Laughing Turkeys

I thought this was funny.

Nearly every day of the year, several groups of turkeys amble through our front and back yards like clockwork. But yesterday, Thanksgiving, not one bird showed its face.

Then, this morning, the day after Thanksgiving, I heard a bird between my house and the neighbor’s. Now, usually, they come and go, and make no noise. Sometimes, you’ll hear a light, clucking sound. But on this morning, the day AFTER Thanksgiving, I heard what could only be described as a laughing turkey.

I grabbed my camera, went outside, and snapped this picture as the birds walked across the street. To my ear, they were still making that same noise. It sounded like they were laughing as if to say, “Na na na boo boo, we survived Thanksgiving!”

Last Child in the Woods

With most American schools either enjoying or approaching Thanksgiving break, many parents wonder how to keep children occupied while they cook, clean and prep for the holiday. Perhaps this is the ideal time to revisit some classic advice from award-winning journalist Richard Louv.

Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder. Richard Louv, 2005, 2008. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Read the full article:
http://www.vision.org/visionmedia/article.aspx?id=19602

NOTE: "Since most of my books for boys are adventures that take place outside, I'm very much in favor of this book. In fact, I'd add to the title, "And when they come back inside, have them read a book."
Max Elliot Anderson

Lemony Snicket, Book # 1 FREE

For a limited time, book # 1, The Bad Beginning,

by Lemony Snicket, is available FREE!

Check it out while you can!

Read it now

http://browseinside.harpercollinschildrens.com/index.aspx?isbn13=9780064407663

View Lemony Snicket’s video response to this latest unfortunate event.

http://www.lemonysnicket.com/

Max Elliot Anderson

Author of

Action-Adventures & Mysteries...especially for boys.

Interview about my Books for Boys

A new interview has been posted about my action-adventures and mysteries at: http://jadaykennedy.blogspot.com/2009/11/max-elliot-anderson-author-of-reluctant.html

Literacy, families and learning

Another blog that offers solutions, ideas, and help for the reluctant readers in your family, classroom, or cirlce of friends is called Literacy, families and learning. Find it at http://trevorcairney.blogspot.com/2009/11/getting-boys-into-reading-through.html

National Struggling Reluctant Reader Week

Okay, so it's actually National Young Reading Week November 9 - 13. However, I'm taking it a step farther in calling it National Struggling Reluctant Reader Week. Why? Because if we don't reach out to struggling, reluctant readers, then there isn't much use in simply setting aside a week to highlight reading.

Last month I wrote an article, Help for Struggling, Reluctant Readers. You can get a FREE copy of that article by emailing me at mander8813@aol.com

So, this week, please do something to identify a struggling reader in your family or circle of friends, and do what you can to help them become a reader. My action-adventures & mysteries have helped many to make the leap from struggling to avid reader.

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 are compared by readers and reviewers to Tom Sawyer, The Hardy Boys, Huck Finn, Nancy Drew, Harry Potter, Tom Swift, Scooby-Doo, Lemony Snicket, and adventure author Jack London.

Max Elliot Anderson

PS. The above picture is of my son and me. Today, he's a lawyer in Chicago. Reading works!

Veterans Day

Received several nice emails and phone calls today, thanking me for my military service. Nice. But it seems like a hundred years ago now. I was drafted into the army in 1969 and served until 1971. I didn’t go to Vietnam, because I already had an older brother there. My younger brother went to Okinawa.

But when I returned to work in my father’s film production company, where do you think my first film project was? VIETNAM. I couldn’t believe it. The project was a film for Venture For Victory with locations in Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and Vietnam.

All of my basic training had been geared to Vietnam with instructors who had fought there. All of the training films were also about Vietnam.

So, as a civilian, you can imagine my panic, when the helicopter I was flying in, from one filming location to the other, dropped me off in the wrong rice patty. I was all alone.

Another time, I felt as if I were being watched. So I zoomed the lens all the way in, and focused on infinity. When I spun the camera around in the direction of that strange feeling, what did I see but a pair of binoculars disappearing into the tall grass! A cold chill went right up my back.

So it is with profound appreciation that I say thank you to all who have actually served in harm’s way. You have my deepest respect.

Max Elliot Anderson

On Blogging Well

See my guest post about blogging at On Blogging Well http://onbloggingwell.com plus other entries that you may find helpful and interesting.

