Several of my kid's adventures just $2.99 on Kindle NOW!

Available NOW on Kindle for just $2.99 right now!

 

 

Reading Equals Success In Life

Several months ago, I had the opportunity to speak to children at an inner-city tutoring center in Chicago, Illinois, called By The Hand. They work primarily with at risk kids after school. Here is what this organization says about the importance of reading.

“Reading is one of the best predictors of a student’s academic success. Poor readers tend to read less. They lack motivation and confidence in the classroom, which can lead to a devastating and downward spiral in a child’s life. Yet, one-third of fourth graders in Chicago are not reading at grade level and live in neighborhoods with little to no access to books.”

Here’s a link to their video which makes the point better than I can: http://vimeo.com/42630922

If we’re going to assert that reading leads to success in life, then statistics surrounding our prison populations should cause us to do everything we can to encourage children to read early and often.

            Literacy statistics and juvenile court from Literacy and the National Reading Statistics:

85 percent of all juveniles who interface with the juvenile court system are functionally illiterate.

More than 60 percent of all prison inmates are functionally illiterate.

Penal institution records show that inmates have a 16% chance of returning to prison if they receive literacy help, as opposed to 70% who receive no help. This equates to taxpayer costs of $25,000 per year per inmate and nearly double that amount for juvenile offenders.

Illiteracy and crime are closely related. The Department of Justice states, "The link between academic failure and delinquency, violence, and crime is welded to reading failure. Over 70% of inmates in America's prisons cannot read above a fourth grade level.

And consider these numbers.

Many of the USA ills are directly related to illiteracy.

       Literacy is learned. Illiteracy is passed along by parents who cannot read or write.

       One child in four grows up not knowing how to read.

       43% of adults at Level 1 literacy skills live in poverty compared to only 4% of those at Level 5

       3 out of 4 food stamp recipients perform in the lowest 2 literacy levels

       90% of welfare recipients are high school dropouts

       16 to 19 year old girls at the poverty level and below, with below average reading skills, are 6 times more likely to have out-of-wedlock children than their reading counterparts.

       Low literary costs $73 million per year in terms of direct health care costs. A recent study by Pfizer put the cost much higher.

When the State of Arizona projects how many prison beds it will need, it factors in the number of kids who read well in fourth grade (Arizona Republic (9-15-2004)). Evidence shows that children who do not read by third grade often fail to catch up and are more likely to drop out of school, take drugs, or go to prison. So many nonreaders wind up in jail, Arizona officials have found they can use the rate of illiteracy to help calculate future prison needs.           

The majority of inmates in America’s prisons have low levels of education and some can barely read, write, or use a computer. These are all skills that are necessary to make it on the outside without returning to a life of crime. Prison libraries offer inmates the chance to learn all of these things and more. Additional information on this subject can be found at http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Literacy/stats.asp

Interesting statistics have emerged from prison programs where inmates have been exposed to a prison library. One of the best ways libraries benefit prisoners is by helping make it less likely that they’ll end up back in prison again. Studies have shown that education helps to reduce rates of recidivism, and libraries can play a big part in that, with access to books, educational programs, and computer training.

One study of inmates found that participation in education programs while in prison helped reduce rates of re-arrest, re-conviction, and re-incarceration by significant amounts, with only 21% of those who participated in education programs ending up back in prison versus 35% of non-participants.

So, what can we do to ensure that the children around us don’t fall through the cracks and become such negative statistics in the future?

            Parents: Monitor your children’s time spent on TV, computer, and video games. Lay down strong rules concerning reading time. These other activities can easily be included as rewards, once the reading requirements are met.

            Teachers: It may be difficult in the classroom, with other students who need your time, but encourage students to become readers. The earlier they master this skill, the better they will perform in the classroom. When you identify students with reading problems, alert the parents.

            Grandparents: Increasingly, grandparents are stepping in to help raise their own grandchildren. Last year, my wife and I began looking after one of our granddaughters while her mother teaches. I’m already spending time helping this little one to embrace books and reading.

            Students: Take reading and your future seriously. Don’t just complain that reading is boring or you can’t find anything that interest you. Reading doesn’t always have to be a book. Look for other short articles and information in the areas where you are interested. But whatever you do, start reading today! Reading exercises your brain just like physical exercise improves your physical strengths and skills.

