERT: http://www.maddylederman.com/news/pro...
EDNA IN THE DESERT is on another school reading list!
EDNA IN THE DESERT has been put on another school reading list, this time for 8th graders in Quebec, Canada!
http://www.maddylederman.com/edna-in-...
It is such an honor to be on this very short list along with classics by Charlotte Bronte and Agatha Christie! Hope the students enjoy EDNA IN THE DESERT and feel free to share their thoughts!
EDNA IN THE DESERT is also on the Summer Reading List for English Honors 9 at Carle Place High School in New York State, and on the "Teen-friendly" ebook list at Westbury Library!
http://www.maddylederman.com/a-great-...
http://www.maddylederman.com/edna-in-...
Edna is spoiled and wreaking havoc at her Beverly Hills school. Her therapist advocates medication, but her parents come up with an alternative cure: Edna will spend the summer in the desert with her grandparents. Their remote cabin is cut off from cell phone service, Internet and everything else she likes. Edna’s determined to rebel until she meets an older local boy and falls in love for the first time. How can she get to know him from the edge of nowhere?
You can find EDNA IN THE DESERT at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes and Electio Publishing.
http://www.maddylederman.com/edna-in-...
It is such an honor to be on this very short list along with classics by Charlotte Bronte and Agatha Christie! Hope the students enjoy EDNA IN THE DESERT and feel free to share their thoughts!
EDNA IN THE DESERT is also on the Summer Reading List for English Honors 9 at Carle Place High School in New York State, and on the "Teen-friendly" ebook list at Westbury Library!
http://www.maddylederman.com/a-great-...
http://www.maddylederman.com/edna-in-...
Edna is spoiled and wreaking havoc at her Beverly Hills school. Her therapist advocates medication, but her parents come up with an alternative cure: Edna will spend the summer in the desert with her grandparents. Their remote cabin is cut off from cell phone service, Internet and everything else she likes. Edna’s determined to rebel until she meets an older local boy and falls in love for the first time. How can she get to know him from the edge of nowhere?
You can find EDNA IN THE DESERT at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes and Electio Publishing.
EDNA IN THE DESERT…in Paris!
“It’s been great fun bringing EDNA IN THE DESERT to English readers in Paris. Their excitement and interest in Edna’s story has been remarkable. They really seem to enjoy Edna’s special brand of precocious sarcasm!” –Maddy
Author Maddy Lederman reads excerpts of EDNA IN THE DESERT at Le Bistro Des Artists in Saint Michel/Odeon and at Culture Rapide with Paris Lit Up in Belleville, May 2015, Paris, France.
Pictures at maddylederman.com:
http://www.maddylederman.com/edna-in-...
Edna in the Desert
Can a modern teen live without her smart phone, WiFi…or anything else she likes?
Edna will find out.
EDNA IN THE DESERT is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes.
“The most hilarious and realistic Young Adult book that I have read in a VERY LONG TIME…the precocious but incredibly lovable Edna really struck a chord with me.” –writer Ingrid Hall. ingridhall.wordpress.com/tag/edna-in-...
“EDNA IN THE DESERT really captured the teenage voice…I definitely think more schools should have the opportunity to read it.” –Melissa Mehling, Honors English Teacher, Carle Place High School, Carle Place, NY. maddylederman.com/a-great-time-with-s...
“I absolutely loved Edna in the Desert….4 out of 4 stars for realistic characters, solid writing, and moving storyline…..The author weaves a subtle commentary on modern technology’s impact upon interpersonal relationships.” –Official Online Book Club review.
Author Maddy Lederman reads excerpts of EDNA IN THE DESERT at Le Bistro Des Artists in Saint Michel/Odeon and at Culture Rapide with Paris Lit Up in Belleville, May 2015, Paris, France.
Pictures at maddylederman.com:
http://www.maddylederman.com/edna-in-...
Edna in the Desert
Can a modern teen live without her smart phone, WiFi…or anything else she likes?
Edna will find out.
EDNA IN THE DESERT is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes.
“The most hilarious and realistic Young Adult book that I have read in a VERY LONG TIME…the precocious but incredibly lovable Edna really struck a chord with me.” –writer Ingrid Hall. ingridhall.wordpress.com/tag/edna-in-...
“EDNA IN THE DESERT really captured the teenage voice…I definitely think more schools should have the opportunity to read it.” –Melissa Mehling, Honors English Teacher, Carle Place High School, Carle Place, NY. maddylederman.com/a-great-time-with-s...
