Guest Post by author Maxwell Eaton

Today, I am super excited to present to you a guest post from author Maxwell Eaton of The Adventures of Max and Pinky fame. Maxwell's Max and Pinky books are delightful gems full of humor that I think make them the perfect books to attract reluctant readers. So, I asked Max if he'd be willing to write a guest post about reaching out to reluctant readers. Well, can I just say that when I received his responses, I was thrilled at the creativity, effort, and humor that Maxwell put into the post. Check it out!


Hey you!

In discussing reluctant readers I’ve decided to be a “wreluctant writer” and quickly sketch out a few tips for any parents out there with their own little Ricky at home. Of course, I’m not a child behavior or literacy expert, but I do remember what it was like to be at the age where getting me to read was like taking me to get a haircut (a long, drawn out, hopeless battle where fifteen bucks goes down the drain and somebody’s ear gets cut). Oh to be twenty-three again. Anyway, I hope these little suggestions help or, at the very least, don’t result in any lawsuits. Then I’d have to reluctantly read the fine print on the subpoena, and that isn’t fun at any age. Enjoy!

Your bud,
Maxwell






Thank you so much Maxwell for all of the fabulous tips and for taking the time to present them in such a unique and fun way! You're a rock star!

And seriously, everybody, if you haven't checked out The Adventures of Max and Pinky, I don't know what you're waiting for. Click on the links below for more information about each book.





The Adventures of Max and Pinky: The Mystery











The Adventures of Max and Pinky: Best Buds










The Adventures of Max and Pinky: Superheroes









And guess what else? Max is taking a tour of the kidlitosphere. Check out all of the stops below:

12/1 – Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

12/3 – The Well-Read Child

12/5 – A Patchwork of Books

12/8 – Mommy Mandy

12/10 – Becky’s Book Reviews

New Online Book Group

A few days ago, I wrote about my Aunt Marian's death and about the influence she had on my life. I was talking to her husband, my Uncle Dave this past Saturday and he told me about a book group that she had formed with some friends and ladies from her church. According to him, he was instructed to make himself scarce especially as the discussion would continue over fuzzy navels for hours and stray into topics that "weren't meant for men's ears."

I had heard her talking about the group before, but I didn't know that she named the group, "The Well-Read Ladies," after my blog. To say I was touched is an understatement, and I wanted to come up with a way to remember her group and let it live on. Because I'm a computer geek and have made friends all over the world through blogging, I've decided to create an online book group called "The Well-Read Ladies."

I haven't worked out the details yet, but I imagine that it would involve the group choosing a book to read and then blogging about it. I also would like to read some of the books that her group chose, but I'll need to get some titles from my Uncle Dave.

In any case, I'm going to start ironing out the details and announce the first title sometime in January. If you'd like to participate, please email me at thewellreadchild AT gmail DOT com.

The Dragon in the Sock Drawer by Kate Klimo

The Dragon in the Sock Drawer by Kate Klimo

Review by Erica Moore

"Jesse! Jesse, let me out!” Jesse looked around, he was alone except for the rocks on top of High Peak. He could see his cousin and uncle in the distance but this voice was very close. “Jesse!” Jesse looked down at the rock in his hand. The voice was coming from the rock, if that was even possible. It was just like those magic adventure stories Jesse and his cousin Daisy read. Could something like this happen to them?

Jesse and his cousin Daisy take home the rock from High Peak only to discover it’s really a dragon’s egg with a baby dragon named Emmy inside. Jesse and Daisy search the internet and find a site named foundadragon.org with a mysterious professor that offers advice on feeding Emmy and the dangerous St. George who hunts dragons.

This book is well suited for kids 3rd to 5th grade, and there are lots of mishaps in the story line placing the kids or dragon in danger only to be saved in the nick of time by each other. Grown-ups are well meaning but oblivious to what’s really going on except for the evil St. George. This is an interesting take on the St. George character and curious kids might want to investigate the story of St. George. There are also unusual vocabulary words sprinkled in thanks to the mysterious and cranky professor Andersson at foundadragon.org. It might facilitate a trip to the dictionary to discover their meanings which professor Andersson would approve. It’s possible to visit the website foundadragon.org and meet professor Andersson too.

