Free book for boys and reluctant readers
Flynn’s Log is free on the following devices
Choose your device
KindleiPad/iPod/iPhoneGoogle Play (Android Tablets)nookkoboRead Online
US$8.99 Paperback
Get Reluctant Reader Book News from Stone Marshall
Reading is important
Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him. –Maya Angelou
Most adults would agree that reading is important, but many kids detest reading. Video games, devices, and TV are preferred entertainment and escape. They provide instant gratification. Reading takes time. For some kids, reading isn’t engaging.
I had this same problem with my son, so I solved the problem.
The classic stories I remember enjoying as a kid don’t interest my son and his immediate attention span. If he doesn’t enjoy the story from page one, he will not read further.
So how did I get my son to read?
I showed him how much fun it is to get sucked into a story.
Your book is amazing I can’t stop reading it – Joseph Young via twitter
Contemporary and Classic titles alike don’t interest many kids. Don’t worry, the love of reading is learned. We need a starting point. We need that one book that is just as engaging on the first read as the fifth, just like a really great movie that kids want to see again and again. A positive association with reading will make kids want to read more.
A love of reading is cited as the number one indicator of future success. My son didn’t have the desire to read. He didn’t care about the books I chose to read to him, and was overwhelmed with the selection at the library. I want my son to succeed, so I had to do something. Since we struggled to find books he cared to read, I wrote one. An epic saga about the things he loves. I put it in a world he loves and addressed the issues he faces in his life.
I just love your books I’ve been reading them over and over again. -Carson via twitter
But it’s a video game book
Don’t worry; it’s not a book about video games, nor is it a game strategy book. Flynn’s Log is a hero’s journey that takes place inside the Minecraft world that today’s kids know and love. The protagonist, Flynn, naturally flows through Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (builds shelter and tools, learns what to eat and discovers a digital friend) and faces questions about his destiny. He learns important life lessons about friendship, integrity, and trust. Flynn’s Log is good for kids without being boring.
Thank you so so much for the free ebook. My son loves Minecraft now with this book I can get him to read to me. – Jennifer Wilkins
Start your son or daughter on journey today, reading Flynn’s Log 1: Rescue Island. Free on available these devices and apps.
Flynn’s Log is free on the following devices
Choose your device
KindleiPad/iPod/iPhoneGoogle Play (Android Tablets)nookkoboRead Online
US$8.99 Paperback
Why is Flynn’s Log 1 Free?
My son loves reading — finally. If you have experience with a reluctant reader then I know your pain and I want to help. I’ve seen thousands of kids transform with this book. My readers, who don’t usually read books during the summer, couldn’t put Flynn’s Log 1 down.
Good book I thought I would never read a book on my summer but I feel I’m gonna finish it soon – Multigamer 47 via twitter
Let this book change your kid’s life too. You have nothing to lose and an avid reader to gain.
Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.
–Frederick Douglas
I am giving away Flynn’s Log 1 free because I want to give you a risk-free way to hook your reluctant reader.
Please and I mean PLEASE, WRITE MORE! I absolutely love it! They’re outstanding books.
-Devon123321 via twitter
What are Books for Boys?
I spend lots of time with teachers and parents. I hear parents ask, “How do I get my son to read? Do you have books for boys?”
I wrote the Flynn’s Log series for my son, and this book is interesting for boys. However, the series is a non-stop read for both boys and girls, especially those who are interested in Minecraft.
The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.
—Dr. Seuss
What are you waiting for?
You have nothing to lose!
Flynn’s Log is free on the following devices
Choose your device
KindleiPad/iPod/iPhoneGoogle Play (Android Tablets)nookkoboRead Online
US$8.99 Paperback
News for Parents of Reluctant Readers
Get Reluctant Reader Book News from Stone Marshall
Recommended Reading: Is ‘Stranger Things’ really that popular?
The excitement around Stranger Things season 2 has been building for months. We’ve seen soundtracks, merchandise and all kinds of promo tie-ins with other companies along the way. As the show returns this week, the buzz is already so high that reviews probably won’t even matter — people will binge it anyway. It also helps that the first season was both really good and seemed to be really popular, despite the company not releasing any numbers. The Ringer takes a look at how Netflix creates the feeling of must-see TV even though we might not ever find out how popular its shows really are.