In the final analysis, it’s clear that not knowing how to read, or reading very little, has direct, negative consequences on children as they grow up, while knowing how to read, and doing it well has the complete opposite effect. As a nation,  let’s make it our priority to see that children around us are reading early and often. Their very futures success depend on it.

 

   

     

            

           

Soccer Cat on GALLEYCAT, how 'bout that?

Video of Aubie, my writing buddy, is featured on GALLEYCAT now - 3rd one on the page
http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/digital-dog-in-our-pet-parade_b63101

Reading & Learning With Generation Z

Who are the members of Generation Z? What do we know about them? How do we reach out to them with written material they’ll find of interest?

One of the things I like most about writing for children 8 – 13, is visiting them in their schools. Imagine my surprise, though, when I stood in front of a class a few years ago. Students wanted to know if I’d met any famous people through my video production business. I began talking about a private video interview I’d had with President Reagan as he visited his boyhood home in Dixon, IL. Their eyes glazed over, their mouths dropped open, and it became clear that these students had no idea who Ronald Reagan was. I also knew it would be pointless to talk about working with George Burns, Liam Neeson, B.J. Thomas, or the Rolling Stones which would also have been met with equally blank stares. I learned an important lesson about being relevant to this age group with the books I write.

You may have seen the list that’s published for incoming students each year. It’s called The Beloit College Mind-Set List http://chronicle.com/article/The-Beloit-College-Mind-Set/123925/  A member of the administration and a faculty member began making their list in1998 to help educators understand the frame of reference that shapes the worldviews of each new class of college freshmen. At times the list is quite jolting because we who are older expect that everyone knows what we know. Understanding Generation Z will help when it comes to teaching and reading. Generation Z is known as the Internet Generation. Some call them Digital Natives. They are the first generation, born between 1994 and 2004, to grow up where the Internet has always existed.  These children are always connected. They fully understand and utilize technology. They’re accused of being lazy, unaware of important issues, and apathetic. Likely because of their early introduction to technology, few want to go outside. Most say they’d rather text, tweet or play video games. All of this inside activity is leading to problems with overweight and one fifth of Generation Z’s are considered obese.

Many predict this generation could forever change how students are taught at every level by making technology an integral part of all classroom study. No matter if you’re studying to be a teacher, you’re a grandparent, or parent, there are some important educational trends to understand.

Today it seems the entire country is connected to the Internet with few exceptions. When Generation Z students come to school, they already understand the interactive features of smart phones, iPads and the like. It is for this reason that these devices are quickly becoming part of normal classroom activities. Since Generation Z students already arrive at school wired for technology, they’re ready to hit the ground running. This is spawning an avalanche of applications (apps) to provide interactive books, textbooks, educational games, and more.

Over the past several months, I’ve teamed up with an online organization that is developing its own app for young readers. As one of their writers, I’ve submitted nearly thirty short stories for use on digital devices. Knowonder.com is set to launch this month, providing free stories and materials for this Internet generation.

Homeschoolers are embracing the same explosion in technology which will help these students when they move on to high school or college, enabling them to be just as comfortable and proficient as other students.

More teachers are discovering the power of web-based programs and collaborative online projects. Students are also able to interact with other students across the country and around the world in real time.

Recent studies indicate the brains of Generation Z kids are structurally different from earlier
generations. It has to do with how they use their minds to respond to their surroundings. Because
of extensive web browsing and information overloading, Generation Z children have become
increasingly visual in their learning styles. So, educators have responded by focusing more on seeing
than listening. Teachers are focusing less on rote memorization and emphasize problem solving and
critical thinking. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t things that have to be memorized; it just means
this element in education is not implemented as much as in the past.

All of this early use of technology has a downside, and it shows itself most in reading. Generation Z, like Gen Y before them, has developed very short attention spans. This makes them harder to teach because they quickly become bored and are ready to move ahead to the next thing. Longer lesson of the past don’t work today. Educators are forced to develop shorter lessons to accommodate this obstacle. It’s important to note that this issue finds its way into reading as well. Authors of books for middle grade ages and below, are tasked with creating stories that move quickly, use shorter lines and paragraphs, along with lots of dialog and humor. Some publishers are experimenting with interactive fiction for kids, but these haven’t become popular yet and are extremely expensive to produce. Some fiction readers have found that all the available options take them away from the story’s flow. 

