VIDEO VIOLENCE - versus GREAT KID'S BOOKS and FUN!

MEET ME AT THE CORNER,
Virtual Field Trips for Kids

Let Kids Enjoy a Happy Halloween

HALLOWEEN HELPERS

A young philanthropist talks about her project "Halloween Helpers."
Learn the many ways kids can get involved in giving back to their communities.

Watch the fun Video.

Other fun websites about giving include:

* Learning to Give,
* Do Something
+ a link to a new book:
*Mommy and Daddy Do It Pro Bono.

See the list of recommended books on how kids can volunteer,
and a Learning Corner of questions and extended activities about this episode.

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VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES

Boys ARE affected by violent content:

From my trusted Guru of all things teckie,
Kim Komando

A new study found a link between violent content and aggression in boys. Repeatedly viewing violence desensitized the boys. They were more likely to consider using violence themselves. Violent video games can cause a lot of problems for children. Unfortunately, there are plenty of them around. Here are some popular video games your kids should not play.

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Get your kids
HOOKED on READING
instead of Video Games
For young boys who are reluctant readers, try:

"Rattlesnake Jam"

Wild rhyming fun, while Pa catches rattlers, and Gran cooks
them into her "cure-all" rattlesnake jam. But will she ever cook Pa the
rattlesnake pie he craves?

For sheer rhyming fun, or if your child has
been affected by a BIG CHANGE in their life, try:

"Ruthie and the Hippo's Fat Behind"

Moving far from friends and family turns Ruthie into a brat! Her parents tear their hair. Then something wonderful happens, and changes Ruthie back into the lovely daughter they remember.
** Parent/teacher guide includes helpful Q&A

BOOK TRAILERS


SUPER Reviews!

Autographed Copies from my website
+ bookmarks and coloring sheets

and. . .
Christmas is Coming!


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Books for Kids - Manuscript Critiques

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Beat Your Kid's Summer Boredom - HOOK THEM on READING!

It's coming up on that time of year. . .
Summer Vacation Time,
when kids get bored!

Boys especially fall into S.V.T. pit of boredom.

Many BOYS
don't think reading will offer what THEY crave . . .

GRAND ADVENTURE
CRAZY FUN AND HUMOR

ESCAPE FROM CHORES
BECOMING A WINNER!

Of course Moms and Dads will be glad to hear that the books I recommend below DO NOT teach their sons to be rebellious, crazy, or anything bad. The books are written by writers who understand what it takes to HOOK a BOY (or a girl) into enjoying a good read. Understanding cause and effect, coming to grips with the idea of making good choices, and developing self-esteem, is what GREAT books offer.

A great author knows ways to weave in what parents want their sons and daughters to "get" from a book. A liberal sprinkling of action, humor and adventure "makes the medicine go down" - to paraphrase Mary Poppins.

I have been off-line for a few months, due to knee replacement surgery that threw me a few nasty curves. So, I thought the time was about right to pop in and offer a few" boy friendly" book titles.

These titles are guaranteed to take your
reluctant reader by the scruff of the neck,
and catapult him into the wonders
of reading great books.

Hopefully, reading something that was written with boys ( and their gross humor and other weird macho traits in mind) will also give moms and dads some breathing space.

HERE WE GO!

Any of Daniel Pinkwater's many novels.

Steve Young's books:
Winchell Mink: The Misadventure Begins + his 15 Minutes.

Dotti Enderle recently wrote an adaptation of Huckleberry Finn for Magic Wagon Press. It is made simplier, without dumbing it down.

Toad Rage and You're a Bad Man, Mr. Gum - both funny books.
Granny (Granny dies at the end--but she is mean and horrible. As a reader you are happy to have her out of the picture.)

Al Capone Does My Shirts, by Gennifer Choldenk - hilarious,
Jimmy Spoon and the Pony Express
Martin's Mice
Anything by Dick King-Smith
The Time Warp Trio - books by Jon Scieszka

Boys often like the Redwall series (although again, not lighthearted).
The Wayside School Series by Sachar - way funny.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.

Any book by Gordon Korman - especially Born To Rock.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney is a riot!

Jerry Spinelli also writes books that tickle the young male funny-bone.
Jim Krieg's Griff Carver: Hallway Patrol.
The Strange Case of the Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger.
Artemis Fowle by Eoin Colfer, offers fun that is dysfunctional: Dad's missing, mom's in shock.
The Diamond Brothers books by Anthony Horowitz are funny.
The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex is really funny, - join aliens taking over the world.

