Lois Lowry is the author of more than 45 books, including "Number the Stars" and "The Giver," both of which won the Newbery Medal. She told me she's seen a gradual decline in attention span among young readers. "Forty years ago there was not this speeded-up entertainment culture that kids have fallen victim to now," she said. "It was easier to get kids reading because there weren't so many diverting factors."
Given these headwinds, Ms. Lowry said, she believes in meeting children where they are.
