I haven’t read this book, but my gut reaction is, give me a freakin’ break. Surprise, surprise, kids drink Coke. And in all the times I have listened to young kids talk, I have never heard them use the words ‘pop’ or ‘soda’. They usually say ‘Coke’. And like it or not, a lot of kids, given half the chance, would drink Coke all day, every day, even in the morning. I understand that as writers of kid’s lit, we’ve got to be careful about some of the messages we are sending, but is it also our job to be moral preachers as well? Can’t we just sometimes tell real-life stories?

What’s worse is when writers set stories in clearly identifiable places and then make up a new name for the town.

So couldn’t help but notice in the photos of Shaun Smith’s book launch (how convenient that this article attacking a very popular YA author is written just as his book comes out – coincidence, I’m sure). Let’s see…bowls of fattening unhealthy potato chips! Photos of booze! The promotion of trademarked games like Scrabble, Twister and Snakes and Ladders! (Which also just happens to be the title of his novel). So where does one draw the line?

Get off your high horse, dude.

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Anyone who knows Eric at all will not be surprised to see a can or two of Coke creep into a story… the man runs on it… how else to explain the tremendous output he manages year after year? (tongue firmly planted in cheek…) He’s a wonderful storyteller.