“I absolutely loved Edna in the Desert….4 out of 4 stars for realistic characters, solid writing, and moving storyline…..The author weaves a subtle commentary on modern technology’s impact upon interpersonal relationships.” –Official Online Book Club review.
EDNA IN THE DESERT is Schools' 2015 Summer Reading!
EDNA IN THE DESERT is Required Summer Reading for 8th and 9th graders for the second year!
Author Maddy Lederman will visit Carle Place High School again in Fall 2015.
http://www.maddylederman.com/edna-in-...
http://www.maddylederman.com/a-great-...
Author Maddy Lederman will visit Carle Place High School again in Fall 2015.
http://www.maddylederman.com/edna-in-...
http://www.maddylederman.com/a-great-...
"…I’m no different from Edna."
Dear Readers,
Please check out this insightful review of EDNA IN THE DESERT from Tween Book Blog!
"We learn to recognize Edna’s self-absorbed behavior as our own and it makes us think about what we could change to get us to be more in touch with the important people in our lives. Edna and the reader are forced to consider the consequences of our actions, to learn how to love much more fully and live a life that is richer. It’s a coming of age story that asks the reader hard questions without forcing an immediate answer. While the ending is somewhat bittersweet, we, like Edna, will have made a more positive change that we will be able to carry with us into the real world."
https://tweenbookblog.wordpress.com/2...
Edna in the Desert
Please check out this insightful review of EDNA IN THE DESERT from Tween Book Blog!
"We learn to recognize Edna’s self-absorbed behavior as our own and it makes us think about what we could change to get us to be more in touch with the important people in our lives. Edna and the reader are forced to consider the consequences of our actions, to learn how to love much more fully and live a life that is richer. It’s a coming of age story that asks the reader hard questions without forcing an immediate answer. While the ending is somewhat bittersweet, we, like Edna, will have made a more positive change that we will be able to carry with us into the real world."
https://tweenbookblog.wordpress.com/2...
Edna in the Desert
EDNA IN THE DESERT on Baddass Female Lead List!
Edna in the Desert
Edna In The Desert is on Happy Bookshelf's Top Ten List of Badass Female Leads!
http://www.myhappybookshelf.com/10-ba...
And on Get Schooled's Coming of Age titles!
"Books That Prove Growing Up Isn't Easy"
https://getschooled.com/dashboard/art...
Can a Beverly Hills teen survive without a cell phone, Internet or TV?
Edna will find out.
Edna is thirteen, spoiled and wreaking havoc at school. Her therapist advocates medication, but her parents come up with an alternative cure: Edna will spend the summer in the desert with her grandparents. Their remote cabin is cut off from cell phone service, Internet and TV. Edna’s determined to rebel until she meets an older local boy and falls in love for the first time. How can she get to know him from the edge of nowhere?
Edna In The Desert is on Happy Bookshelf's Top Ten List of Badass Female Leads!
http://www.myhappybookshelf.com/10-ba...
And on Get Schooled's Coming of Age titles!
"Books That Prove Growing Up Isn't Easy"
https://getschooled.com/dashboard/art...
Can a Beverly Hills teen survive without a cell phone, Internet or TV?
Edna will find out.
Edna is thirteen, spoiled and wreaking havoc at school. Her therapist advocates medication, but her parents come up with an alternative cure: Edna will spend the summer in the desert with her grandparents. Their remote cabin is cut off from cell phone service, Internet and TV. Edna’s determined to rebel until she meets an older local boy and falls in love for the first time. How can she get to know him from the edge of nowhere?
EDNA & EMPATHY
EDNA IN THE DESERT was thoughtfully reviewed by "Our Digital Daughters" on January 25, 2016:
Today’s review is of YA Novel Edna in the Desert by Maddy Lederman.
Edna in the Desert
Drive-in movie theatres are romantic, iconic and offer a screen like no other. In Edna in the Desert, by Maddy Lederman, the drive-in sets a sweet scene and a dramatic contrast for 13-year-old troublemaking, narcissistic and cellphone-addicted Edna:
“Edna’s stay in the desert had established the longest time she’d gone in her life without looking at a screen. This one was framed by the windshield from inside the jeep and suspended in front of the stars.”
Yes, this is a coming of age YA novel about young love and first kisses, but more poignantly, Edna in the Desert tells a timely story of the importance of empathy in the age of cellphones and social media. It looks at our screen-obsessed kids and what is at risk when meaningful human contact and face-to-face interaction becomes secondary to a smart device that becomes their third limb, mirror and hiding place.
