Rebel books for rebel readers

 

 

 

Hi there, passing web traveller,

You have reached the eye candy of Sean Yeager Adventures. Exciting books written for children with a mind of their own. If you are a parent, you really should treat a child in your life to a Sean Yeager book. Why? Because these books ask questions of the reader and encourage 8 to 14 year olds to figure things out for themselves. You see, modern publishers often iron out books into – three act plots, plot armor, dumbed down themes, and feed our children the current ‘right-on’ adult tropes. I don’t believe in blanding out. I believe in taking them on a rollercoaster ride to places they want to explore. (In an age appropriate and wholesome way, of course). A world full of gizmos, action, science, history, twists and surprises. Modern stories for modern times. Heroes and villains who don’t explain their every move. Characters who know who they are – there is no hint of cross-dressing, gender fluidity, or tokenism here. A world where mistakes are made and things go wrong. Adventures where children strive to do their best with help from their friends and adults. These are rebel books for rebel readers. And the feedback from the real audience of 8 to 14 year olds has been incredibly positive. They enjoy the craziness and surprises. They relish the mysteries and clues. They want to read these books.

How did I achieve this? Simple. By working with children and listening to what they want to read about. By including characters, twists, subjects, and surprises that work for them. By ignoring recent trends and writing books for youngsters based on their actual interests. And above all, by writing exciting plots which are unpredictable, every bit as good as a movie or video game, and written to professional standards.

The youngsters in your life will get it. Will you treat them?

introduce them to the world of Sean Yeager Adventures and feed their imaginations,

D.M. Jarrett

Explore ‘look inside’ here

http://www.seanyeager.com

Reading challenging books quickly, helps weaker readers to catch up – it’s official

Hi,

From time to time I have debates with people who defend easy read books as being fun and a great introduction to reading. And for younger readers (5 to 7) I tend to agree with them. However, what next? What is the best approach to natually coax along young reading skills and maintain their interest in reading while they learn?

I chanced upon a very interesting article in the TES (Times Education Supplement). It reports on a study looking at adolescent readers and their reading progress. The study’s conclusions are interesting – reading challenging books quickly (within 12 weeks) helps weaker readers to catch up. The study also dispels the myth that ‘poorer readers need simpler texts’ and supports the idea of letting the reader crack on with the reading. It seems so obvious doesn’t it?

The challenging books referred to in the study were: The Boy in The Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne, Once by Morris Gleitzman, and Now is the Time for Running by Michael Williams.

Here is the link so you can read directly what is reported about the study:

TES article about a reading study

As you may already suspect, I fully support an ‘aim for the stars’ ethos as opposed to ‘pigeon-holing’  or ‘dumbing down’. There are so many great books out there waiting for enthusiastic young readers. To the above list we could easily add Tolkien, Pullman, Morpurgo, Blackman and so many others. I recommend friendly chats with librarians and second-hand book staff to discover great books. At first, there may be a little resistance along the lines of ‘it’s boring’ and ‘I don’t want to read that.’ However, with the right themes, books, and writers, this can quickly turn into ‘light touch-paper and let them get on with it’. Which I believe this study confirms.

Happy reading.

D.M. Jarrett

 

 

The summer of Sean Yeager Adventures is coming!

It’s all about to kick-off in style for Sean Yeager Adventures, thanks to readers’ feedback from around the world.

I’m delighted to announce a new, improved Sean Yeager and the DNA Thief (3rd edition) will be launched this summer in print. It is an enhanced and expanded ‘director’s cut’ version of the story first published in 2012. The plot is broadened and improved and has been completely re-written, drawing on reader’s feedback. Also, for the first time, there will be UK English and US English versions available in the respective territories.

Sean Yeager and the DNA Thief is an action, adventure, mystery with secret agents, sci-fi and humour. It is written to excite and entertain young readers from 8 years upwards, including young adults.  I’ve taken great care to ensure it is an easy read, while at the same time asking questions of the reader. The story has been described as a roller-coaster ride and an action movie in book form.

For those unfamiliar with the Sean Yeager Adventures series, each book is self-contained and builds on the previous books in the series. They tell the story of how Sean and Emily make sense of what is happening to them and how they discover their purpose in life. The stories are set in a near-real world like our own, with one major difference – there are sleepers, androbots, and secret agents hidden among us, and there is a secret battle waging between two ancient enemies.

Meanwhile, the earlier e-book versions of Sean Yeager and the DNA Thief will continue to be available as ‘beta’ versions at the lowest price possible. Since they have been pirated, I will not be updating them for a considerable time.  For those interested in the deluxe version, the print books are therefore the best choice.

Watch out for more exciting news coming soon.

May the mighty Quel shine kindly upon you.

D.M. Jarrett

http://www.SeanYeager.com

6 tips to inspire your tween teen child to read more often

As parents, I’m sure we’re all been there. We’re concerned about how little our children read, especially tweens and boys, and we want to find ways of developing their language skills. Not least because schooling and exams require greater literacy, and of course reading can inspire learning and expand their minds. Remembering also that they will need to write their own creative stories at exam level before too long…

Let’s face it, these days there are numerous distractions for children. We’d like to encourage them to read more and to spend less time gaming or watching TV, so how can we achieve this goal of encouraging more reading? Here are some tried and tested tips, I hope you find them useful.

1. A regular time for reading

Establishing a reading time before sleep or first thing on a weekend morning can help to calm the mind. And reintroduce reading. Just watch out for a genuine page-turner in case they are up half the night. Or worse the iPad hidden between the pages.

2. Invite your son or daughter to choose their books

The thinking here is that if they buy into the book when researching and purchasing it, they are more likely to want to read it. A trip to a large bookstore can help. And a suitable budget. Also, keep in mind charity bookstores which can carry a wide array of well loved books.

3. Random book token gifts

A gift of a book token might sound obvious, however it can still work. Unlike an Amazon voucher, what else can they spend a bona-fide book token on? We’ve found this to be useful when encouraging darling son to select his next proper read. Within boundaries of course.

4. Indulge their interests

If they love Percy Jackson or Harry Potter, where’s the harm? The whole series? Sure, if they are inspired to read. Again, bear in mind libraries and charity shops if costs are concerning. Book swaps too can be a great way to keep up the momentum. We found that it is like pushing at an open door when the books are enjoyable. Throw in Dickens and the whole mood changes. Having said that they are some great ‘classic’ reads which are easier going and engaging.

5. Oldies can be golden

Think back to the books you loved as a child or tween. Perhaps even a more challenging classic read. Particularly funny books. I suggested The Hitchhikers Guide, Biggles and The Hobbit. Perhaps I was lucky, but they all stuck home. In each case, that’s a whole load of reading…

6. One to read and two for the shelf

I suggest lining up three books at a time. It’s easier to buy in batches and it means that if a book proves to be ‘boring’ there are other options immediately available. If a series has inspired your darling daughter (or son) then lining up the next few is probably a sound investment. Again, charity shops, swaps or libraries can come in handy.

6 1/2. In print..

Bonus tip – buy, borrow or acquire print copies. There’s something about holding a printed book in your hands. A digital copy may work, however the chances are that same device has games loaded on it as well?   And you know ‘app’ which will win out? Most likely the fad adrenaline-packed game…

Hope you find these tips useful.

D.M Jarrett

Parent and Author of Sean Yeager Adventures