And mental health experts report that all the technology is causing an “acquired attention deficit disorder.” They tend to lose their ability to comprehend complex information, becoming impatient if it takes too long to figure something out. Most probably would never finish reading this column because they’d see it as too long.

As one Generation Z puts it, “Length is something that greatly frightens Gen Z. We don’t like taking our time to read, do or say anything. With texting becoming more popular so are abbreviations. Youths text an average of 2,900 times a month. Cyber communication is deteriorating our language and social skills.”

These trends have great implications not only on the current children of Generation Z, but also on what we can expect when they become the dominant demographic in our society. Many publishers are already working on that problem, trying to insure that there will always be a ready reading market for their books in the future.

The only question left to answer then is, what will we call the next generation after Z, now that we’ve reached the end of the alphabet?

VIDEO - Imagine

 

 

 

 

Bullies, drought, and who says you're too small to do BIG things?

Bullies, a drought, and who says you're too

SMALL 

to do

BIG

things?

FREE short story, The Littlest Raindrop

by Max Elliot Anderson from Knowonder. Find it at: http://www.knowonder.com/2012/12/28/the-littlest-raindrop/

If you've bought your kid a Kindle for Christmas

If you've bought your kid a Kindle for Christmas, several of my adventures & mysteries for readers 8 and up are on Kindle now. 
Most are only $2.99 right now.
Check 'em out and start loading up your kid's Kindle for great, exciting reading with humor plus heart-pounding action and adventure. 

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=max+elliot+anderson&rh=n%3A133140011%2Ck%3Amax+elliot+anderson&ajr=0

Kids say reading one is like actually being in an exciting movie!

 

 

 

 

 

Lost Island Smugglers was FREE for 1 day, December 18 only!

 Thank you to everyone who took advantage of our FREE Kindle day for Lost Island Smugglers. I hope your young readers enjoy the book and that you'll come back, not only for the other books in the Sam Cooper Adventure Series, but also more of my other books for young readers 8 and up.
And remember, many more titles are in the works for release in 2013, so come back often for updates and information.

Max

Ended at midnight, December 18, for one day only, Lost Island Smugglers

After you've enjoyed Lost Island Smugglers, it's our hope you'll be interested in book #2 and book #3 in the series.

You can find the rest of my books on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_10?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=max elliot anderson

 

Book #2 - Captain Jack's Treasure
(Now available)

 

Book #3 - River Rampage
(Now available)

 

 Book #4 - This Property is Condemned 

(Will be published in 2013)

Plan now to collect all 4. Your children & grandchildren will thank you. Great books, great series, and the first one's FREE! What could be better?

VIDEO - Lost Island Smugglers

 

VIDEO - Captain Jack's Treasure

 

VIDEO - River Rampage

 

Have A Very Merry Christmas

Adventures & Mysteries for Kids this Christmas

 

Find great adventure & mystery books for kids 8 and up this Christmas

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_19?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=max+elliot+anderson&sprefix=max+elliot+anderson%2Caps%2C198

 

Publishing Activities & Updates

A number of new books, anthologies, short stories, and columns are scheduled for the months ahead. Here's a brief rundown:

In Chicken Soup for the Soul, The Gift of Christmas, my true short story, No Christmas Presents in on page 214.

From Port Yonder Press

This Property is Condemned will be book # 4 in the Sam Cooper Adventure Series due out in 2013.

From Comfort Publishing

Three new titles are due out in 2013. They include:

Mischief After Midnight
Hidden Cabin
The Great Cave Caper

From Chestnut Publishing Group

Located in Toronto, Chestnut Publishing serves the education and library markets. Contracts have been signed for 6 action-adventures & mysteries for young readers.

The Secret Tunnel will be the first book published.

From Regal Books

My true story, He'll Never Walk Again, about contracting polio when I'd just turned 3, will be included in the anthology, I Believe in Healing.

From Edgar & Lenore's Publishing House

Hannah, a story about my grandmother, will be included in an anthology, Men in the Company of Women.

From Christian Fiction Online Magazine

My monthly column continues, slanted toward middle grade readers. This month's column, Give the Gift of Reading
http://christianfictiononlinemagazine.com/middle_anderson.html

From Knowonder Magazine

I continue as a staff writer of short stories for kids. Several stories have already been published. Find them here:
http://www.knowonder.com/max-elliot-anderson/

There are many other exciting developments in the works. Please check back often for updates, new releases, and information.