When we first meet Edna, her harried parents are driving her away from her posh life in Los Angeles to her grandparents’ remote cabin in the desert. Banished to live in Dream Valley for the summer, “where the best thing to do is daydream,” Edna has no Internet connection and no semblance of her accustomed cushy lifestyle. Edna is faced with long empty days where she must cope with a list of chores spelled out by her reticent and stern grandmother and her only entertainment are books about pioneer women of the Old West.
“In the real world, a million things would have happened in Edna’s day by nine. Many of them would have been texts.”
But then in a truly cliché but well-painted scene, Edna is saved by “the best-looking boy she’d ever seen.” According to Our Digital Daughter Ambassador Maia, “She complains a whole lot and it is very annoying to listen to, until luckily she meets a hot guy named Johnny who saves her when she walks into the desert to try to run away. Johnny is seventeen and the age gap turned me off a bit. But I did like the relationship between Edna and her grandma.”
The book turns, as do the pages, as you happily experience Edna’s life away from Twitter and Facebook where there are such things as unstructured time, a desert oasis and a drive-in. You root for her as her narcissism fades and you realize that only through learning empathy will she herself be worthy of love.
Originally published by "Our Digital Daughters," http://ourdigitaldaughters.com/2016/0...
Today’s review is of YA Novel Edna in the Desert by Maddy Lederman.
Edna in the Desert
Drive-in movie theatres are romantic, iconic and offer a screen like no other. In Edna in the Desert, by Maddy Lederman, the drive-in sets a sweet scene and a dramatic contrast for 13-year-old troublemaking, narcissistic and cellphone-addicted Edna:
“Edna’s stay in the desert had established the longest time she’d gone in her life without looking at a screen. This one was framed by the windshield from inside the jeep and suspended in front of the stars.”
Yes, this is a coming of age YA novel about young love and first kisses, but more poignantly, Edna in the Desert tells a timely story of the importance of empathy in the age of cellphones and social media. It looks at our screen-obsessed kids and what is at risk when meaningful human contact and face-to-face interaction becomes secondary to a smart device that becomes their third limb, mirror and hiding place.
When we first meet Edna, her harried parents are driving her away from her posh life in Los Angeles to her grandparents’ remote cabin in the desert. Banished to live in Dream Valley for the summer, “where the best thing to do is daydream,” Edna has no Internet connection and no semblance of her accustomed cushy lifestyle. Edna is faced with long empty days where she must cope with a list of chores spelled out by her reticent and stern grandmother and her only entertainment are books about pioneer women of the Old West.
“In the real world, a million things would have happened in Edna’s day by nine. Many of them would have been texts.”
But then in a truly cliché but well-painted scene, Edna is saved by “the best-looking boy she’d ever seen.” According to Our Digital Daughter Ambassador Maia, “She complains a whole lot and it is very annoying to listen to, until luckily she meets a hot guy named Johnny who saves her when she walks into the desert to try to run away. Johnny is seventeen and the age gap turned me off a bit. But I did like the relationship between Edna and her grandma.”
The book turns, as do the pages, as you happily experience Edna’s life away from Twitter and Facebook where there are such things as unstructured time, a desert oasis and a drive-in. You root for her as her narcissism fades and you realize that only through learning empathy will she herself be worthy of love.
Originally published by "Our Digital Daughters," http://ourdigitaldaughters.com/2016/0...
EDNA IN THE DESERT Author Maddy Lederman is on the 2016 Scholastic Writing Awards Jury!
EDNA IN THE DESERT Author Maddy Lederman is on the 2016 Scholastic Writing Awards Jury!
http://www.maddylederman.com/talented...
“It was hard to believe that these stories came from writers who are so young, and it was even harder to judge this contest: Every entry had its own strengths. Some were so moving they brought me to tears (I made sure I brought tissues the second day!). What an incredible variety of topics and talent! Scholastic is doing a great job highlighting student writers. I had so much fun, and I’m proud to join their distinguished list of jurors!” --Maddy Lederman
Edna in the Desert
http://www.maddylederman.com/talented...
“It was hard to believe that these stories came from writers who are so young, and it was even harder to judge this contest: Every entry had its own strengths. Some were so moving they brought me to tears (I made sure I brought tissues the second day!). What an incredible variety of topics and talent! Scholastic is doing a great job highlighting student writers. I had so much fun, and I’m proud to join their distinguished list of jurors!” --Maddy Lederman
Edna in the Desert
