Tall Ships Chicago 2010

As end of summer comes into view, I’ve had the opportunity to do a couple of unique things that may be of interest. Today I’ll report on the Tall Ships Chicago 2010. And a few days from now, I’ll post information, and pictures, from my visit to the Illinois Railway Museum. Be sure to come back for that one.

20 tall ships made the trip to Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois. I live about 90 miles west of the city.

I went there with my son, Jim, who lives with his wife in the city. Both are attorneys.


Ships came from around the world, including The Netherlands, Germany, the US, and Canada. Special wristbands allowed us to board any of the ships.


Before driving in to Chicago, I had read about the ships that would be on display.

Immediately I set my sights on the HMS Bounty. This is the full-rigged tall ship used in a number of Hollywood films.


It was built for the 1962 film, "Mutiny on the Bounty."

This same ship was also seen in “Treasure Island” and “Pirates of the Caribbean – Dead Man’s Chest.” My son and I waited in line for over one hour to board that great ship, but it was worth every minute of it.

We were allowed to walk freely above and below deck.

Bounty is outfitted with gigantic
masts, intricate rigging...

...and a beautiful, wooden ship’s wheel.
As we walked along the pier, and boarded other ships, it was easy for my mind to drift back to another day and time, when these mighty vessels sailed the seas.

And who knows? Maybe one or more of them will find their way into one of my future action-adventures or mystery books for boys.

Lost Island Smugglers Homeschool Review

NEW!
This review is for another of
Max Elliot Anderson's
books for boys, that girls enjoy reading just as much.

Rating: 5 stars (EXCELLENT)




Reviewed by Wayne S. Walker


For readers 8 and up, especially boys.

For more information e-mai homeschoolbookreview@gmail.com

http://homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolbookreview/784750


Anderson, Max Elliot. Lost Island Smugglers: A Sam Cooper Adventure #1 (published in 2010 by Sharks Finn, an imprint of Port Yonder Press LLC, Shellsburg, IA).

How do you think that you would react if you were caught in a storm at sea and landed on a deserted island only to find out that it was the hideout of drug smugglers? Samuel Clement Cooper, age eleven, lives with his dad, who is a research biologist, and mom. Mr. Cooper’s job has kept the family moving frequently during Sam’s short life, so he’s always the new kid in school and has difficulty making friends. Now, they are moving to Harper’s Inlet, FL, and his dad will be working on a project in the Everglades. The contract is for two years, but they might get to stay five. At Sunday school in the church where the Coopers decide to attend, Sam meets Tony and Tyler. Tony’s father owns a marina, so Tony invites Tyler and Sam to take free scuba lessons.


One day, while Tony’s father is away on a buying trip, the boys decide to try out their new skills by taking one of the rental sailboats, a catamaran, and scuba diving in the ocean. The only problem is that they don’t have permission and don’t let anyone know. Everything seems all right until a big storm blows up suddenly. Their boat is smashed to pieces and they find themselves stranded on Lost Island, where they build themselves a shelter, find a wrecked boat with some food, and think of how they might survive until help arrives—if it ever does. But that is not the worst news. The three discover that the island is a secret hideout used by drug smugglers with high powered speed boats. Sam and his friends know that they need to do something to stop the men. But what? Will they succeed or get themselves killed? And will they ever be rescued?


Author Max Elliot Anderson grew up as a reluctant reader. Therefore, he has written action adventures and mysteries for readers eight and up, especially boys. We did Lost Island Smugglers as a bed-time read aloud, and everyone thought that it is great. It is certainly an exciting, action-packed adventure story that both boys and girls will enjoy. In addition, I liked two other things about the book: that religion is portrayed as a normal part of people’s lives, and that good character traits are emphasized. Yes, Sam, Tony, and Tyler make a terrible mistake in sneaking off without telling anyone and suffer some serious consequences as a result. However, they learn a valuable lesson from their disobedience, and so will children who read the book. Book #2, Captain Jack’s Treasure, is already in production, and Book #3, River Rampage, is also planned. Several of Anderson’s other books for boys are being republished as well by Comfort Publishing. They’ll release Barney and the Runaway this fall and follow that by republishing The Newspaper Caper, Terror at Wolf Lake, North Woods Poachers, Mountain Cabin Mystery, Big Rig Rustlers, Secret of Abbott’s Cave, and Legend of the White Wolf.

