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SELF DOUBT or BIG DREAMS

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Saltwater TaffySELF DOUBT or BIG DREAMS

You have to decide if self doubt or big dreams will lead your adventure when going after something you love.   The reason I wanted to talk about the self doubt or big dreams because it’s a choice and a battle I have been dealing with the evolution of my adventure novel, Saltwater Taffy.

When we think about going after our dreams, self-doubt has the uncanny “in-ability” of creeping in, looking for ways to defeat us before we even begin our adventure.  The more mental attention we give to the dream and not the Read more

GETTING BOYS TO READ: Writers, Parents and Teachers, Oh My!

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Saltwater TaffyGETTING BOYS TO READ

Sadly, getting boys to read has been a problem in the past, but now it is an epidemic in our country that we need to address.  In our rapidly changing, dancing with the stars, fast food nation of American culture, boys are falling behind in school for one reason and one reason only.  Getting Boys To Read is difficult.

The official GUYS READ website tells us that the United States Department of Education reading tests over the last 30 years shows us that boys are scoring lower than girls in every age group…every…single…year.  The study also showed that eighth grade boys were 50% more likely to be held back Read more

Read Across America GIVEAWAY

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Read Across AmericaA SAWEET READ ACROSS AMERICA GIVEAWAY

Read Across America 2012.  In honor of the man, the non-myth self-publishing writer, and a true legend, Dr. Seuss, I am going to be reading Saltwater Taffyto Los Angeles area kids during READ ACROSS AMERICA day.

I will also be giving away 2 signed copies of Saltwater Taffy, along with bookmarks, stickers and even one of the super cool Saltwater Taffy baseball hats!  How do you enter?

1.FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER and TWEET THE CONTEST LINK:

  • TWEET: Read Across America GIVEAWAY http://tinyurl.com/4vuepnl

2. JOIN THE FACEBOOK FAN PAGE AND POST THE LINK ON YOUR PAGE

  • POST: Read Across America GIVEAWAY http://tinyurl.com/4vuepnl

3. LINK TO US: Post the www.whatagreatbook.com in your blog or website!

4. POST A COMMENT anywhere on the Saltwater Taffy website.

* Contest ends FRIDAY March 4, 2011 @ 11 am PST.

**  SAWEET SECRET TIP: Do all 4 above and yes, you’re entered 4 times the fun!!!!

Middle Grade Fiction Tour

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Saltwater Taffy

MIDDLE GRADE FICTION TOUR

The middle grade fiction tour with with Saltwater Taffy and the two week adventure is long, but I am proud to say the entire journey has been more than worth it.  I now understand why teachers do what they do, even though the state pays them a salary less than a manager at McDonalds.  They do it because when a child looks into your eyes and you see that light go on?  Truly an AWESOME experience and I am honored to be part of it.  I just can’t wait to reach…

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Middle Grade Fiction

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middle grade fiction

MIDDLE GRADE FICTION

One way to fix the middle grade fiction literacy problem and drop-our rate of our children in America is for authors to visit middle grade schools with loads of enthusiasm.

Yesterday marked the start of my adventure and doing what I can to get kids excited about reading middle grade fiction.  With the help of Mr. Murphy, an awesome middle=grade teacher here in Santa Monica, I spent my Friday morning with 5th, 6th and 7th Graders of St. Anne’s Catholic School.  The Daily Pretzel said I had “more energy and enthusiasm than a bus full of sugar-high 5th graders.”  It’s a good thing because I needed every ounce of it.  To say the room was BUZZING with energy would be an understatement.

We had close to 60 kids in one classroom and if you don’t bring your A-Game of enthusiasm with kids, they will eat you alive.  It truly was an awesome way to start the Saltwater Taffy National Tour.  Next up, Las Vegas!  More from the road coming up!

Eric DelaBarre is an award-winning filmmaker and the author of Saltwater Taffy.