Terry Pratchett's books for kids are funny too.
M.T. Anderson wrote Whales On Stilts, the Mystery of the Linoleum Lederhosen, and Pals in Peril - all are goofy in a good way.

The Bone series, by Jeff Smith, is a graphic novel series that zooms out of school libraries!
"Chicken Trek: the Third Strange Thing that Happened to Oscar Noodleman" by Stephen Manes.

Anything by Andrew Clements, Richard Peck, Louis Sachar.

HOLES by Lewis Sachar is very interesting and the character has definite boy appeal.

Just type the titles or author's names into GOOGLE or AMAZON to find book information or other books the authors have written. These day,s they also have websites or blogs for you and your kids to check out.

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This list is a mere beginning: something to get you started, and your kids interested in summer reading. NOTE: I stole some of the titles from members of my favorite online writing list - Children's Writers and Illustrators. The remainder were ones I knew about myself.

My son was a reluctant reader, so I know all about searching for just the right story to peak a boy's interest - they had to be BOREDOM PROOF!!

GO TO IT PARENTS!!

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COMING SOON:
My new mid-grade adventure for boys.

"Taconi and Claude- Double Trouble"

Set in the Aussie Outback territory, where survival, a crazed emu, and sneaky Dreamtime spirits, keep Taconi and his talkative cockatoo pal Claude, hopping. His dad needs help, and he is sure the magic blue kingfisher feather, if he could find it, would solve everything. Not to mention adventure, fun, plus all the rattlesnake and witchetty grubs a boy could eat!

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BOOKS - Guaranteed to HOOK KIDS on READING!

Take Note of These 3 Authors:

Lynn Garthwaite - Kaleb Nation - Renee Hand.

These authors write books that will GRAB
your reluctant reader's interest.

BOY'S TOO!

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If your reluctant reader is a young teen, drop

Bran Hambric - the Fairfield Curse,
by Kaleb Nation, on his bedside table.

Bran Hambric was found locked in a bank vault at six years old, with no memory of his past. For years, he has lived with one of the bankers, wondering why he was left behind -- until one night, when he is fourteen, he is suddenly confronted by a maddened creature, speaking of Bran’s true past and trying to kidnap him. ....................That's what I call baiting the HOOK!

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For younger readers,
HOOK them on books by these 2 Authors:

Lynn Garthwaite's,
"Dirkle Smart's" Adventure Series

Dirkle has his own web page, where he shows kids where to go for the Books, Fun Stuff , about the Characters + lots MORE. Available from AMAZON

Lynn told me this: "Kids who are just learning to read on their own need to find something fun and interesting, so they understand how much fun books can be. I write the kind of books I liked to read when I was that age: anything with a secret, a hidden room, transport to a magical land, or the discovery of something that had been hidden for hundreds of years.

Those kinds of books just sucked me right in."

ME TOO!

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and

Renee Hand's
Crypto-Capers Series -
Beginning with these 2:

The Case of the Missing Sock

plus - The Case of Red Rock Canyon
(Both available from Amazon and B&N)

HEY!
What child doesn't want to root for a
bunch of kids who solve mysteries.

Visit Renee's Website for books, Bio, and MORE

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Also, check on the right of this page for a list of
HOOK 'EM NOW books for both
boys and girls.


Visit my own Reluctant Reader Friendly books page.
sample verses - illustrations - cover slides - trailer.


REMEMBER: Books must have fast paced stories, full of
fun, action, and cool dialogue, if you want to
HOOK that reluctant reader - or boy.

BOOK TITLES that HOOK BOYS on READING

Parents, Home Schoolers and Teachers. . .

Today I bring you 3 books with built in HOOKS.

If your boy (or girl ) reluctant reader hides when you suggest they read,
or when the teacher assigns a home reading project, don't despair.

First, make sure they do not have a genuine reading
disability, like dyslexia, or a need for glasses.
Once that hurdle is cleared, your main
problem is finding books that
have a plots and characters
that interest them.

Bland and cute will not cut it with these finicky readers.

