Gearing up for a book launch, a huge launch in fact

Children's author Paul Aertker speaks to students at Peabody Montessori Elementary School before reading a portion from his new book, “Brainwashed,” on Thursday.  (Photo: Tia Owens-Powers/towens@thetowntalk.com ) 

This is the screenshot of my newly new website. We're gearing up for a book launch, a huge launch in fact, for book 2 in the Crime Travelers series. 

While still promoting the book, I am trying to emphasize my mission of teaching kids about the rest of the world. Please let me know what you think. Thanks. Paul 

Website here.

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

Monday is the day I laugh

I go to this laughing yoga thing on Mondays now and I am hooked. It’s closed today ‘cause of President’s Day. I mean Obama’s been on the job, what, two weeks and he’s already taking a day off?

Here’s what you do for laughing yoga. You fake it until you make it. The idea is that a faked laugh has the same therapeutic benefit as an honest, serious, no frills, gut-busting laugh.

Smile. It’s the first thing you do. Go on and give it whirl. So easy. Smile. Try this 6 second video.



The tried and true in laffyoga is a standard yogoesque chant of Ho ho, ha ha, hee hee, ho ho, ha ha, hee hee. It’s already funny.

In laugh yoga, you start out by saying you name and laughing at it (with it). Go ahead, say your name aloud and laugh out loud. (pause)

Don’t worry nobody’s watching. Really laugh. (pause)

Now say your name aloud with an alliterative adjective describing who you are or how you are feeling (playful Paul, silly Sarah, pink sock Peter) and then laugh because … because you can.

Yes, it’s ridiculous. Everything is.

Try this one.

Half close your eyes and clench your teeth and give the biggest cocktail brown nose cackle you can muster. (pause)

Now, add a teacup to your hand (dainty: pinky extended) and maybe toss in a British throat quiver. And do it loud. (pause)

Keep the frumpy English chuckle and let everyone know how wealthy you are and how English you are and intelligent you are and how much better you are than they. Top of the food chain laugh.

Now think how ridiculous you look sitting in that room, laughing with that teacup in your hand! Laughing for no good reason other than it feels good is good enough for me.

The great thing about laughing is that when you are laughing your mind is incapable of holding contending realities.

All the Übercritics and mega-egos out there are temporarily suspended. You’re neither good nor bad. When you laugh, all you hear is ha ha, ho, ho, hee, hee!!!



And if that’s still not enough. Try the laughter hotline at 712.432.3900. Access code: 607-1292. Daily at 10AM MST.