There are many unexplained threads in the book, but this won’t bother younger readers and it does leave much to be explained in future books. This is perfect for middle to upper elementary kids craving stories about dragons and magic.

What Other Bloggers are Saying:

Bobbi's Book Nook: "This book is adorable and young children will love its unique and modern twists." (read more...)

Cheryl Rainfield: "Klimo keeps readers turning pages through the fun of the magic, and also the thread of danger that is woven throughout the story, as Emmy is threatened by the dragon slayer." (read more...)


More Info:

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (July 22, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375855874
• ISBN-13: 978-0375855870
• Source: Review copy from publisher
  

Ain’t Nothing But a Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry by Scott Reynolds Nelson with Marc Aronson

Ain't Nothing but a Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry by Scott Reynolds Nelson with Marc Aronson

• A Cybils Nonfiction Middle Grade/Young Adult nominee
• Winner of 2008 Aesop Prize presented by the American Folklore Society
  

Check out more Nonfiction Monday selections at Picture Book of the Day.

“John Henry told the Captain,
‘A man ain’t nothing but a man,
Before I let your steam drill beat me down,
I’ll die with a hammer in my hand.’”

Was the John Henry of this legendary song a real person? Did he really compete with a steam drill, and did he die doing so?

Ain't Nothing but a Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry is historian Scott Reynolds Nelson’s story about his years-long search to find the answers to these questions and more.

Professor Nelson didn’t start out looking for John Henry. Instead, his initial search was to discover more about the 40,000 or so African-American men who laid railroad tracks throughout the South in the 19th century. There is virtually no information written about them, especially given the fact very few of the workers knew how to write. So, Nelson turned to songs as a means to help him learn more about this important yet missing page in our history. The one song he used as his main piece of evidence was the song about John Henry, a song that would set his research on a more focused path to discovering the real John Henry.
This is a fascinating and gripping book that forbids you to put it down until the very end. What is most captivating is the method in which Nelson presents the information—he’s a detective of the past, using clues to find answers about a person immortalized in a song.

Like any detective, some of his leads turn into dead-ends, but one day as he was sitting at his computer, looking at a scanned postcard that he had seen many times before, he found a clue that would eventually lead him to an amazing and heartbreaking discovery and helped him uncover the secret message the railroad workers worked into John Henry’s song.
The book is scattered with photographs, art, and drawings from the past that paint visuals of the people Nelson spent years searching for, and a section by Marc Aronson in the appendix tells readers, “How to be a Historian.” The appendix also includes information about Professor Nelson’s sources, suggestions for further reading, links to different versions of the song online, and more.

This is a book that I think would interest readers from ages 9 to 99, and it truly shows that history can be fun. Much more than memorizing dates and places and names, history can uncover amazing secrets of the past and take you on different journeys.

This is a must-have in any home, school, or public library, and I’m putting Nelson’s book for adults on the same topic at the top of my must-read list: Steel Drivin' Man: John Henry, the Untold Story of an American Legend.






What Other Bloggers are Saying:

BooksForKidsBlog: "Nelson's account is a fascinating detective story which gives young people a different view of history and the work of doing history." (read more...)

Carol's Corner: "It's a fascinating journey and one that I think kids would absolutely love. " (read more...)

Bookends: "This is the kind of nonfiction that inspires and motivates and is fun too!" (read more...)


More info:

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: National Geographic Children's Books (December 26, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 142630000X
• ISBN-13: 978-1426300004
• Source: Review Copy from Publisher
  

Giveaway Winner

Thanks to everyone who entered in Little, Brown Young Readers' giveaway. I wish all of you could have won!

And the winner of the four books, randomly selected at random.org is #7: Crafty Mama!


Congratulations Crafty Mama! I'll be contacting you via email for your mailing address.

And thanks again to Little, Brown Young Readers for the wonderful books!

