Bookaneer E-Zine February 2007

WELCOME TO THE BOOKANEER

As part of my adventure as the author of “The Call to Shakabaz,” every day I meet terrific people who love reading, love books, love children’s books. I receive emails with such great stuff. I want to share! So I’m launching a monthly “e-zine.” THE BOOKANEER will include brief stories, amusing tidbits, resources, and the latest news about “The Call to Shakabaz” and Woza Books. Feel free to send me your stories, jokes, internet treasures found, etc., to include in “The Bookaneer.”

WINDOW INTO A CHILD’S MIND

I recently found myself relating the story of a read-aloud incident with my son when he was four years old that reminded me of how deeply children become engaged in the worlds created in books. While reading “James and the Giant Peach” to him and his sister, I would make up tunes and sing the caterpillar’s little ditties. Let’s just say I’m not what you would call a vocalist. One night my son commented, “That caterpillar is a really bad singer, isn’t he, Mom?”

FROM MY READERS

My favorite email from an avid reader was from the lady who chewed me out for keeping her up past her bedtime three nights in a row reading. I love the messages from parents who say their children can’t put the book down and it kept them off their video games for days. Picture me rubbing my hands in glee. Please encourage your children to send me an email with their ideas for the sequel. I am especially interested in their thoughts about how the Four can ultimately rid Faracadar of Sissrath without killing him. Because, you know, he (and Compost) will be back!

The most often asked question I get from readers is “When will there be a sequel?” My answer is: As soon as I sell enough books to make the money I need to stop working so I can write the sequel. So tell everyone you know about “The Call to Shakabaz”!

NEWS ABOUT THE CALL TO SHAKABAZ

“The Call to Shakabaz” was launched on January 15^th at the Mendocino Book Company in Ukiah to a standing-room-only crowd. Ron and I both read aloud from the book and then we had delicious spice cake baked by some of our friends. The book did very well in pre-publications sales and we have sold about 20% of the first printing. I have a multi-city author tour shaping up. Check the Author Events page on the website for details.

The hot up-to-the-minute news about “The Call to Shakabaz” is that it has won an iParenting Media Award 2007 as one of a short list of best books selected as excellent products to support good parenting. The book was reviewed by parents and children who read the book together and voted in favor of selecting it to receive one of this year’s IPMA book awards.

GREAT WEBSITES TO CHECK OUT

Resources for young adult readers, teachers, and parents about great young adult books at Teens Read Too: www.teensreadtoo.com

David Mazor at Reader to Reader collects children’s and young adult books from all over the world (send him your used books) and sends them on to libraries in need as a result of under funding or damage caused by natural disasters (has so far donated thousands of books to libraries in New Orleans): http://www.readertoreader.org/

Tired of negative news? “Today's Drum” is an online journal that focuses on positive and inspirational news in the African-American Community: http://www.todaysdrum.com/

Mark and Andrea, two working parents in Ontario, take time out from their busy life to discuss and recommend books they have read with their daughters at Just One More Book – podcasts developed several times a week plus featured author interviews and more: http://www.justonemorebook.com/

EVERYDAY PRACTICES

At the end of this message please find the short version of my Everyday Practices for Young People Who Want to Help Save the World. This broadsheet was developed as a springboard for discussion with young people about what we can each do to make the world a better place and to safeguard the future of the planet. I find that parents and teachers are enthusiastic about the Everyday Practices and can think of many ways to use them. They are also posted on our website (you can find the long version there as well).

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In the future, I hope “The Bookaneer” will become an actual newsletter, but for now it’s just a message sent from me to you once a month. I hope you will find my adventures in Bookaneering entertaining and useful. If you do not want to remain on my list for “The Bookaneer,” please send me an email at this address and put in it the exact email address I used to send “The Bookaneer” to you. I will remove you from the list. No need to provide ANY explanation, excuse, or reason for removal, I understand completely, we are all so bombarded by information and our time is limited. I don’t want to be spamming anyone! (If you know someone who you think would like to receive “The Bookaneer,” send me the email address.)

“The Bookaneer” is produced by Amy Wachspress. Feel free to reuse any part of this e-zine, but give credit either to Amy or to the original source for all material used. Visit www.wozabooks.com for more information.

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Everyday Practices for Young People

Who Want to Help Save the World

© 2007 Amy Wachspress (visit www.wozabooks.com)

1. Pursue your passion.

This is the most important thing a young person can do each day to make the world a better place. When you do what you love, then you send your love out into the world. Discover your personal gifts and talents and pursue them with passion. Grow yourself. Find good teachers.

2. Take care of yourself.

Exercise, eat nutritional food, get enough sleep, and stay healthy. Slow down. Laugh. If you are often depressed, in pain, constantly tired, or don’t feel well, talk to a trusted adult and get professional help. If you are addicted to drugs or alcohol, take a step toward recovering your life. You are not alone.

3. Practice and teach peace and nonviolence.

Use your imagination and develop your creativity. The opposite of violence is imagination. Violence occurs when people are unable to imagine another way to resolve a situation or conflict. Imagination is powerful. Imagination can cause change. Imagination is a muscle and it needs exercise. Spend time every day in creative activity. Study the science of nonviolence. Actively practice and teach peace.

4. Feed your spirit.

Participate in a faith community. If you don’t belong to a faith community already then consider joining one or starting a spiritual group with like-minded friends. Make room in your life to do those things that inspire and energize you. Make time to spend with the people you love.

5. Listen and learn from others.

Listen to other people with focused attention and an open heart. When speaking with someone who is very different from you, take the opportunity to expand your understanding of the world. Hearing someone does not necessarily mean you agree with them. Try a new perspective.

6. Think for yourself and take control of incoming information.

Question the facts. Research where news and information comes from and get your news from reliable sources. Think for yourself. Limit your exposure to negative news and violent images from TV, movies, and electronic games. Although it is important to educate yourself about what is happening in the world, it is equally important for you to remove yourself from the bombardment of violence presented in the media. Violence is not the only news happening. And resist advertising. Who is the boss of you? Alright then, think for yourself. Turn off your TV. Have a real experience instead of a virtual one. Get a life!

7. Promote positive energy.

Life is hard. We need to be kind to one another. Respect others. Treat other people the way you want them to treat you. If you witness an act of disrespect, speak up. Interrupt acts of humiliation and discrimination. Interrupt bullying. Interrupt racism. But remember to interrupt respectfully. Accept apologies graciously and find it in your heart to forgive those who don’t apologize. Be compassionate. You don’t know what someone else has been through. Use your anger or frustration to motivate you to do something positive. Transform negative energy into positive energy. Be grateful. Count your blessings every night. Put more positive energy into the world’s energy field in every way you can. All energy goes somewhere. It doesn’t just disappear. You may never see the difference it makes, but it will make a difference. We want to live in a soup of good energy. Put wonderful ingredients into that soup.