I Told Two Friends & Books for Boys

My focus in writing is to reach reluctant readers, especially boys 8 - 13. In my research, I also became aware of the problems surrounding adult literacy. Did you know that most of the men in prisons today either grew up as reluctant readers, or they can't read at all?

I found a web site that might interest you if you're concerned with adult literacy. I Told Two Friends can be found at http://itoldtwofriends.com

Max Elliot Anderson

Knowonder - Legend of The White Wolf

The November issue of Knowonder Magazine is out, and in it is chapter 1 from my adventure book, Legend of The White Wolf. You can find the free, electronic issue at
http://www.knowonder.com/magazine/november/ on Page 54.

Knowonder is a magazine intended to, "Inspire your child's Imagination." I like that.

Legend of The White Wolf is available on Amazon, or you may order signed copies. Contact me for more information about that at mander8813@aol.com

Max Elliot Anderson

LEGEND OF THE WHITE WOLF $10.95 0-9752880-3-2
They didn’t call him a liar; they just couldn’t believe his story. Brian Fisher was determined to prove it was true even though it involved the risk to his own safety. His rescue of a wolf pup from a steel trap results in a mysterious relationship with surprising results. The story is set in the lower elevations near Yellowstone

Two New Books For Boys

When my son, Jim, was growing, up, he became interested in any sport that included a ball, a puck, or an athlete. In other words, he was consumed with sports. He's # 25 on the left of this picture. Jim would have loved these books, I’m sure.

I’m happy anytime I find books that will appeal to boys, especially reluctant readers, since that's where my books are focused. Author Fred Bowen is writing just such books, published by Peachtree Publishers in Atlanta, Georgia.

From his website at http://www.fredbowen.com/home.htm you can find a lot more background information about this author. He writes, “I'm Fred Bowen. I write sports fiction for kids 8 years old and up, and a weekly sports column for kids in The Washington Post. My two newest books are Touchdown Trouble (August 2009) and Soccer Team Upset (August 2009). And I have three more books coming out next spring. Two more are in the Fred Bowen Sports Story series.”
Here is a brief synopsis from each book, again taken from Mr. Bowen's site.

Touchdown Trouble

The StorySam loves playing for the Cowboys. His teammates always pull together and play to win. Their effort pays off big-time when they beat their arch rival in a hard-fought game. But their celebration doesn’t last long. Sam makes a discovery that threatens their victory and their team spirit. Can Sam keep the Cowboys together or will his discovery destroy the team?

Soccer Team Upset

The StoryIt is just the beginning of the soccer season, but Tyler is pumped. His team is stacked with awesome players and they have a real shot at being league champions. When a couple of the stars consider leaving to play on a travel team, Tyler is furious. Then he finds out that star-power isn’t the only way to win games.

These new books will interest reluctant readers, avid readers, boys and girls. If you have a sports nut in your house, like I did, I’m sure the books will score points big time.

Nice Job, Fred.

My Article On Crosswalk.com - Help For Struggling, Reluctant Readers

If you'd like to read my article, Help For Struggling, Reluctant Readers, you can find it on Crosswalk dit com at http://www.crosswalk.com/homeschool/11610318/

Max Elliot Anderson

Speaking About Books For Boys

This past Saturday, I had the opportunity to speak to over 100 people who had gathered at the Crystal Lake Evangelical Free Church in Crystal Lake, Illinois. They came there to learn how to better reach out to kids. Each person was connected, in one way or another, to an organization called Awana http://www.awana.org

I had been invited for two reasons. Our two adult children had been involved in Awana when they were little. But there was something else. An Awana leader at Winnetka Bible Church, in Winnetka, Illinois, had been reading my action-adventure & mystery books, out loud, in his club. Each week he’d read a couple of chapters. This helped to keep the attention of the kids, and it resulted in making sure they arrived on time, so they wouldn’t miss any of the story each week.
After he'd finished reading all of the books to his clubbers, he asked if I had anything more. So I sent him one of my unpublished manuscripts called Whispers In The Graveyard. The story takes place in Chicago.

It was a great day with the people from Awana, and several were interested in knowing more about my books.