Television VS Reading

Recently I heard a speaker who talked about the negative effects of television viewing on our children. My father used to call it the idiot box, but this speaker went a step further by calling it hellevision.

Here's why.

He said that the average child in America today, watches between 5 and 7 hours of TV every...single...
day!


If you tried to do that, just for a couple of days, you'd be shocked at the content. And when you realized what your children were watching, hour after hour, you’d do something about it. These same children spend only minutes a day interacting with their parents. The balance of their time is spent on video games, computers, cell phones, homework, and if they have to...reading.

   Coming This Fall

 I’ve set out to try to change that, by writing the kinds of action-adventures and mysteries that readers, 8 and up, would enjoy. Even though I speak of them as books for boys, they are still equally enjoyed by girls. Many report that reading one of my books is like 

being in an exciting or scary movie.

  Released August 1

If you doubt the positive effects you will see, in your own home, by turning off the TV and giving your children exciting books to read, let me relate a true story in an attempt to change your mind. And if there is a TV in your child’s bedroom today, I hope you’ll be encouraged to remove it.

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to speak to a group of children in the Cabrini Green housing project in Chicago. These kids need all the help they can get, in order to break out of the cycle of poverty all around. I told them about this same true story.

GIFTED HANDS: This is a true story of a child who felt he was the dumbest student in his fifth grade class. Through the demands of his single, working mother, who didn’t know how to read, he learned the value of the public library and learned to read. He discovered that he enjoyed learning.


Benjamin Carson, M.D started out on the mean Detroit streets. His mother knew he had it in him to get out of the Detroit ghetto where they lived. She believed he could make something of himself. His mother demanded that Ben, and his older brother, turn off the TV and begin bringing home books from the library.  Their TV viewing was cut to one hour per week. Can you imagine? Even though she could not read herself, Ben’s mother required her sons to read their books and write book reports which they had to read to her out loud.


But Ben's beginnings were certainly not easy. Signs of determination showed as young as the age of 10. He started out as the "class dummy" in school, frequently getting every single question on his math tests wrong. But then, through hard work and a lot of reading from the local library, he expanded his knowledge in every subject. Soon, "good" wasn't good enough. Ben was driven to be the best. In fact, he was so driven that he won a full scholarship to Yale University.


Ben Carson ought to be regarded as a role model for today. Those not on the right path to a successful future could especially benefit; as a story like this could assist in a serious straightening out of priorities.


He is an inspiration to all because the life he began with wasn't as easy as many other families who have attended good colleges for generations. Ben, and his older brother Curtis, were the first in the family to ever attend college. Curtis went to the University of Michigan, and Ben enrolled at Yale University.


In the last chapter, Carson gives recommendations to students on ways to live and to achieve.


* You can also look for the feature film on DVD wherever you get your videos. I would encourage you to rent it, sit down with your children, and watch it together. You might even go a step further by watching it yourself first. Then write out a few questions. Turning off the TV in your own home, and requiring more reading, could be the difference in your child’s success or failure in the future.

Expect a lot of yelling at first. But in the long run, it'll be worth the struggle.

Next time, turn it off...and turn your kids on to reading!






Send this link on to other parents and grandparents who you think should see it.    http://booksandboys.blogspot.com/


Author Web Site http://www.maxbooks.9k.com

Early Reviews for Lost Island Smugglers

Reviews are beginning to come in for Lost Island Smugglers. I'll post more as we get them.

Ask for it at your bookstore today orBuy it at Amazon or others

Fiction you can feel good about giving your child!