Try wild adventure, outer space, quirky wimps that mature fast, or a character with the same interests as your child. If they love computers, racing cars or horses, then search for author who bring these elements into their stories. With your librarian's help, point your reluctant reader in the direction of of books that involve the things they are passionate about. Look for fast action, cool situations and dialogue, plus wacky adventures.

Below are 3 examples of books that have "boy baited" hooks:

Storky: How I Lost my Nickname and Won the Girl -
by D.L. Garfinkle

Partial Review From Booklist - American Library Association:
Gr. 8-11. High-school freshman Mike Pomerantz is tall and too skinny, with bird legs and wiry hair. He has an unrequited crush on fellow smart-kid--beautiful, popular Gina--who scorns him. Mike confides his troubles to his computer journal, with wry humor and deliciously bitter caricatures.

* Available from Amazon

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Stuck in the 70s by D.L. Garfinkle

From School Library Journal
Grade 9 Up—When Tyler walks into his bathroom in the middle of the night and sees strange, but gorgeous, Shay taking a bubble bath, he thinks he's dreaming. She thinks it's an elaborate joke. One minute she's in 2006 and the next minute, the dorky guy who won't stop staring at her is telling her it's 1978. All Shay wants to do is get back home. Tyler wouldn't mind if she stayed a while and maybe helped him improve his science-geek reputation. They strike a deal. She will help him out at school if he'll figure out how to send her back to her own time.
Because it is WAY out-of-the-box, teens (boys and girls) will be hooked on this one.

* Available from Amazon

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A sneak peek at Max Elliot Anderson's Blog told me about this book:

Bran Hambric - The Farfield Curse - by Kaleb Nation,

Part Synopsis:
Bran Hambric was found locked in a bank vault at six years old, with no memory of his past. For years, he has lived with one of the bankers, wondering why he was left behind -- until one night, when he is fourteen, he is suddenly confronted by a maddened creature, speaking of Bran’s true past and trying to kidnap him. Bran finds that he is at the center of a plot which started years before he was even born: the plot of a deadly curse his mother created…and one that her former masters are hunting for him to complete. Haunted by the spirit of his mother’s master and living in a city where magic is illegal, Bran must undo the crimes of his past...before it is too late.

This is another book reluctant teen readers will devour.

* Want to preview the first 4 chapters for free?
Click here to download.

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My Website - Manuscript Critiques
Margot's BOOKS for KIDS + Writing News
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BUY any Autographed Book from my website, and
receive a FREE LINK to me READING that story!
Soft cover - CD - Download

e-BOOKS are COOL - Try them on your RELUCTANT READER.

"E-book Sales are Finally Taking Off -
With or without Kindles and Readers!"

This is the title of an article, written by Peter Svensson
for the Associated Press - read it HERE

The Oregonian Newspaper today printed this fascinating article about e-BOOKS and their growing popularity. Now they are available on iPhones, Kindle, Blackberries, book readers, as well as the good old computer screen. This makes it easy for an e-Book story, or newspaper article, to while away that s-l-o-w "wait" time: for adults and kids alike. YEA!

And if you have a reluctant reader, or a boy who hates to read, try him with an e-Book. The button pressing and new technology will get him interested, and the right story will do the rest. By "right story," I mean something rough, tough, action packed and macho!

Other sections on this blog offer
"Boy Friendly" titles and authors.

E-books are Green, Save Trees, Environmentally Friendly and Much Cheaper than their paper versions. You don't have to buy a book reader or a Kindle - not until they came WAY down in price anyway. Your PC or laptop screen works just fine.

It is only a matter of time before book readers are able to show color, and can be bought for well under the $100 mark. Imagine several dozen books downloaded into a light, hand held reader that is no heavier than the average library book. Or, use your Blackberry or other device to hold a great book or two. This will help you while away those spare minutes.

This Will Happen!
The interest and upsurge in e-Book Interest
has already begun!

Kids today are teckno savvy, mates.

There is a time and a place for books of all types -
both in paper, and those that are downloaded.

The future will embrace both paper and electronic books.
Reading pleasure for everyone!


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My Website - Manuscript Critiques
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
BUY any Autographed Book from my website, and
receive a FREE LINK to me READING that story!
Soft cover - CD - Download

HOOK KIDS on READING with the RELUCTANT READER LAIR!

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The Reluctant Reader Lair
is all about authors writing "Books That Will HOOK Kids
on READING," and parents who are happy
to find and buy them.

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Do You Worry Because Your Child
Doesn't Like Reading?

