Nice New Interview

Nice interview at http://sunnebnkwrtr.blogspot.com  When you get there, just scroll down to the bottom of the page .



Max Elliot Anderson

Scheduled for release, March 1, 2011

Published August 1, 2010







 

                                                         

Published for Christmas, 2010   

The Skinny on Bullying

Recent news reports about bullying, that have resulted in children taking their own lives, only serve to alert us to the consequences of bullying, if it isn’t dealt with early.

I’m happy to spotlight a new book called The Skinny on Bullying, by Michael Cassidy.


The Skinny on Bullying is the story of two popular 5th graders, at Moose Hill Elementary School, named Beth and Billy. After a fun filled summer, the time has come to start 6th grade at Moose Hill Middle School. Once school starts, Beth and Billy soon realize they aren’t as popular as they used to be. They experience bullying by older kids as well as fellow 6th graders. Gretchen, a transfer student with a mysterious past is especially cruel. With the help of teachers, adults and friends they devise strategies to put a stop to bullying and learn a little bit about growing up in the process.

This book cleverly uses the graphic novel approach, combined with simple, cartoon-type artwork that will quickly engage young students while it conveys important concepts for dealing with bullying.

Four types of bullying are covered – Verbal – Physical – Indirect - & Cyberbullying.

I hope you’ll take a look at this important book.

An advance reader copy was sent to me for this listing.

The View From My Writing Room

This begins a reoccurring, but not regularly scheduled column, from the point of view of just one author as I survey the market.


Many already know that I grew up as a child who didn’t enjoy reading. My father authored over 70 books and hundreds of articles during his lifetime. I didn’t read any of his books.


My interests were more in the visual learning of actually “doing” things, rather than reading about them. I learned, early on, that if someone were to show me how to do something, I usually got it on the first try. But, if it were up to me to read about the same thing, I didn’t know where to start.


So, it’s no surprise that I chose to follow the other line of work that my father was involved in. He wrote, produced, and directed countess films for decades. It was my distinct privilege to work, side-by-side, with him on many of those productions. Some of them took us to war zones and other places where conflicts raged. In New Guinea, we were far up river, less than 50 miles from people who still practice headhunting. http://www.maxbooks.9k.com/custom2.html A few locations included Vietnam, the city of Belfast, Iran, and others. My dad didn’t have a death wish, but he did have a healthy spirit of adventure. The Vietnam production came just after I returned from serving in the US Army, and the war was still on.


Eventually, we parted professional ways, and my work took me into TV commercials, client video, and television production. It required me to begin writing proposals and production scripts in addition to shooting, directing, and producing.

For me, it wasn’t much of a leap to move into writing action-adventures & mysteries for readers 8 – 13, especially boys. Adults have told me that they see my books as a hybrid between the screen and the printed page, and kids tell me that reading one is like being in an exciting or scary movie.


I’ve completed 36 manuscripts like the above. A few have been published, and it looks like many more will be. So, if you have children who you hope to hook on reading, my books may just be what you and they are looking for.

I surely hope so.


Max Elliot Anderson

My Story in Two Special Christmas Books From Chicken Soup

It is my honor to have a true, Christmas story included in two, special volumes of Chicken Soup for the Soul Christmas books. The story is called, No Christmas Presents, and it happened when I was six or eight years old. What happened in our family that year is something we will never forget, proving that it's far more blessed to give than receive.

These books are sold exclusively this season at Wal-Mart and Barnes and Noble. Look for the book on the left at Wal-Mart, and the book on the right at Barnes and Noble. I know it's a little early, since we haven't had Thanksgiving yet, but these are books you can enjoy all through the season.

And, from our family to yours, have a Merry Christmas this year.

Max Elliot Anderson

Reading Don't Fix No Chevys

Here's one that was new to me, and you may not have heard of it yet, either.

First of all, what a great title! I learned about this book from an email sent to me recently. It said:

"Max: You may be interested in the best book I've ever read on the subject of boys and literacy: "Reading Don't Fix No Chevys" by Michael W. Smith and Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. The subtitle is "Literacy in the Lives of Young Men" and that pretty much says it all in regards to this book. If you teach young men, are parenting a young man, or if you know any young men, you should read this book. It's a fascinating study of why many young men gravitate away from literacy and how we can change the way young men see themselves and literacy."


