After blogging about the MacArthur Digital Youth Project, I read this article from the Los Angeles Times, which describes some young people going online specifically to learn more about a book like Harry Potter or Twilight– what we at Scholastic like to call “extending the reading experience.” The Digital Youth Project report calls it “geeking out.”

On January 31st, clever Microsoft is hosting the Teens in Tech Conference in San Francisco. It doesn’t look like Mr. Gates will be there, but I did notice a “milk and cookie” break on the agenda. They list their goal of the conference as “show[ing] that teenagers are changing both Technology and the World – despite their age.”  It looks worth checking out if you’re in the Bay Area at the end of January.

Last but not least, I wanted to mention that the National Center for Women & Information Technology is accepting nominations for their Award for Aspirations in Computing, which recognizes young women in high school for their computing-related achievements. Winners get a laptop computer, $500 cash, and a trip to the awards ceremony in Charlotte, North Carolina in March. Self-nominations are due by December 1st. That’s in one week, people!