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

7 16 11 3 9
18 7 29 1 6
17 27 19 19 17
20 9 2 21 14
13 11 9 9 19
17 22 17 7 18

Timestamp: 2008-11-30 15:14:31 UTC

The Adventures of Max and Pinky: The Mystery

The Adventures of Max and Pinky: The Mystery by Maxwell Eaton III

Maxwell Eaton III kicks off his blog tour at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast tomorrow. He’ll be here for a fantastic guest post on Wednesday, but before all of the excitement commences, I want to introduce you to Max and Pinky through their newest adventure, The Adventures of Max and Pinky: The Mystery.

Max and his friend, Pinky, who happens to be a pig, decide to paint the barn outside their house red. When they wake up the next morning, the barn is Pepto Bismol pink. They repaint it red and stay up all night to guard it only to see it repainted the next day. They set about trying to discover who keeps painting the barn and even set a trap. Young readers will be delighted to discover who the culprit is.

Along with the very cute story are vibrant and equally cute comic-like illustrations that kids will love. They’ll get a few giggles out of the dialog bubbles above the characters’ heads and the elaborate trap that involves a bowling ball, a frog, a chicken, and a duck. The text is simple and sparse enough for a beginning reader to read with little difficulty. Even very young children will enjoy looking at and identifying the different farm animals in the book. This, along with Max and Pinky’s other two adventures, The Adventures of Max and Pinky: Best Buds and The Adventures of Max and Pinky: Superheroes would make a perfect gift for younger readers.



What Other Bloggers Are Saying:

Menasha Kids: "Eaton excels at writing books with few words and lots of laughs. His characters say so much with a simple facial expression. This is simplicity at its best. " (read more...)

Bookgasm: "Cute, and not the least bit nauseating." (read more...)




More info:

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (October 14, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375838074
• ISBN-13: 978-0375838071
• Source: Review copy from publisher
  

Cybils Nonfiction Middle Grade/ Young Adult Fiction

I will be regularly updating this post to help me keep track of the books I've read and still need to read for the Cybils Nonfiction Middle Grade/Young Adult category. The titles of the books I've read will be bolded in purple. The ones I've received but haven't read are in red, and the ones I've yet to receive are in dark red.

11 Planets: A New View of the Solar System

written by David Aguilar

National Geographic Children's Books

Afghan Dreams: Young Voices of Afghanistan

written by Tony O'Brien

Bloomsbury USA

Ain't Nothing but a Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry

written by Scott Reynolds Nelson

National Geographic Children's Books

Amazing Kitchen Chemistry Projects You Can Build Yourself

written by Cynthia Light Brown

Nomad Press

Amelia Earhart: The Legend of the Lost Aviator

written by Shelley Tanaka

illustrated by David Craig

Abrams for Young Readers

Body Drama: Real Girls, Real Bodies, Real Issues, Real Answers

written by Nancy Amanda Redd

Gotham Books

Chill: Stress-Reducing Techniques for a More Balanced, Peaceful You

written by Deborah Reber

Simon Pulse

Generation Green: The Ultimate Teen Guide to Living an Eco-Friendly Life

written by Linda Sivertsen

Simon Pulse

George Washington Carver

written by Tonya Bolden

Abrams for Young Readers

Girls Inc. Presents: You're Amazing!: A No-Pressure Guide to Being Your Best Self

written by Claire Mysko

Adams Media

Gotcha Covered: Everything You Need To Know About Your Period

written by Lisa McGuinness

Chronicle Books

Great Peacemakers: True Stories from Around the World

written by Ken Beller

LTS Press

Hidden Letters

edited by Ian Shine

and Deborah Slier

Star Bright Books

Horse Song: The Naadam of Mongolia

written and illustrated by Ted Lewin

and Betsy Lewin

Lee & Low Books, Inc.

