11 year old journalist at the Denver Post pens the best review ever

Fast, Fun, Summer Read

ARTICLE | MAY 26, 2015 - 3:04PM | BY VIVIAN WEIGEL (http://nextgen.yourhub.com/article/fast-fun-summer-read)

Vivian Weigel

In "Brainwashed," Lucas defeated  The Good Company  (who are involved in child trafficking) in Paris. Now, in the second book of the Crime Travelers trilogy, "Diamonds are for Never," he is on the hunt for his birth mom who was supposedly killed many years ago.

When he is nearly kidnapped by two Curukians (children who were trafficked and brainwashed), he is led to believe that the evidence is in his birth files may lead to his mother. As he begins to decode his files, the adventure continues in Rome where he discovers the code leads to his mother’s treasure. The mysteries of the past are unveiled in this new book.

Paul Aertker, the author of the books, told me “Whenever I write these stories, I don’t really have a set plot. I just let Lucas become the person he is meant to be and let Lucas lead the story.” Aertker has been approached by Hollywood producers, and we may be someday seeing Lucas on the big screen.

Recently, Aertker has been skyping with schools to talk about reading and writing. “I feel like the words on a page help kids imagine and become something more,” he said while describing why he tries to help schools make reading fun again. Visualization is an important element in making writing come alive. “If you can convert words on a page into pictures in your mind, you can make the invisible, visible, or the impossible, possible,” Aertker told me.

I recommend these books to both boys and girls who are looking for a quick, fun read. Eight to ten year olds would most definitely love them, but older kids would also enjoy the thrilling plots and humor that are mixed throughout. Be sure to check out "Brainwashed" and "Diamonds are for Never" to read more about Lucas and his wild journeys.

Main article here:http://nextgen.yourhub.com/article/fast-fun-summer-read

GALLERY: 

• View the full image

10 year old journalist at the Denver Post pens the best review ever

Zooooom. Thirteen year old Lucas Benes rides down the streets of Paris, France.

However, this isn’t a vacation for him. This is a mission to stop the so-called Good Company from brainwashing another group of innocent children and selling them for child labor. “Brainwashed” by Paul Aertker is a fast paced novel that will keep you at the edge of your seat. Still, through all the excitement there are some life lessons hidden within.

The Good Company plays the role of the villain in this book, despite having most of the public tricked into believing their name. “If someone tells you something enough times, you will eventually believe them,” Aertker says.

What’s riveting in this novel is that the people trying to stop the Good Company aren’t grownups, but kids. In this case, it’s the children’s problem not the adults’. Therefore the kids must solve it. “Adults can’t solve all the problems in the world,” Aertker says, who seems very confident in our generation’s ability to clean up adult messes.

What originally started out as a travel-themed book like the “Magic Treehouse” became a realistic fiction novel, fun for boys and girls to read. Though I recommend this book for 9-13 year olds, older kids will also enjoy this quick read. Once you’re finished, you’ve only just begun because in the next book “Lucas finds who he really is,” Aertker says.

So I suggest you set out on your vacation with this unforgettable page turner. (The Crime Travelers Series is available at Amazon and at physical bookstores everywhere.

About the Author

Vivian Weigel

This is an article by a 10-year-old journalist with the Denver Post. Check it out: http://nextgen.yourhub.com/article/parisian-page-turner

Author Q&A

Q&A 

1.                  Why do you write what you do?

I’ve always been drawn to international stories—spy novels and thrillers in particular. But when I was a kid there were no international children’s stories available. So now I write stories that I would have wanted to read when I was ten, eleven, and twelve. My novels are set in international locales because travel has made me feel alive and given me an insatiable curiosity to learn.

2.                  How does your work differ from others of its genre?

In three big ways. One, it’s realistic fiction. There are no dragons, no magic; it’s just kids solving problems created by adults. Two, with more than 100 geographic terms, the book has a strong travel theme. “It’s like a quick trip to Paris.” Thirdly, the book is kid appropriate—“no sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll,” or guns. It works well for adults reading to kids. #WeNeedDiverseBooks

3.                  How do you promote your work to the middle grade audience?

Middle grade is challenging since the sales pitch is twofold. Your customers (children) are not necessarily the buyers (parents). So in essence, you have to sell the book twice. To this end, I teach, speak, and read at schools, bookstores, and libraries all over. I also use the usual social media suspects: Twitter: Crime Travelers @paulaertker, Google+ PaulAertker, the website: crimetravelers.com, and of course, Amazon and local bookstores. The full Q&A interview can be found online here.

Xenophobia

Fear of the Foreign.

I love summer because so many people travel and a few more bricks in the wall are taken down.

Every time I fly over the ocean, I try to pinpoint the exact spot over the Atlantic where I become a foreigner.

I've lived outside of my home culture to the point that the wall for me is rubble. That's a good thing. I am also a francophile. :~)

As far as writing for kids goes, I think they are starving for stories outside of their home cultures. My own stories are Jason Bourne for kids (boys, in particular). Fun. Fast. But quelque chose de different.

Mitali Perkins writes about this cultural divide. She inspired today's blog. You can check her out at http://www.mitaliblog.com/2009/07/ya-books-and-global-poverty.html