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Author and YouTube stars John and Hank Green coming to Newport News

"Nerdfighters" will visit Menchville High School

The original Nerdfighters are coming to Newport News. Award-winning author John Green and his brother, Hank, will appear 4-7 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 9, at Menchville High School for the Great American Tour de Nerdfighting 2008. Co-sponsored by the Newport News Public Library System and Newport News Public Schools, the event is free and open to the public. No registration is required.

The original Nerdfighters are coming to Newport News. Award-winning author John Green and his brother, Hank, will appear 4-7 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 9, at Menchville High School for the Great American Tour de Nerdfighting 2008. Co-sponsored by the Newport News Public Library System and Newport News Public Schools, the event is free and open to the public. No registration is required.

John Green is a young adult novelist and the author of “Looking for Alaska,” “An Abundance of Katherines” and the soon-to-be released “Paper Towns.” His brother Hank is founder and editor of EcoGeek.org and costar of the TV show “The G Word.”

For more than a year and a half, they communicated through videoblogs. What began as an experiment in bringing long-distance siblings closer has now become a sprawling community devoted to books, social activism, and the love of all things nerdy. John and Hank’s videos have now been watched more than 11 million times on YouTube, by tens of thousands of loyal viewers who call themselves Nerdfighters.  Together they have built an unusually tight-knit virtual community.

Now, the brothers are bringing that community to the real world with the Great American Tour de Nerdfighting 2008, a three-week tour of the country to talk about books, libraries, nerds, and other things that are awesome.

The event in Newport News will feature Hank singing Nerdfighter songs and signing CDs. John will read from and sign his new novel, “Paper Towns.” The event also will include door prizes, free giveaways, gift exchanges, conversations about books that Nerdfighters have read together, and surprise guest appearances by Nerdfighter authors and musicians.

For more information about the Newport News stop on the tour, please call 757-926-1350. For more information about Nerdfighters and John and Hank Green, please visit www.sparksflyup.com/tourdates.php and www.nerdfighters.com

More about John and Hank Green

John Green is the Michael L. Printz Award-winning author of “Looking for Alaska” and “An Abundance of Katherines.” He lives in Indianapolis with his outrageously wonderful wife, Sarah.

John’s first novel, “Looking for Alaska,” was published in 2005. It won the Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in Young Adult literature, was a finalist for the L.A. Times Book Prize, and received many other accolades. The movie rights to “Looking for Alaska” were acquired by Paramount, and Josh Schwartz (creator of The O.C.) is currently working on the screenplay. The book also has been translated into 13 languages.

John's second novel, “An Abundance of Katherines,” was released in September 2006 and was a Michael L. Printz Honor Book and was also a finalist for the L.A. Times Book Prize. His highly anticipated third novel, “Paper Towns” will be released on Oct. 16, 2008 (Dutton ▪ 9780525478188 ▪ Hardcover/Young Adult/Fiction ▪ Ages 14 up).

Green is the only American to be twice recognized by the Printz committee. Both his previous books were finalists for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and are being developed into films. John’s work has been translated into eleven languages, winning many awards internationally.

Besides being a distinguished author, many know John as one half of the dynamic pair (with his brother, Hank) behind the enormously popular video series Brotherhood 2.0 (youtube.com/vlogbrothers). John and Hank’s videos have been watched more than 11 million times, making theirs one of the most popular channels in YouTube history.

The Green brothers have been featured in The Wall Street Journal and on NPR, Fox News, and BBC Radio. The videos have spawned a thriving, interactive community of tens of thousands of fans (calling themselves Nerdfighters), headquartered at nerdfighters.com.

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