Thank you,

Max Elliot Anderson

PS. Request a free catalog of my books by emailing mander8813@aol.com

Pinterest

Visit me on Pinterest

 

http://pinterest.com/marketpl/

Please Vote for Carter

Friday is the LAST day to vote for Carter!

Carter is a young relative of ours who has a BIG chance for his picture to be included on the tickets for the Chicago Fire professional soccer games. Would you consider taking a second to vote for picture 005 "Sparky" at the following link? http://www.chicago-fire.com/myphototicket

Thank you very much, and Carter thanks you, too! He's a great little guy.

Especially for Grandparents

My wife and I became new grandparents twice this year. In January, Grace was born to our son and his wife. Then in August, Olivia was born to of our daughter and her husband. Since then, I've become keenly aware of the positive influence that grandparents can have in the lives of little ones like these.

Cavin Harper has established a ministry for just this reason. It's called the
Christian Grandparenting Network. http://www.christiangrandparenting.net/ He has a new book, Not On Our Watch, that's a great resource for grandparents.

Not On Our Watch! is a call for grandparents and parents to rise above the conventional view of grandparenting to embrace radically courageous life that stands apart from the politically correct crowd. It’s a call to intentionality—not settling for simply being good parents and grandparents, but choosing to stand in the gap and live as conduits of grace and truth for the next generations. Cavin Harper appeals to the emerging masses of Boomer grandparents to create a movement of godly men and women resolved to not let another generation grow up on our watch that does not know the Lord or His amazing grace. There’s too much at stake if we don’t.

 

Radio Interview

Here's his quick 30 minute radio program called Not On My Watch where Cavin Harper, Executive Director of the Christian Grandparenting Network, interviews me about my action-adventures & mysteries for kids - grandparents - and the importance of reading.

Hope you enjoy it,

Double click - wait for it to load
http://www.christiangrandparenting.net/media/com_podcastmanager/2012/nomw-broadcast-2012-10-21.mp3

Please pass the link on to others. Thank you

The Slippery Path - FREE short story adventure for kids

Your children or grandchildren might enjoy reading this new short story adventure. The Slippery Path - FREE short story adventure for kids http://www.knowonder.com/2012/11/22/the-slippery-path/

Fair warning to all turkeys

 Fair warning, turkeys. Run for you lives! Head for the hills Hide in the woods, lock you doors, shut the windows! Today is Thanksgiving...not a good day for turkeys. Unless you live next door to a vegetarian.

 

This Property is Condemned

This Property is Condemned

Is it true what they say about the old Remmington Mansion? Did someobody really die in the basement of that scary place?
This Property is Condemned
 will be the 4th book in the Sam Cooper Adventure Series from Port Yonder Press.

The manuscript has just been delivered to the publisher who plans to release the book in 2013. In this story, Sam, Tony, and Tyler discover a house that's falling apart. Local developers have sinister plans to tear the place down.

But wait a minute. Didn't the boys just see a curtain move in one of the front windows? All they've ever heard is the place is abandoned; maybe even haunted.

Sam and his friends decide to find out the truth.
This Property is Condemned
 Get ready for the next Sam Cooper Adventure / Mystery, coming soon from children's author Max Elliot Anderson and Port Yonder Press.

Why not read the first 3 books now, so you'll be ready when book #4 is published?

Book # 1 - Lost Island Smugglers
Book # 2 - Captain Jack's Treasure
Book # 3 - River Rampage
Coming Soon! Book # 4 - This Property is Condemned

Sam Cooper Adventures VIDEOS

Video - Captain Jack's Treasure http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khOJMw-faws&feature
Video - Lost Island Smugglershttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUTyzOwEJLg&feature



Video - River Rampage - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxoWP4QmVJQ&feature=plcp
Video - Imagine - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOAa_eu30Xc&feature=plcp

Author who writes kid's adventures & mysteries, shooting a film in the New Guinea jungles

 

Author who writes kid's adventures & mysteries, shooting a film in the New Guinea jungles.
Read the details at - http://www.pensonaworldmap.com/2012/11/penners-spotlight-max-elliot-anderson.html

 



"...reminds me of both the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys mystery series"

REVIEW

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Adventure!!, November 12, 2012

By

  Dolores Ayotte

This review is from: LOST ISLAND SMUGGLERS (The Sam Cooper Adventure Series

I thoroughly enjoyed "Lost Island Smugglers" by gifted Author Max Elliot Anderson. This fictional novel reminds me of my youth and the pleasure I received in reading both the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys mystery series. My twelve year old grandson would be intrigued by the adventure that Sam Cooper and his two new friends, Tony and Tyler, face in this well-written suspense novel.