By L. M. Sedmina

If you are looking for a book for a young boy aged 9--13, check out Lost Island Smugglers. The first installment in a new series by Max Elliot Anderson, the book follows the adventures of Sam Cooper and his two new friends, Tyler and Tony. Follow the boys on a scuba adventure that leaves them marooned on a deserted island. As they draw on their survival skills, the boys face an even greater danger when they discover the island is not so deserted but is actually the lair of drug smugglers.

Lost Island Smugglers is a quality book full of family values that will keep your preteen boy entertained.



Sam Cooper Adventure Series

A Kid's Review


This is the first book in the Sam Cooper Adventure Series. Sam's father is a marine biologist. Just about the time he gets settled and makes friends his dad's job takes them somewhere else. Now Sam's family has moved to Florida. Sam has made two new friends, Tony and Tyler. Tony's father owns a marina. Tony invites Tyler and Sam to take free scuba classes. After, they have successfully passed their classes. Tony invites his friends to go diving in the ocean. He takes his father's catamaran without permission. Sam knows his parents have said no. Will his decision in this matter be the right one or will he find himself in deep water?


I am familiar with this author's works. Once again he has not disappointed. I would say that this is probably going to be my favorite of his books. That is until the next one comes out and I read it.


The lesson about being honest and obedient is a good one. I love the fact that Max always has a clear lesson and a Christian theme. However, he is never preachy. One of the things I really liked about this book is that it takes place in Florida which is where I live. I know this will be a selling point to my students. The fact that the three main characters are all young boys the age of my students is another plus. This is a book that I believe both boys and girls who are looking for adventure will thoroughly enjoy. I know that this is the first book in the series but, I have hopes that we will learn more about Sam's father and his job in the Everglades. This is a hope on my part because the Everglades is one of my favorite places to visit. I can't wait to place this series on my shelves at school.

Coming Soon!

Click on cover to enlarge

3 boys + 1 Sailboat + 1 Ginormous storm = Lost Island Smugglers

NEWSRelease



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


CONTACT: Max Elliot Anderson


PHONE: (815) 877-1514


DATE: 8/5/2001


Email: mander8813@aol.com  



Books for Boys blog: http://booksandboys.blogspot.com


Author Web Site: http://www.maxbooks.9k.com


3 boys + 1 Sailboat + 1 Ginormous storm = Lost Island Smugglers


Author Max Elliot Anderson has published his latest children’s adventure, Lost Island Smugglers, on August 1st. This is book #1 in the new Sam Cooper Adventure Series from Port Yonder Press.


“A traditional series is a departure for my writing,” Anderson said, “because all of my previous books have had completely different characters and settings.” Other titles to be released in this series include Captain Jack’s Treasure and River Rampage.


Sam Cooper had just moved to Harper’s Inlet where he met Tony and Tyler. While Tony’s father was away on a buying trip, the boys took one of the rental sailboats out for a diving adventure. Everything went well until the biggest storm Tony had ever seen blew up from out of nowhere, and the boys found themselves stranded on Lost Island.


But, if they thought the worst had happened, they were wrong. The boys discovered a secret hideout that was used by men in high powered speedboats. Sam and his friends knew the men were up to something, only they didn’t know what. They had to


find a way to stop them, but how? And, even if they did, the boys could never tell anyone about it. Lost Island Smugglers is a story with danger, excitement, and heart-pounding action.


In addition to this series, Mr. Anderson will publish Barney and the Runaway later this year, with Comfort Publishing. The publisher also plans to republish his first seven books which include Newspaper Caper, Terror at Wolf Lake, North Woods Poachers, Mountain Cabin Mystery, Big Rig Rustlers, Secret of Abbott’s Cave, & Legend of the White Wolf. Plans for additional titles are in the works.


Author Bill Myers reports, "Sam Cooper Adventures are like good, family movies . . . as an ordinary kid finds himself in exciting and extra-ordinary adventures!"


And author Jerry B. Jenkins adds, "Max Elliot Anderson brings a lifetime of dramatic film and video production to the pages of his action adventures and mysteries."


“My books will be available to bookstores through Ingram, and online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders, and others,” Mr. Anderson said.


