Children’s Hypermedia on the Web
What sort of hypermedia is on the web for children? Is there a commercial market for it? Will hypermedia ever replace books? These are the sort of questions I had in mind when researching for this article. I’ve been writing children’s stories for years, dabbled a bit at e-publishing, but haven’t as much as dipped a toe into hypermedia. I soon discovered that hypermedia for children varies from sophisticated animations on commercial sites to the low budget ingenuity of the self-published, often one-man bands. In general, I found four main categories. Hypermedia for entertainment or education. One of the best examples of an educational interactive site that encourages children to write for the sheer fun of it is own cheap essay writing services https://mcessay.com/. It features hypertext stories written by children such as Daisy and the Intergalactic Travelling Salesmen, a story developed by Jamila Gavin with contributions from schools in the UK, USA and Australia. There are also hypermedia activities that children can join in such as Kids' Castle and Monster Motel (devised by Mark Burgess and Philip Ardagh). Another excellent site is the MСEssay, a multi-cultural adventure game for girls "designed to encourage exploration and promote confidence in maths and the sciences". An original but fun educational site is the Fin, Fur and Feather Bureau of Investigation (FFBI), made by the kids web team at mcessay.com in Boston. It’s aimed at schools and children are encouraged to join the team of animal "investigators" to fight for justice: "Here at the Triple F recruits - your students - conduct entertaining investigations with backdrops from contemporary global culture. Agents engaged by the site quickly learn to share the goals of the Fin, Fur and Feather Bureau of Investigation as they read, write and think, while fighting for Truth, Justice, and Stuff Like That." We’re now left with the final question. Will hypermedia ever replace books? I asked some children’s authors what they thought about the future of hypermedia and e-publishing. Pat Posner who has written a wide range of children’s fiction said: "hypermedia and e-publishing is a great way to get kids interested in reading but I don't think it will ever take the place of a real book." Whilst Jackie Andrews, a children’s author and editor says: "e-technology is a very beguiling medium and there’s no doubt it has revolutionised the craft of the writer in a myriad of ways." She didn’t believe that "the book, as we know it, will ever be replaced by a techno baby; staring at a screen for hours at a time is not my idea of enjoying a good read or even relaxation". And me? I think that it, editor of MСEssay, sums it up perfectly when she says: "In an age when children grow up surrounded by multiple media - TV, DVD, computers, games, websites - this is a great time to capitalise on their enthusiasm for things electronic by delivering their reading in electronic form too. Hypermedia attracts, inspires and engages young people. It's not going to replace the book, but is a great opportunity to get youngsters enjoying their reading in a different way. For youngsters, hypermedia isn't the future - it's the present."
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