8-year-old (literary prodigy) lampoons the Bush administration

[highplainsdem]

http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2006/3/emw361980.htm

Redmond, WA (PRWEB) March 23, 2006 -- Eight-year-old author Adora Svitak tackles hot button issues in her upcoming novel, "Yang in Disguise". Although the novel is set in a fantasy world, the young author says that her antagonist, a greedy and amoral king, is ‘a more toned down version of George W. Bush’. When his son leaves his father’s kingdom to see if he can find a more peaceful solution to his country’s problems, the eight-year-old author uses each land he visits as an opportunity to comment on a number of political and cultural issues, including gay rights, immigration policies, Middle Eastern women’s rights, the environment, vengeance, and nationalism. Svitak, who cites Voltaire’s Candide as an influence, says she wanted to ‘use comedy to keep people thinking’. Svitak’s touch is certainly more comedic than didactic, instead of being obsessed with crude oil, one land her main character visits is engaged in a war over cooking oil.

Svitak published her first book, "Flying Fingers: Master the Tools of Learning Through the Joy of Writing" at age 7. The second American edition is in the works, and the book has also been published in China, where Svitak is a media sensation. A Korean edition is pending. In addition to "Yang in Disguise", the author has just finished work on a book of poems, "Dancing Fingers", which is designed for younger readers and is more whimsical than political in tone.

‘I like to keep exploring different genres. My first book was more strictly a collection of fantasy and historical fiction with writing tips,’ Adora says. ‘I watch the news a lot, and it gets me thinking. My goal with "Yang in Disguise" was to create a story that would explain some of my ideas about war and peace, but still be funny to other kids.’

That's just a press release, but this young writer has received serious media attention:

http://books.guardian.co.uk/news/articles/0,,1713183,00.html

Prodigy on a mission to turn children into lovers of literature

She dashes off poems and reads Voltaire in her spare time. Now Adora, eight, is coming to tell British pupils how to write

Anushka Asthana and Matthew Ogborn
Sunday February 19, 2006
The Observer


Adora Svitak loves to read and write. Over the past 18 months she has had a 296-page book published and written 400 short stories and nearly 100 poems. Typing at 80 words a minute, she has produced 370,000 words while reading up to three books a day. The last novel she finished was Voltaire's Candide. Not bad for an eight-year-old.
As if that wasn't enough, the child prodigy has also made it her mission to persuade other youngsters to ditch their computer games and pick up a book or a pen.

-snip-

Adora has the reading age of 20, according to her teachers. But success hasn't gone to her head.

-snip-

You certainly couldn't say that Bush has a reading age of 20, or that success hasn't gone to his head. This little girl could teach Shrub a lot, if he were only intelligent enough to read her books.

[meegbear]

1. Kinda has a "The Little Prince" feel ...

visiting each land (planet) and learning about the world.

Bravo!! :applause:

[TechBear_Seattle]

2. "The Little Prince" was also political/social commentary n/t

[meegbear]

3. You are correct oh great one