Friday, July 27, 2012

NEW Release! The Scarecrow

The Scarecrow is the first of my books to carry a stronger message as part of the plot and story. My primary intent in writing The Scarecrow was to provide an exciting book for readers 8 - 13, that can be used with confidence by parents, churches, children's ministries, homeschoolers, Christian schools, and others who wish to reach out to kids with this unique tool.
The Scarecrow can be given as a gift to a hurting child, in a difficult home situation, who will identify immediately with the main character and his struggles in life. But the story is not limited to just that group. Any young reader will enjoy The Scarecrow.
               The Scarecrow is now published!
Synopsis_________________________________
  188 Pages

  • ISBN-10: 1478301309
  • ISBN-13: 978-1478301301

  • The Scarecrow

    Author: Max Elliot Anderson

                 Billy lived in a pitiful place in the city with his mother and younger sister, Becky. Their father had run off years ago and their mother became abusive every time she drank, to forget her troubles.

                One fateful day, a judge ordered that the children had to be removed from the house. They thought that'd be all right until they learned that they wouldn’t be going to the same place together.

                Billy found himself on a remote farm with an aunt and uncle who have never had children. Billy withdrew and didn’t speak at all for a long time.

                As his uncle gave him a tour of the farm, Billy was startled when he first saw the scarecrow. Then something amazing happened. Billy wasn’t certain at first, but he was pretty sure the scarecrow said something to him. Later, in his mind, he and the scarecrow were best friends, and did everything together.

                Billy’s uncle became concerned and, in time, showed him how he could have a friend who would stick closer than a brother.

                Finally, Billy was able to share the good news with his sister and his mother.
    I hope you'll help to make sure that The Scarecrow gets into the hands of kids who truly need to read its message of hope.

    Max Elliot Anderson
    Author

    PS. If you are interested in quantity orders, direct from the publisher, for your ministry or outreach, email me at mander8813@aol.com and I'll give you their contact information.

    "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

    "Max Elliot Anderson's Adventures are like good, family movies." Bill Myers - Author

    Reviews: 
    Review By Wayne S. Walker
    How can a boy who has been moved away from his home in the city to live with his uncle and aunt way out in the country find a friend? Eleven-year-old William J. (Billy) Brightman lives in a very rough part of the city with his mom and eight-year-old sister Becky. His dad had left the family a long time ago, and his mother drinks too much. Billy keeps having a dream about being frightened by a mean scarecrow. One day his mother accidentally starts a fire in their house, and the judge says that Billy and his sister have to stay somewhere else. Becky is sent to live with distant relatives in another state while Billy is sent to a farm to live with his Uncle Jim and Aunt Ruth who have no children.

    At first, Billy doesn't like it on the farm and tries to be as uncommunicative as possible. But Uncle Jim and Aunt Ruth are very nice to him. He learns to help with the work--gathering eggs, feeding the animals, raking leaves, stacking hay, and picking vegetables from the garden. There are a tire swing on a tree and some newborn kittens in the barn to play with. His uncle and aunt also take Billy to church with them. However, he misses Becky and has no other friends. Then he finds that there's a scarecrow on the farm--just like the one in his dreams! But this is a nice scarecrow. He winks his eye, talks to Billy, and even gets down off his post to play with him. Together they explore the farm, work in the barn, and go fishing. Is this real, or is Billy just pretending to play with a make-believe friend? And who does Billy learn is a friend who sticks closer than a brother?

    Author Max Elliot Anderson has done it again. Billy is a boy who has experienced some significant problems in his short life, through no fault of his own, but he learns, with the assistance of his wise uncle and loving aunt, the very best way to deal with his situation. Billy makes some mistakes along the way, but he corrects them and determines to do better. It is good for youngsters to read stories about taking responsibility and overcoming difficulties. All children will like The Scarecrow, but I think that it will be especially meaningful to hurting children in difficult home situations because they will be able immediately to identify with Billy and his life with its struggles. To be honest, I've never read a Max Elliot Anderson book that I didn't thoroughly enjoy, and this one is no different. It gets a high five from me.


    Review By Cheri Swalwell
    My child just finished reading The Scarecrow by Max Elliott Anderson. She really liked the book. It was about a brother and sister who were taken away from their mother and placed in separate homes. The boy, Billy, was angry for being taken away and separated, but by the end of the book he learns how to love.