I Am Scout: The Biography of Harper Lee

written by Charles Shields

Henry Holt

In Defiance of Hitler: The Secret Mission of Varian Fry

written by Carla Killough McClafferty

Farrar, Strauss & Giroux

Independent Dames: What You Never Knew about the Women and Girls of the American Revolution

written by Laurie Halse Anderson

illustrated by Matt Faulkner

Simon & Schuster

King George: What Was His Problem?: Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn't Tell You About the American Revolution

written by Steve Sheinkin

Roaring Brook

Kiss My Math: Showing Pre-Algebra Who's Boss

written by Danica McKellar

Hudson Street

Knucklehead: Tall Tales and Almost True Stories of Growing up Scieszka

written by Jon Scieszka

Viking

Lincoln Shot: A President's Life Remembered

written by Barry Denenberg

Feiwel & Friends

Lincoln Through the Lens

written by Martin Sandler

Walker Books for Young Readers

Little Lions, Bull Baiters & Hunting Hounds: A History of Dog Breeds

written and illustrated by Jeff Crosby

and Shelley Ann Jackson

Tundra

Model

written by Cheryl Diamond

Simon Pulse

Mysterious Universe: Supernovae, Dark Energy, and Black Holes

written by Ellen Jackson

Houghton Mifflin

No Choirboy: Murder, Violence, and Teenagers on Death Row

written by Susan Kuklin

Henry Holt

Off to War: Voices of Soldiers' Children

written by Deborah Ellis

Groundwood Books

One Hundred Young Americans

written by Michael Franzini

Collins Design

OUR FARM: Four Seasons with Five Kids on One Family Farm

written by Michael Rosen

Darby Creek

Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out

Candlewick Press

Painting the Wild Frontier: The Art and Adventures of George Catlin

written by Susanna Reich

Clarion Books

Physics: Why Matter Matters

written by Dan Green

Kingfisher

ridiculous/hilarious/terrible/cool: a year in an american high school

written by Elisha Cooper

Dial

Science on the Loose: Amazing Activities and Science Facts You'll Never Believe

written by Helaine Becker

Maple Tree Press

Sea Queens: Women Pirates Around the World

written by Jane Yolen

Charlesbridge

Sedimentary Rock

written by Rebecca Faulkner

Heinemann-Raintree

Seize the Story

written by Victoria Hanley

Cottonwood Press

She Touched the World: Laura Bridgman, Deaf-Blind Pioneer

written by Sally Hobart Alexander

Clarion Books

Snow Falling In Spring

written by Moying Li

Farrar, Strauss & Giroux

Steel Drumming at the Apollo: The Road to Super Top Dog

written by Marx Trish

Lee & Low Books, Inc.

Super Crocs and Monster Wings

written by Claire Eamer

Annick Press

Swords: An Artist's Devotion

written and illustrated by Ben Boos

Candlewick Press

Taking Care of Your Girls: A Breast Health Guide for Girls, Teens, and In-Betweens

written by Marisa Weiss

Three Rivers Press

The Bite of the Mango

written by Mariatu Kamara

Annick Press

The Great Race:The Amazing Round-the-World Auto Race of 1908

written by Gary Blackwood

Abrams for Young Readers

The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary

written by Candace Fleming

Schwartz and Wade Books

The Pocket Guide to Mischief

written by Bart King

Gibbs Smith

The Raucous Royals: Test Your Royal Wits: Crack Codes, Solve Mysteries, and Deduce which Royal Rumors are True

written and illustrated by Carlyn Beccia

Houghton Mifflin

The Trouble Begins at 8: A Life of Mark Twain in the Wild, Wild West

written by Sid Fleischman

Collins Design

The Way We Work

written by David MacCaulay

Houghton Mifflin

The Year We Disappeared: A Father-Daughter Memoir

written by Cylin Busby

and John Busby

Bloomsbury USA

The Young Birder's Guide to Birds of Eastern North America

written by Bill Thompson

Houghton Mifflin

We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball

written by Nelson Kadir

Hyperion

What the World Eats

written by Peter Menzel

Tricycle Press

Who's Haunting the White House?: The President's Mansion and the Ghosts Who Live There

written by Jeff Belanger

Sterling Publishing

Women of Granite: 25 New Hampshire Women You Should Know

written by Janet Buell

Apprentice Shop Books

Yes We Can: A Biography of Barack Obama

written by Garen Thomas

Feiwel & Friends

YUM: Your Ultimate Manual for Good Nutrition

written by Daina Kalnins

Lobster Press