By guest writer/editor Rosie McKinlay

There are times when a book just doesn’t make any sense. You start to wonder if it’s just you, or if somehow, someone else has figured it out. Enter ExplainMyBook.com. The site was launched in August (2008) and already has information about six thousand books. Through a recent e-mail interview, I was able to ask the creators, Jaime and David Vogel, about this new resource.

Here’s how it works: Register with the site and search for the book that has left you mystified. If the information you’re looking for is unlisted, you can ask a specific question and it is likely someone will have the answer you seek. To bring this information community full circle, you can register to be a question answerer as well. The information you request and offer is there to stay, the Vogels explain: “Once a question is asked (and approved by ExplainMyBook.com) it will be posted on the website forever, along with any answers to that question. This way future generations of students will be able to read the questions and have the answers in front of them and know that it’s not just them; other readers, even other generations had the same questions about the same book.”

The inspiration for the site came from a desire to help students. On this, the Vogels said, “We want to help students because we would have liked to have had something like this when we were in school, both high school and college,” and “If a student has a teacher that they just don’t understand and can’t communicate with, maybe there is another teacher out there that they could understand and that could explain it in another way.” They hope that the site is “a way to build self-esteem and confidence in anyone learning to read or learning about a new subject.” Though the site was created with students in mind, it is a helpful resource for anyone. As Jaime puts it, “Literacy is important to us, youth or adult.” Privacy is crucial in dealings online, and for that reason everything on this site is anonymous. Further security is established because of Jaime and David’s commitment to making it a safe environment. “We monitor the site closely, and teasing or other harassment will not be tolerated.”

This is a resource with heart. So sign up, spread the word, and watch for David and Jaime Vogel at literary events around town.

Copyright © 2008 Rosie McKinlay