    She said her favorite part of the book was when Billy ended up accepting Jesus into his heart after his uncle explained what that meant, and when he was excited and shared that with his sister, he found out she had done the same thing after learning about Jesus from her church and new family.

    My daughter said she loved the book and thinks the author writes very well. Overall, she said she would recommend this book to both boys and girls age eight and up. However, she feels that even grown-ups would love this book.


    Thursday, July 26, 2012

    Are You Into BMX Bike Racing?


    This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the ABA BMX Midwest Nationals for BMX racing bikes. BMX stands for Bicycle Motocross. The competition was held in my city, Rockford, Illinois.
    Now, I’m embarrassed to say that the races have been held in Rockford for twenty-six years, but I never attended before this year.
    Competition was held from Friday through Sunday and I went on the last afternoon of racing. I also went in hopes of meeting a friend from high school and College, Jerry Landrum.
    Jerry raced in BMX during his younger years, and he’ll probably tell you he continued on in it beyond when he should have stopped.
    On Sunday, I saw racers who were solidly into their 50’s. If there were older competitors, I didn’t hear the ages.
    I asked around at the track, to see if Jerry was there on Sunday afternoon. Several officials and another professional photographer said he wasn't. The photographer told me, “No,” none of the big BMX photographers were there on Sunday. I found out later that Jerry was there. It’s just that he stayed high up in the stands for his shots that day, while I prowled around the grounds and the infield. Too bad. It would have been nice to see him.
    Here’s a link to Jerry’s excellent web site, BMX Mania http://bmxmania.com   Everything you could possibly want to know about BMX racing is on this site because Jerry is one of the top experts in the field.
    Interesting, the starting gate used in all BMX racing in the world was made at a company here in Rockford, also.
    Many former competitors in Rockford will be at the Olympics in London, so I hope you’ll watch for the BMX events in the days ahead. Jerry will be there, too, taking more of his stunning pictures.
    At the weekend races here, 28 states were represented. More than 1,250 riders participated. I honestly couldn’t believe how gigantic this event actually was. The track is considered possibly the best in the country.
    I also saw some pretty spectacular accidents where riders were hurt. Keep that in mind if you’re considering entering the sport.
    And girls compete as well as the boys, men, and women. Each races in his or her own class, including pro.
    My photographs don’t hold a candle to Jerry’s, but these are just a few examples of the competition anyway.

    Remember, if you're looking for heart-pounding action adventures and mysteries for readers 8 - 13, check out my books. Many are also on ebooks. I'm also on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and others.
    My books on Amazon
    http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1/182-0164727-8617855?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=max+elliot+anderson

    Wednesday, July 25, 2012

    VOTE For River Rampage Please

    Please vote - River Rampage is on Clash of the Titles.
    Please take a second and vote for it, thank you.
     
     
     
     
    And here's the video from River Rampage.
     

    Saturday, July 14, 2012

    FREE short story Buford Bear & The First Snowflake


    FREE short story - Read about the contest Buford Bear could never win! The First Snowflake. Perfect for these hot summer days we're having.

    A story for the little ones around you today at Knowonder Magazine.


    Max Elliot Anderson

    Sunday, July 08, 2012

    Excellent review for Lost Island Smugglers from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine


    Here's an excellent review for Lost Island Smugglers from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

    NOTE! If you would like to review book #3, River Rampage, from a PDF file, send your request to mander8813@aol.com

    Video


    Book #2 Captain Jack's Treasure

    Video


    Book # 3 River Rampage


    
    Video


    Six additional titles available

    Thursday, July 05, 2012

    Polly Porcupine’s Prickly Problem

    I have a new short story available for kids today at
    Knowonder Magazine.

    Polly Porcupine’s Prickly Problem

    NEW short story for kids - please rank the story, too. http://www.knowonder.com/2012/07/05/polly-porcupines-prickly-problem/

    Monday, July 02, 2012

    Which Brained Are You?

    Here's a new article that may interest you about right-brained, left-brained, and what it means to you, your children or grandchildren.
    http://christianfictiononlinemagazine.com/middle_anderson.html