Middle Shelf Brings Books and Reading into Tweens' Digital World

DALLAS, Sept. 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Cool, colorful, digital magazine Middle Shelf is celebrating its first anniversary of building "tween" interest in reading with its September/October issue. In one year, the free ezine has built a following among kids and generated accolades from parents, teachers, librarians and authors. Its unique structure encourages kids ages eight to 14 to interact with articles about books and also share excerpts, art, interviews and reviews in their social networks. Kids tap Middle Shelf on their phones, tablets and laptops, building communities around reading on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and more.  

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140922/147699
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140922/147700

Read the new issue here: http://bit.ly/1sVaSur

"The tween water-cooler conversations happen online. Middle Shelf is designed to spark conversations on books and reading," said publisher Margaret Brown. "It's fun, hip and makes it so simple for kids to translate what they're reading into a tweet or a post or follow an author on Twitter. It takes books into kids' online life."

Middle Shelf's clever, engaging content makes it infinitely shareable.

• Each issue brings readers inside the world of books through interviews with authors, cover designers and characters, like "Stitchhead" -- the laboratory-created lead in the series of books named for him – who we discover is "teeny-weeny, about the size of three kittens glued together."
• Featured books span the gamut of genres – from teen angst to horror to history – and the breadth of publishers, including major houses and creative new works from indie presses.
• A pair of middle-school-age columnists headlines the cast of book reviewers, providing kids' eye views of good reads.
• Clicking on any article enables readers to comment, share on a social network or visit a publisher or author website.
• Issues also contain book excerpts and even poetry. 

The current issue's themes of back-to-school and haunted Halloween make for an especially interesting, sometimes creepy issue. Interviews include conversations with R.J. Palacio, author of Wonder, and her book designer, Tad Carpenter, whose imaginative drawings have become synonymous with the bestselling series. The scores of reviews explore books about the Romanovs, hauntings, and a wonderfully grim graphic novel version of Hansel and Gretel by Neil Gaiman. The excerpt section entitled Cool Reads for Cool Kids promises to deliver "your next favorite book" and features six books in six different genres.

Find Middle Shelf on the Shelf Media Group website – www.shelfmediagroup.com.

Contact: Beth Dempsey, for Middle Shelf
Email or 248-915-8160

SOURCE Shelf Media Group