I have discovered that more reluctant readers are boys.
As a writer of children's books, I find this
shocking and unacceptable.

However, I'm betting it's because girl genes swoon over
frills, pink, cute puppies, playing house,
and dress-up.


On the other hand, boy genes go for fast action, frogs,
yucky stuff, dirt, shooting guns and practicing
gross underarm noises.


Who writes kid's books anyway?

More women than men write books for children, so it stands to reason that they tend to lean toward things that appeal to kids of the female persuasion: not always mind you, but quite often. Lady writers know what little girls (and not so little girls) like - right! So, with the profusion of story choices offered to them, about topics they think are cool, it's no wonder girls read more than boys.

Now that I've dragged this dirty little secret out in the open, what can writers do about fixing this, so our boys will also have a ready supply of books they love to read?

First off, female writers have to go discover the other side of the gene pool - the Testerone Mystery! What makes it tick? What interests those it inhabits? How can we entice a "testerone flavor of the month" into the books we write for boys?

YIKES!!
It's beginning to sound like a banned book!
NOT SO, mates.

My son David was a reluctant reader. Short of my gluing a book to his hands, and threatening dire consequences, he would not read. Not sure about you, but I was certain this was not the way to get him HOOKED on BOOKS!

"It's boring, Mom."
"Can I stop now?" - after 5 minutes.
"I'll read it later - promise!"
"Laura liked it ( his sister), so it's gotta suck."
"But a lady wrote it!!"
"Aw Mom, the team will flub without me."

Just A few of my son's wiggle-outa-reading excuses. Books should be a can't-put-it-down-till-I -finish, kinda fun - not a gun-at-the-head torture. How could I hook this kid of mine on the pleasure of reading, the thrill of that magic carpet ride to fascinating and far away places, of intriguing characters, and boy targeted adventures.

Then I found him the Hardy Boy's Series. Not great literature for sure, but who cares: These books GOT DAVID READING. No nagging, no excuses. After reading the complete series of umpteen books, he asked for more of the same. Now that I knew his reading needs, it was no problem to provide my son with the sort of macho page turners he loved.

That's when the answer hit me right in the face. . .
WRITE ABOUT WHAT INTERESTS BOYS.

Forget the frills and the fashions. Dump the giggles and the whispered secrets. Think mini-male.
Give boys a scaled down version of what their Dads, Uncles and Grandfathers enjoyed reading.

*An humorous action mystery
*A fast paced wild country adventure
*A school bully fed his own medicine
*How to survive ( macho man style) in an all female household.
*A bordering on gross holiday adventure - fast and funny!
*Fantasy and Sci-Fi dudes on the rampage.
*Tales about winning team sports.
*Bring on the dinosaurs!

Keep girls to a minimum and the DIALOGUE ALL BOY!
Let the yuck factor rule - especially with humor.

Get the picture. . . sorry, I mean BOOK?

Begin by researching what the boys you know and love like to do. When they gather to watch TV, sports, or play computer games, SPY ON THEM! Listen to the way they talk, their current interests, the food they crave. Note what they think is cool, and what they hate. Get a feel for what tickles the junior male funny bone!

Now, go to the library and read everything they have that was written with boys in mind.
Depending upon the age you want to write for, look for books written by:

Max Elliot Anderson
Gary Paulson
Steve Young
Louis Sachar
Lemony Snicket
Bruce Colville
Jeanne duPrau

Or, go to Michael Sullivan's Website
BOOKS FOR BOYS

There you will find a plethora of books written with macho in mind - from picture books to young adult, from fiction to non-fiction, and everything in-between. More than 99% of them written by men. Come on ladies, we can't let men keep this side of writing all to themselves!!

If we want young boys to start reading, we as authors have to write books that have boy appeal.
And parents need to understand that little Andy and sister Jillian might look a lot alike, but this does not mean they want to read the same sort of books. Andy will want macho man stories, while Jillian will probably go for girlie stuff.

RELUCTANT READER BOYS CAN BE HOOKED!

Authors need to WRITE BOOKS BOYS want to READ
And then. . .
Parents can buy books that HOOK their boy's interest.


a
Slam-dunk, Mates!


MORE NEXT TIME


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My Website - Manuscript Critiques

BUY any Autographed Book from my website,
and receive a FREE LINK to me reading that book -
all reluctant reader friendly!

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