Van Nuys : 3rd-Graders in Focus for Coffee-Table Book

What does a prisoner in Virginia have in common with third-graders at Valerio Street Elementary in Van Nuys?

They all use the Internet.

It seems that the convict is trying to weasel his way out of prison by lobbying through the information superhighway, while the kids just play weekly chess matches against opponents in such faraway cities as New York.

Their common interest made them part of “24 Hours in Cyberspace,” a photograph collection shot Thursday by a Northern California company to demonstrate how the common folk use the Internet.

The $5-million project, shot by 150 Against All Odds Productions photographers in 31 countries, is the brainchild of Rick Smolan, whose 1980s best-seller “A Day in the Life of America” became the first in a series of coffee-table books dedicated to one theme.

This latest project is meant to be a look at a day on the Internet: the people who use it and what information can be found in cyberspace.

“We wanted to put a human face on the digital revolution,” said Patty Richards, a spokeswoman for the production company.

Locally, Douglas Kirkland, usually a celebrity photographer, zoomed in on third-graders playing their weekly chess match through the Internet against Fritz Gaspard, associate manager of the American Chess Foundation, who sat in his office in New York City.

Teacher Yvette Le Winter says she has had her third-grade class playing chess for two years as part of a program called Chess in Schools.

“[Computers] are a really good way to get them to learn,” she said.

Some of the kids agree.

“I like using the computer ‘cause I don’t have to write,” said 9-year-old Angie Moreno.

Richards said Valerio Elementary, as well as the other subjects worldwide, were chosen to show a variety of environments where the Internet is used.

The collection of photographs will be available in the Internet until Sunday, when the company will download them to produce a book that will be available in March.