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Local author pens children's book on Internet safety by Scott Stewart Oakville Beaver Staff Artscene 27 | Friday, September 6, 2013 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com "Connected to your Community" Oakville resident Pat Skene has penned a pair of new books that couldn't be any different from one another. Skene published her four previous books through traditional publishers, but has selfpublished her latest two offerings, A Tale of Two Biddys and Revenge of the Mad Hacker. "This one is an absolutely delicious little book," she said of Biddys. "It entertains with a twist of sweet and sour elements. I took two old British folktales, The Old Woman Who Lived In A Vinegar Bottle and The Hedley Kow. These were stories I read a long time ago that stuck in my mind, as the characters were so diverse. One was selfish and greedy and the other was such a wonderful person. "I wondered what would happen if these two characters met. That's when I decided to write A Tale of Two Biddys," she added. "I remastered each story and added another element, then watched them meet and the impact they had on the other." Skene said that while the book teaches children the impact they've had on other people's lives, it teaches without teaching. "You're reading and being entertained but it makes you think about how you impact people throughout your life," the author said. its, have already been Skene has brought sucked down that back a popular aspect cyber hole and who from her previous knows what kind of books to her latest trouble they've gotten works: the character into. interview. Skene noted that "I do it in all my while "the adventure books," Skene said of in the book is fictional, the interview. "You it's a metaphor for what get a lot of the insights can happen during an that either the author Internet adventure. By or character had durgetting to them first ing the process." or using this as a case While A Tale of Two study, it encourages Biddys has a humourdialogue with parents ous tone, Revenge of and kids, kids with the Mad Hacker deals kids and teachers with with a much more sekids. rious subject: Internet With the new school safety. year here, Skene is al"Just like Harry ready planning on takPotter and Narnia ing her message to the where they have acchildren. cess points to another "I hope to visit as world, I created a many schools as I can computer with a cyduring the school year berwoozle who had to do presentations oozed into the back on Internet safety for of the computer and grades 4, 5 and 6," she it sucked the kids into said. the Internet," Skene The book received an said. "This book is endorsement from Kid important to me beProof Safety Canada. cause it focuses on "Getting an enkeeping kids Internet dorsement from Kid safe. There are a lot Proof Safety Canada Local author Pat Skene has self-published a pair of new books, A Tale of Two Biddys and was great because I of ways in which kids Revenge of the Mad Hacker. Mad Hacker deals with internet safety, a topic near and dear to needed the validation can get sucked into a her heart now that her granddaughter has started to venture online. that I was on the right cyber hole in today's photo by Scott Stewart /Metroland Media Group track, and I needed an technology. It's far too easy with all the access industry expert to tell points they have." me if this was a good puter and are on the Internet. there was a need to get to Skene said statistics show "When they get to ages the tweens. By the time they stepping off point for kids to that 20 per cent of kids 8 to 10 12-15, that number rises to reach their teens, they've al- discuss Internet safety with already have their own com- 97 per cent," she said. "I felt ready formed their bad hab- their parents," she said. "I thought with that validation that that's what parents needed to see in order to know that this is something that can help their child." Having a granddaughter in the book's target audience age range made writing the book more personal for Skene. "She is so computer literate," Skene said of her 11-year-old granddaughter. "I see her on games on my computer where there is free dialogue. She ran across a girl who was complaining about never winning and saying she wasn't pretty and my granddaughter started encouraging her to be more positive. "I work really hard with my granddaughter to be Internet safe," she added. "I told her that the person she was talking to might not be a girl at all. It could be a man, a boy, a teenager, you just don't know. That's the kind of presentation I want to do at schools...this is how you can get sucked into the cyber hole. How do you decipher the real from the not real?" Skene has added Safe Surfing Tips in the back of the book, and there will be links on her website www. pressheretostartpublishing. com for parents and teachers. Her books can also be purchased from her website. "The more we can share the information, the better. It's all about keeping the kids safe," Skene said. AVIGAYIL CASHED IN $1,384 FROM HER CLOSET! #EXCITED www.TrendTrunk.com Cash in your closet today at TrendTrunk.com