Helping boys take a byte out of literature
Author blends computers, books to bridge the reading gap
TAMPA, Fla. – Fourth-grade boys lag behind girls when it comes to reading, according to a recent National
Assessment of Educational Progress report. The reading gap is an ongoing trend that emerged in the early 90s,
at the same time the World Wide Web burst on to the pop-culture scene. As more and more boys trade in their
library cards for memory cards, parents are asking themselves if computers are stealing boys’ interest from time
spent reading.
Because many boys today are more into MacBooks than paperbacks, one Tampa-area dad has come up with a
tool that he hopes will help close the decade-long gap, propelled by a generation of tech-savvy readers.
Technology expert and author G. L. Sheerin is launching a new series of books designed to engage those who
know more about Steve Jobs than Mark Twain.
“My hope is that by merging technology and literature we will encourage kids to read more,” says Sheerin. “On
the flip side, introducing kids to technology through reading is a great way to prepare them for the future.”
Realizing that the younger generations will make up a growing technology sector, Sheerin ventured to write
Virus Games (Synergy Books, April 2008, ISBN 1-934454-04-4, $11.95), the first novel in the Peter’s Packet series
that is designed to introduce children to computer science in a fun way at an early age.
“Many of our kids will one day be employed in the tech sector, so why not give them role models geared toward
their future. They may idolize my character Granger in Virus Games or maybe their idol will be Steve Jobs,” says
Sheerin. “Either way, giving kids a safe introduction to technology can only be positive.”
Sheerin draws heavily on his expertise as an information technology professional. With more than 10 years of
experience, he uses his knowledge of complex, technical concepts and puts it in user-friendly language that
parents and kids can understand. Sheerin’s fun, lighthearted novel educates as it entertains and introduces
readers to a world of technology.
In an interview, Sheerin can discuss:
• I want to be an IT guy: How to foster your kid’s tech savvy
• How to encourage reading among young boys
• Geeklit: The changing face of children’s literature
• Parenting a generation of “digital natives” (kids who have never known life without cell phones,
laptops and the Internet)
Sheerin’s fictional protagonist, Peter Dempsey, is a young adult who hates computers and avoids them at all
cost. In a stroke of fate, Dempsey is struck by lightening and acquires the ability to see inside his computer.
These unexpected events launch him on a quest to save his packet friends – the working parts inside his
computer – from the deadly Thanksgiving virus.
G. L. Sheerin earned a Bachelor of Science in information systems and decision sciences from the University of
South Florida. Virus Games is the first book in the Peter’s Packets series and his debut novel. Sheerin is currently
working on the series’ third book and lives with his wife and their son in Tampa, Fla.
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To schedule an interview with
Sheerin or receive a review copy of Virus Games, please contact Shelby
Sledgeat (512) 478-2028 ext. 227 or ssledge@phenixpublicity.com.