Sam Cooper is an eleven year old boy who moves around more than the average boy of his age. His father is a biologist and must go where his job takes him. This occurs more than Sam likes. His latest move takes him to Harper's Inlet in Florida and once again Sam must seek out new friends. He does so at Sunday School where he meets up with Tony and Tyler. Tony's father owns a marina and many opportunies arise for the boys to spread their wings. After taking scuba diving lessons, they decide to venture out into the ocean on their own and put their skills to the test. An unexpected storm is brewing and the three boys manage to survive and end up on Lost Island. The adventure that ensues is most enjoyable and sure to capture the hearts of many younger readers.

There is an added thread throughout this novel, that intertwines lessons to be learned, as well as the importance of morals and values in the lives of these youngsters. "Lost Island Smugglers" can be seen as a valuable educational tool in teaching these ethics as well as stressing the role parent's play in shaping the lives of their children. I'm sure many young boys and girls can identify with the desire to be popular with their friends and the tendency to be disobedient to their parents in order to attain that popularity. Sam is faced with this challenge. This thought-provoking novel, demonstrates the sometimes peril consequences of ignoring the warnings of concerned parents. The illustrations in this book also add to the reading pleasure of the young audience it will appeal to.

 

The Sam Cooper Adventure Series

 

Lost Island Smugglers

Captain Jack's Treasure

River Rampage

Coming soon - This Property is Condemned

Additional reviews for Lost Island Smugglers

http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Island-Smugglers-Elliot-Anderson/product-reviews/1935600028/ref=cm_cr_dp_see_all_btm?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending

Reading Equals Success In Life

For kids, Reading Equals Success In Life - Read the new article at:  http://christianfictiononlinemagazine.com/middle_anderson.html

Sinking of the Bounty

My ears perked up earlier this week when I heard that the tall ship, Bounty, went down in high seas off the North Carolina coast during Hurricane Sandy. Sadly, one crewmember died and the captain is still missing at this writing.

My son, Jim, and I had the privilege of touring Bounty as she sat at Navy Pier in Chicago during a visit by several tall ships a couple of summers ago.

The HMS Bounty is one of the most famous ships in the world. Known for the storied mutiny that took place in Tahiti in 1789 on board the British transport vessel, the current Bounty, a replica, has survived to tell the tale. Built for the 1962 movie “Mutiny on the Bounty” with Marlon Brando, HMS Bounty sailed the country offering dockside tours in which one can learn about the history and details of sailing vessels from a lost and romanticized time in maritime history. Since her debut in “Mutiny on the Bounty”, HMS Bounty has appeared in many documentaries and featured films such as the Edinburgh Trader in Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Mans Chest with Johnny Depp.

 

The picture below was used in the video trailer for my book, Captain Jack's Treasure

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khOJMw-faws&feature=plcp

 

The Coast Guard said all 16 members of the crew had made it onto life rafts before the three-masted ship sank, but only 14 people were hoisted to safety about 90 miles southeast of Hatteras, N.C.
The crew abandoned the ship, which had lost propulsion, after it began taking on water, the Coast Guard said, according to the Associated Press.

The ship was trapped in 40-mph winds and 18-foot seas about 160 miles west of the eye of the hurricane, according to a Coast Guard statement. Coast Guard Vice Adm. Robert Parker, Operational Commander for the Atlantic Area, told ABC's Good Morning America that at the time of the distress call, the ship was taking on 2 feet of water an hour. It had about 10 feet of water when the crew abandoned the ship.

The Coast Guard first received a call Sunday evening from the ship's owner who said she had lost communication with the crew.

A signal from the ship's emergency radio beacon later confirmed that the vessel was in distress and gave its position.

Learning of this sad episode in the life of such a fine ship, I’m glad we had the opportunity to tour the ship both above and below deck.