Wanted: Cyber-Storytellers

I'm a believer in the power of story, no matter what the venue — campfire circles, a gathering around a village well, romance novels, Hollywood blockbusters, and even ... video games.

The problem with most of today's games is that they're boring. Kids want games with characters they care about, exciting twists of action, and fantastic worlds to visit. Sound familiar? It's that story-hunger that just won't go away, whether you're sitting in a cave around a fire or in front of a computer screen.

Most librarians, thankfully, are not book snobs. A recent article in School Library Journal reveals an emerging validation of this new vehicle for stories:
Using video games as an enticement does makes sense — 73 percent of eight-to-ten-year-old boys play them for about 90 minutes every day, according to a recent survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Even YALSA is offering a video-gaming night at their 2006 midwinter conference in San Antonio, TX, with teens on hand to help play them.
Now, storytellers, it's up to you.