Children’s Hypermedia on the Web

1. 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.

2. Hypermedia by publishers or authors. • Some of these sites accompany published books such as the excellent, or are based around existing characters. They are usually easy to navigate and have educational and play activities. Some, such as the essay help online site, also have an animated story for the kids to join in. Although the hypermedia on these sites is usually free, there’s no doubt that its purpose is to advertise and increase sales of books or other related products. In general I found them well designed, entertaining and highly interactive. 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". Flanagan says:

3. • "(I am) involved in making media for children because most social norms are set in childhood. If we are to make sweeping social changes in regard to gender issues and technology, we must begin early by offering girls alternative experiences, stories, and authoring opportunities in technological environments." • An original but fun educational site is the Fin, Fur and Feather Bureau of Investigation (FFBI), made by the kids web team at WGBH Interactive 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." • Although not as slick as the commercial ones, these sites are definitely as good if not better in content and will have kids logging on time and time again.

4. Hypermedia by children for children. • A popular hypermedia phenomenon are the Fanfics sites which are often set up and run by kids themselves. These sites encourage young children and teenagers to write stories and poems or draw pictures about their favourite characters such as Spiderman, Pokemon and Harry Potter. Although this is technically illegal, the sites usually post a disclaimer along the lines that they don’t hold the rights to the characters and the site is non-commercial. Some of the sites have been set up by the kids themselves and are pretty good, with forum groups, chats, FAQ’s as well as a good selection of stories, poems and artwork. Commercial hypermedia by solo artists/self publishers. • A good example of this is The Flower. Originally written for his own daughter, Rachel, this modern day fairy tale features a little girl who is turned into a flower. There is a free black and white short version of the story on the slope site where Edward Picot says: Flower Story was inspired "by my daughter Rachel, who came up with the idea that she might turn into a flower and need to be planted outside in the garden." You can also buy a colour CD version for £9.99 which has both the short and long version of the story, accessed through your internet browser. It is a simple story with images but not much interactivity. There are some clever touches such as animated pictures. However, I couldn’t help wondering if a bit more could have been made of the visuals and whether people are willing to pay £9.99 for a CD like this when there is so much free stuff about. Still, as Edward himself says: "You can't give a child a website URL as a birthday or Christmas gift; but a CD it can be wrapped and placed under the tree, or posted, in the appropriate manner."

5. • 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.com, 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."