My Wrestle With The Reluctant Reader

This article captures much of the same journey that I've experienced - minus the music career -as I began writing action-adventures & mysteries, especially for boys. In my case, too, girls like these books.

Not long ago, I also reviewed one of the author's books on this blog, "Captain Nobody."

Here's a link to the article:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/21/my-wrestle-with-the-reluc_n_327263.html

Max Elliot Anderson

Winter's Tail, How One Little Dolphin Learned to Swim Again

Winter's Tail, How One Little Dolphin Learned to Swim Again, is the fascinating, true story of a little dolphin that got herself tangled in the ropes of a crab trap. As a result, her tail came off. At first, a fisherman cut the ropes loose, and then Winter was rescued by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

This book is filled with photographs that document Winter's progress as she is fitted with a new tail, and learns to swim again. Now she is helping children and adults, who have also lost limbs. Her story brings a new understanding to the challenges they face, and special relationships are formed.

Winter's Tail is one of several books from Scholastic that tell stories of animals, from all over the world, facing difficulties.

I plan to give this book to my daughter who teaches second grade in a Florida school. Dolphins are some of her favorite animals.

You can also find a web site about Winter at http://www.winterstail.com/

Help for The Struggling, Reluctant Reader,

Since it was published earlier this month, my article, Help for The Struggling, Reluctant Reader, has been generating a lot of interest, including requests for reprint rights.

If you’d like to have a copy, just email me at mander8813@aol.com and I’ll be happy to email it to you.

Max Elliot Anderson

A Boy's Review Of A Book For Boys

Okay, I write books for boys. And this blog is dedicated to the subject of books for boys. So you can appreciate how great it is to get comments and reviews for my books from boys.

At the present time, “Terror At Wolf Lake,” is out of print. The publisher has plans to reprint it in the future. But I hope you’ll enjoy this review from Alex Kent.

Thank you Alex!

BOOK REVIEW: Terror At Wolf Lake

Author: Max Elliot Anderson

By: Alex KentSeptember 29, 2009

I was given Max Elliot Anderson’s books personally signed by him to me. My mom told Mr. Anderson that I couldn’t find any interesting boy books to read and she would help market his books if I would read them. I have several of his books that I do enjoy reading because they are about boys like me doing things that I like to do. This book, Terror At Wolf Lake actually happened at Wolf Lake, Michigan.

Eddy Thompson is a kid in the forth grade and he cheats on everything like games, tests, schoolwork, and everything. Eddy’s father decides to take Eddy and his two best friends, Chet and Rusty, and their fathers to a cabin in the woods at Wolf Lake, Michigan, for an ice fishing vacation during their Christmas break.

While there, Eddy and his friends heard and saw some men hide money they had stolen from a bank. Eddy discovered that honesty is the best no matter what. He learned that being honest would be the best in any situation and when he went back to school, he even told his teacher that he had cheated on a test and asked to take it over and do extra work to make up for his dishonesty. This story is about being honest. I enjoyed Terror At Wolf Lake because of the action and mystery. I felt scared when they were scared and felt good when they told the truth. I think boys would like it a lot.

Help For The Reluctant Reader

Ive already received three requests to reprint my article, "Help for The Reluctant Reader."

This article is in the October issue of Knowonder Magazine. The magazine is published in print and in an electronic version. The electronic issue is available at
http://www.knowonder.com/magazine/october/
You can flip through the electronic version of the magazine, to the "For You by You" section. The article starts on page 116 to 118.

Chapter 1, from my tween book, “Legend of The White Wolf,” will be published in their November issue.

We can all agree that reading is the foundation of learning and education. After all, readers are the leaders others follow.

Max Elliot Anderson

A New Term To Me

This is a new one for me, and I thought you might find it interesting too. They're called "free-Range" kids. VERY interesting.

http://www.ajc.com/lifestyle/free-range-parents-loosen-153250.html

Max Elliot Anderson

My article in Knowonder Magazine

There's an article that I wrote for the magazine, Knowonder. This magazine is published in print and in an electronic version. The electronic issue is available at

http://www.knowonder.com/magazine/october/

The article title is "Help for Reluctant Readers.”

Flip through the electronic version of the magazine, to the "For You by You" section. The article starts on page 116 to 118.

Chapter 1, from my tween book, “Legend of The White Wolf,” will be published in their November issue.

Max Elliot Anderson