These days, we hear a lot about the future of books and reading and how technology is changing the written word. A lot of people, it seems, are worried about what’s coming for reading, especially when it comes to kids. Well, the fine folks at McSweeny’s are looking to do something about that with a very cool new project.
On the surface, A Clock Without a Face seems like a normal storybook: it’s about a clock that has jeweled numbers that get stolen, and the story contains clues as to where those emerald-studded numbers are buried. The twist? Those numbers are actually buried in places around the United States. And whoever deciphers the clues and finds them first will get to keep those shiny green numerals.
Amazing, right? As people worry about how reading can compete with video games and movies, this book one-ups them entirely by making real-life ad adventure. I so wish I was a kid right now, and I think the people at McSweeny’s really need to be congratulated for this one.
[Source: Mighty Girl]
That is an amazingly awesome idea, but one that might not be easily maintained.
When I was a kid, I read one of the mystery, puzzle books that dealt with cracking codes – I truly believed that I had to go find the last remaining female dodo and take it to the island of Mauritius! (Hey, I was a kid!)
Gimmicks and things like this are great for kids – I just hope that it’s actually a young person that discovers the loot and not their parents helping figure it out and then forcing them to play along to keep the jewels.