Young readers report that reading one of Anderson’s action-adventures or mysteries is like being in an exciting or scary movie. His Books for Boys blog http://booksandboys.blogspot.com often ranks in the top ten in Google searches.

Author Web Site

http://www.maxbooks.9k.com

- 0 -

Cover art and author’s photo available from mander8813@aol.com

3 boys + 1 Sailboat + 1 ginormous storm = Lost Island Smugglers

Lost Island Smugglers - Released August 1, 2010

ISBN 9781935600022

Lost Island Smugglers is book # 1 in the all new Sam Cooper Adventure Series.

Sam, Tony, and Tyler took scuba lessons together.

They decided to try their new skills in the ocean without permission.

A gigantic storm blew up from out of nowhere, and they found themselves...

...stranded on Lost Island. If they thought the worst had happened, they were wrong.

REVIEW # 1


Sam Cooper Adventure Series


A Kid's Review


This review is from: Lost Island Smugglers (Paperback)


This is the first book in the Sam Cooper Adventure Series. Sam's father is a marine biologist. Just about the time he gets settled and makes friends his dad's job takes them somewhere else. Now Sam's family has moved to Florida. Sam has made two new friends, Tony and Tyler. Tony's father owns a marina. Tony invites Tyler and Sam to take free scuba classes. After, they have successfully passed their classes. Tony invites his friends to go diving in the ocean. He takes his father's catamaran without permission. Sam knows his parents have said no. Will his decision in this matter be the right one or will he find himself in deep water?


I am familiar with this author's works. Once again he has not disappointed. I would say that this is probably going to be my favorite of his books. That is until the next one comes out and I read it.


The lesson about being honest and obedient is a good one. I love the fact that Max always has a clear lesson and a Christian theme. However, he is never preachy. One of the things I really liked about this book is that it takes place in Florida which is where I live. I know this will be a selling point to my students. The fact that the three main characters are all young boys the age of my students is another plus. This is a book that I believe both boys and girls who are looking for adventure will thoroughly enjoy.  I can't wait to place this series on my shelves at school.


REVIEW # 2


Fiction you can feel good about giving your child!


This review is from: Lost Island Smugglers (Paperback)


By L. M. Sedmina


If you are looking for a book for a young boy aged 9--13, check out Lost Island Smugglers. The first installment in a new series by Max Elliot Anderson, the book follows the adventures of Sam Cooper and his two new friends, Tyler and Tony. Follow the boys on a scuba adventure that leaves them marooned on a deserted island. As they draw on their survival skills, the boys face an even greater danger when they discover the island is not so deserted but is actually the lair of drug smugglers.


Lost Island Smugglers is a quality book full of family values that will keep your preteen boy entertained.


HOW TO ORDER


1. Since the book is distributed through Ingram, you can go to any local bookstore and it should be in their system.


2. You can find it on any of the online bookstores like Amazon and Barnes & Noble and others.


3. You can order signed copies from me. If this interests you, send an email to mander8813@aol.com  for details. Great for birthdays or Christmas - my wife is always buying Christmas presents W A Y in advance!


4. You can order copies from the publisher at http://portyonderpress.com/default.aspx  


Lost Island Smugglers is book # 1 in the new Sam cooper Adventure Series. Captain Jack's Treasure and River Rampage are due out in future months.


My author web site is located at http://www.maxbooks.9k.com/  


If you're looking for action-adventures & mysteries, that boys will read...you've come to the right place.


ENDORSEMENTS


"Sam Cooper Adventures are like good, family movies . . . as an ordinary kid finds himself in exciting and extra-ordinary adventures!"  Bill Myers - author


"Max Elliot Anderson brings a lifetime of dramatic film and video production to the pages of his action adventures and mysteries." Jerry B. Jenkins, Author

Coming Fall 2010

Barney and the Runaway

PRESS RELEASE - Max Elliot Anderson Publishes New Children’s Adventure - http://www.free-press-release.com/news-max-elliot-anderson-publishes-new-children-s-adventure-1280624164.html  (Release was picked up by USA Today)