I should add that I haven't read the book, don't have a review copy, and my spotlighting it here is simply because of the other positive information that I have gleaned about it. In addition, I'm interested in anything that will help us understand and improve boys' reading habits.

On Amazon, the book gets 5 stars from the 4 reviews that have been posted. Also on Amazon, here's the description:
Product Description



The problems of boys in schools, especially in reading and writing, have been the focus of statistical data, but rarely does research point out how literacy educators can combat those problems.

As that email to me stated, "If you teach young men, are parenting a young man, or if you know any young men..." you might want to look into this book further.

Max Elliot Anderson
Author Web Site

http://www.maxbooks.9k.com  

No review copy, nor any financial compensation was provided for this book spotlight.

Nice, new review for Lost Island Smugglers

Nice, new review for
Lost Island Smugglers at:
http://bkfaerie.blogspot.com/2010/10/lost-island-smugglers-by-max-elliot.html

Barney and the Runaway can now be pre-ordered on Amazon

Barney and the Runaway can now be pre-ordered on Amazon. Listed at 70 pages, that will be corrected to 131 pages. Release date is March 1.

The next book in line, at Comfort Publishing, will be North Woods Poachers. No release date information at this time.

Raising Real Men, Surviving, Teaching, and Appreciating Boys

As an author of books, written especially for boys, I can tell you that, if a book gets a five-star review on Amazon, an author is pretty happy. But, when a book has fifteen reviews, and they are all five-star, it tells you that the authors must be doing something right.



Raising Real Men, Surviving, Teaching, and Appreciating Boys, by Hal and Melanie Young has achieved that recognition. And rather than simply adding my review of this book, I’d like to direct you to the page on Amazon where you can read all of those reviews for yourself.


http://www.amazon.com/Raising-Real-Men-Surviving-Appreciating/product-reviews/0984144307/ref=cm_cr_dp_all_helpful?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending


My wife and I have had the pleasure of raising a boy and a girl. There is no question that they are quite different, and their needs are different as well. I’ve mentioned on this blog before that our daughter teaches second grade, in a public school, near a large city. She and I have often talked about the challenges she faces, in the classroom, in harnessing the energy of the boys who enter her classroom.


My reason for writing action-adventures & mysteries for readers 8 and up, especially boys, is because boys are looking for something different in the books they are willing to read. I also support any efforts to help reach out to boys and to help train them in the way they should go to become responsible, caring men in the future. This book accomplishes those goals and many more.


Hal and Melanie Young have six boys and two girls. They often speak on parenting, education and family policy issues, and their articles appear in publications that include Homeschooling Today, Homeschool Digest, The Freeman, School Reform News, and many others.


Raising Real Men is a practical guide that will be useful to parents, teachers, grandparents, churches, or anywhere that adults come in contact with boys.


If you care about boys - and I know you do - then this book, written from a decidedly Christian perspective, is a must for your library. But don't just keep it on a shelf; use it. I highly recommend it!


Visit the Youngs at www.raisingrealmen.com 

A review copy of this book was provided by the authors. 

Goose Bumps at Christmas

Recently I had the opportunity to contribute a story to Chicken Soup for the Soul, for two special Christmas editions. Mine was a story that happened over 50 years ago. During the process of recalling this story, I called my mother, who is in her 90’s, to go over some of the details.


Here come the goose bumps.


My mother has been going through files and personal papers as she tries to clean out a lifetime of documents. Earlier in the same week that I called her, "coincidentally," she had come across the Christmas lists of my two brothers, and me, from the time of the story. So, not only is the story from over 50 years ago, so is the list.

Here is a copy of my portion of that list. For some reason, I really seem to have been into trucks that year.


The Gift of Christmas will be in Wal-Mart and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Tales of Christmas will be in Barnes & Noble starting in November if not earlier!


These books are special hardcover gift editions. The Wal-Mart version has 121 stories and lists for $19.95. The Barnes & Noble version has the normal 101 stories and lists for $14.95. My story is in both books.

The story is called, No Christmas Presents. It’s a true story that took place when I was just a small boy. The miracle that happened that Christmas is something I will never forget.

You’ve heard that it is more blessed to give than receive? Well, wait till you read this story.