Mom & 12-Year-Old Son Tackle Reading Crisis with Humorous New Novel and Free Reluctant Reader Playbook

NEW YORK, Oct. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- With two-thirds of parents saying screens are hurting kids' attention spans and mental health, one mom decided to flip the script. Teaming up with her 12-year-old son, Melanie Vitalli co-authored Not Logan: How I Accidentally Became a YouTube Star—launching today alongside the Reluctant Reader Playbook, a free resource of research-backed strategies designed to help families turn screen time battles into book-driven wins.

The book grew out of Melanie Vitalli's efforts with her son Hunter, writing together under the pen name Melanie Hunter, after struggling to find a middle-grade book that spoke to him as a reluctant reader.

"We couldn't find a book that grabbed my son's attention. All he wanted was video games and YouTube," said Vitalli. "So instead of fighting screens, we used them as a bridge back to books. Our goal was to create a story that kept kids laughing and turning the pages."

In their story, 12-year-old Logan is an awkward kid who wears Velcro shoes and can trip over air – definitely not one of the coolest kids at school. But for this wannabe gaming YouTuber with just three subscribers (including his grandma), it's this genuineness that causes him to go viral when a hilarious glitch happens during a livestream. Now swamped with fans, sponsorships, and merch, Logan has to figure out if he can handle megastar status without losing the offbeat genuineness that made him famous in the first place.

Written with short chapters, laugh-out-loud humor, and a voice that sounds like a real kid, it's designed for the child who insists they "don't read" but will devour something that feels relatable and modern.

To mark the launch, the duo is also releasing the Reluctant Reader Playbook, a free resource for parents, teachers, and librarians. The Playbook translates research-backed literacy strategies into actionable tools to help screen-focused kids engage with books. Highlights include:

• 5 Fresh Ways to Hook a Reluctant Reader - from turning screens into bridges for reading to making the activity social and interactive.
• 10 Research-Backed Tactics That Really Work - techniques covering choice, peer modeling, humor, book visibility, micro-reading sessions, and more.
• Why Not Logan Works for Reluctant Readers - insights into how the novel's design aligns with proven literacy principles.

In addition to the Playbook, the team has created free, printable activities designed to keep kids engaged at home and in classrooms. These include a "Create Your Own Book" worksheet, themed Mad Libs, and social-emotional learning (SEL) guides that extend the story experience beyond the page.

The launch comes at a critical moment: National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores show the sharpest drop in reading achievement in three decades, while parents consistently cite screen time as the biggest barrier to reading at home. Not Logan and the accompanying Playbook offer a positive, practical way to turn reluctant readers into curious, engaged learners.

For more information, to request a review copy, or to download the Reluctant Reader Playbook, contact Melanie Vitalli at 845-591-5809, [email protected], visit www.notloganbooks.com, or click here to access the Playbook directly.

About the Authors

Melanie Vitalli and her 12-year-old son, Hunter, split their time between the Hudson Valley, New York, and Nashville, Tennessee. Together, they co-authored Not Logan: How I Accidentally Became a YouTube Star, the first in a planned middle-grade series designed for reluctant readers ages 8-13. Their family has a longstanding commitment to children and families: Melanie's husband, Dave Vitalli, is a former TV personality ("The Family Fixer" on NBC's Maury and CMT's My Dysfunctional Family) and co-founder with Melanie of the AngelWatch Foundation, a national child-safety initiative.

Contact:
Melanie Vitalli
845-591-5809
[email protected]

SOURCE Melanie Vitalli