[Darren]

With Memory Maze on its way to me, I will finally have all the stand-alone GK books for my collection. My library app has 111 books in the Korman category, but that also includes things like Hope Wins, Game On!, and Guys Read. I've been toying with the idea of also getting more compilations that you were involved in. Gord, how much involvement did you have with the Mad Science series?

Other than the 39 Clues series and Snoop (which I'm currently working on), I've read the rest of the books. So fantastic and thoroughly enjoyable. I enjoy the literary device you utilize when you switch up chapters through a different characters' perspective and am also glad you don't do it with every book. One thing I would like to see is a book with some older main characters, which you haven't done in a while. I get your demographic is probably mostly in that 12-14 age range but I do miss the Don't Care High type books.

On a personal note, I had to snicker at the coincidences I experienced while reading this latest batch: The runaway truck in Supergifted. being in the hospital while reading Level 13, watching or about to watch the same movies in our marathon that the kids in The Fort were watching, having a lightning storm here the day after finishing Mixed Up, and reading about Mona Lisa in Faker while my calico cat was sitting in my lap.

Good to see Winnipeg get a mention for the first time since Bugs Potter. Also, while I didn't write a lot of stories in my youth, I did have one with a similar premise to Mixed Up. The difference was mine was a physical switch, with a character starting to get extra appendages while another was watching theirs disappear. I wasn't a planner though and it petered out since I didn't know where I was going with it. Much like most of my posts here...

Hi,Darren,

First of all, let me tell you what you probably know already -- MEMORY MAZE isn't a standalone. It's Book #3 in THE HYPNOTSTS series.

I never wrote anything for THE MAD SCIENTISTS. I was a struggling writer at the time, and Scholastic (I think) asked me to design a series for someone else. That was my total input.

I sort of miss the DON'T CARE HIGH style of book too -- they were classified as Y/A, and I appear to be most successful in the Middle Grade genre. As for older characters, I love doing people like Mr. Kermit (THE UNTEACHABLES), but that's a once-in-a-while thing. Kids like to read mostly about kids, I'm told. That's when they like to read at all.

I hope polishing off the collection doesn't mean the end of your letters ...

                                                                                                                                      --Gord

[Darren]

Hi Gord.

While writing very early in the morning I misspoke (or mistyped, as it were). By stand-alone I meant books where you were the sole author versus having one story in a book with multiple authors.

I will continue to make this site a daily stop and chime in when pertinent.

Did you ever have a chance to check out Tom Robbins?

... and MEMORY MAZE isn't #3; it's #2. Sorry.

Haven't checked out Robbins yet. It's been busy this summer, especially with my youngest ending up in a war zone and having to be sent out of Israel by ocean liner and many planes. Do NOT ask!                                         --G--

[Darren]

Yikes!

I'm glad he was able to get out alright.

[Raymond Jardine]

Darren! You said a million years ago that you'd join a Kormaniacs Book Club once you'd gotten caught up on the full GRK oeuvre--and via my eavesdropping on this thread, I believe you're close or recently there. So, if you're mid-SNOOP and able to drop in a few times over the coming few weeks, please join the conversation: SNOOP BOOK CLUB (ß that's a link).

[Darren]

Hey Raymond!

I have been following along with the Snoop discussion. I did jot some notes down on some of the chapters I've read, though I think that yourself, Jade and Logan will probably cover the ground of things that I noticed.

I have to say that I'm constantly impressed with your recall on Gord's works. I know that he has even pointed out that you might know more about his catalog than he does, lol. I did have one trivia item in mind, I just have to figure out how you do the needed-to-be-highlighted-to-read-it writing on here.

[Raymond Jardine]

More eyes and different perspectives make the book discussions better. Thanks for joining, @Darren. 

There may be a better way to do the "hidden text" but here's my method: Type your text in a Word doc, change the font color to white, copy-and-paste it to your Forum comment. (NB: Sometimes highlighting the white text doesn't play well with users viewing on a phone screen. So, a little goes a long way.)