Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Saturday, September 26, 2015

What do you think about the importance of short stories for kids?

Would you take a few moments and give your opinion about the importance of short stories for kids? Please go to the following link and leave your comment. 

Thank you so much! 

Monday, September 21, 2015

Final Jeff Gordon Chicago Race

On Sunday, I went with my son, Jim, who lives in Chicago, to the final Race for Jeff Gordon at the Chicago Speedway. 

I’ve followed Jeff’s career since his first year in NASCAR. Before that, I had been a fan of Indy racing
Jeff has broken multiple racing records over his career and this season will be his last.
Though I’ve seen him race at Michigan, Daytona, and Chicago, multiple times, he’s never won while I was at those tracks.

During this race in Chicago, he was out front for over thirty laps. But during the final re-start, he spun his tires, fell back, and couldn’t recover.

Even so, it was great to have the opportunity to see him race one more time. After this season, I suspect my interest in NASCAR will greatly diminish since I never picked an alternate driver to follow. That’s kind of the way it is with racing. We each pick a favorite and follow them exclusively during each race.

A few years ago, my middle grade adventure & mystery writing for kids took me to one of my publishers in Charlotte, NC. That's the home of Hendrick Motorsports; the owner if Gordon's team. Following are a few pictures from that visit.

First, my wife and I toured the shop where all the teams' cars are prepared for each race.


Next, we went to the museum where we saw lots of Jeff's cars from previous races, along with others from the team.



Before leaving, we discovered that the receptionist was previously from Rockford, IL, where we live. She was kind enough to give me three race-used lug nuts from one of Jeff's cars. What a treasure!

Friday, September 11, 2015

An Exciting Book to help kids understand 9/11

When The Lights Go Out was written for the 10th anniversary of 9/11 so our kids will never forget its importance. Many middle grade readers are too young to remember anything about 9/11 except for what they see on TV. This exciting, heart-pounding action-adventure story can help.
When the Lights go Out


Peyton Aldrich has just moved to a new army base with his parents and younger sister. He doesn’t understand why his father has been sent to such a rundown place in the middle of nowhere. After all, his father was a colonel, with top security clearance, who completed the elite Ranger school. And his training had been in Army Intelligence. Yet, here they were.
Peyton was never allowed to ask his father anything about what he did in the army. Nor was he allowed to ever get in the way. There were many secrets that his dad couldn’t even tell his own family.
Peyton idolized his father. One day, he hoped to grow up to be just like him. His father had told him that the army may not be for everyone, but after what happened on 9/11, somebody had to help keep the country safe.
Peyton finds two friends. Gill is the son of the base’s motor pool sergeant, and Dave’s father is the base chaplain. Together they decide to train like Rangers, and search for some kind of mission they could do. Little did they know that a mission was about to put the boys right in the crosshairs of a dangerous terrorist plot, when a secret weapon would be delivered to the base on its way across the country.
There was no way Peyton could tell his father what he knew. After all, it could cost him his job. Peyton, Gill, and Dave have to take matters into their own hands, and they do.
Will the terrorists find out who is trying to expose their evil plan? Will the boys be able to stop them? And what will happen to Peyton’s father when the general finds out what the boys did?
When the Lights go Out. A story for kids, and their parents, so we never forget 9/11.
 Get a copy for your young reader today!
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