Recommended Reading: Is ‘Stranger Things’ really that popular?
Stranger Things 2 skin pack for Minecraft is the only way to bring Barb back to life
Minecraft has partnered with Netflix to create a new set of skins based on the Stranger Things series. The skin pack is available for download right now, and we’ve included the video trailer above.
The skin pack is surprisingly comprehensive, and includes characters and outfits from both the first and second seasons of Stranger Things. Perhaps the most unsettling is the demogorgon, which features both an open and a puckered set of toothy, viscous mandibles.
Stranger Things 2 skin pack for Minecraft is the only way to bring Barb back to life
‘Stranger Things’ invades ‘Minecraft’ with new skin packs
Minecraft players who love the upside down of Stranger Things have a new skin pack to acquire. It’s available now in concert with the new season of the hit retro-horror show on Netflix. It looks like the whole cast is represented as a Minecraft character, including Hopper, Mike, Eleven, Dustin, Lucas and Will.
A ‘Minecraft’ Miniseries Coming from Mattel
Minecraft [$6.99] is so huge that it has captured almost every corner of pop culture—toys, games, novels—and today we got an announcement about a new endeavor from those behind the huge franchise: a YouTube miniseries. Specifically, we are getting a Mattel miniseries based on the company’s Minecraft Mini-Figures. Challenge of the Spooky Isles, as the miniseries is titled, is all about a Hunger Games-like contest where ten crafters are teleported to a strange island and have to survive the crazy challenges while also settling their rivalries. As you can see from the trailer, the miniseries is definitely geared towards a younger audience, but I’ll still watch it because I enjoy pretty much anything Minecraft. And I do like the way they managed to keep the blockiness and still make it cute.
The miniseries will consist of 8 episodes, with the first one launching this Thursday on the Mattel Action YouTube channel. Will it be fun to watch? It does seem to be focused a bit too much on the killing things part of Minecraft, which isn’t personally my favorite part of the game, but if you like Minecraft, you’ll probably enjoy the series, especially if you’re a younger player. Next stop for Minecraft? Possibly TV.
If you want, you can transfer your Minecraft Wii U data to Switch now
Go ahead
The Wii U version of Minecraft was basically put out to pasture when it wasn’t included in the “Better Together” cross-play update. In summation, any version of the game that retains the “Edition” moniker will be limited to its own platform, while everything else can play together. Notable exceptions include PS4, Vita, and of course, Wii U.
This led to a lot of people naturally upgrading on Switch (where Better Together works), but they had to leave their save files behind. Well, that changes this week, as Nintendo has implemented a cross-save transfer from Wii U to the newest Nintendo generation. Just load the game up on Wii U, select your save, select transfer, then import it on Switch.
I never really got into the Wii U version (I kept playing Xbox One and only dabbled in the new Mario sandbox), but if I did, this would be a nice concession. Provided that you’re okay with eating the cost to upgrade of course.
;)
If you want, you can transfer your Minecraft Wii U data to Switch now
Minecraft Pocket Edition add-ons have been infecting Android phones with Trojan malware
Minecraft, with its blocky Scandinavian charm, is not a game you’d expect to have the potential to hijack you mobile with malware and turn it into a botnet.
The game Microsoft acquired for £1.5bn is fairly secure, but despite that, cyber security firm Symantec has found a clutch of Minecraft-based add-ons in the Google Play Store that are harbouring malicious code for Trojan malware called Sockbot.
The Trojan links infected devices to a proxy server to surreptitiously generate advertising revenue and enslave the device as part of a botnet.
Symantec noted that the malicious add-on apps, which allow users to change the appearance of their in-game characters for Minecraft: Pocket Edition, appeared to be originally designed for generating illegitimate ad revenue, but now have more scope to power cyber attacks.
“This highly flexible proxy topology could easily be extended to take advantage of a number of network-based vulnerabilities, and could potentially span security boundaries,” Symantec’s Shaun Aimoto said. “In addition to enabling arbitrary network attacks, the large footprint of this infection could also be leveraged to mount a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack.”
Aimoto noted that to date, Symantec has found eight Minecraft-based apps infected with the Trjoan that have a combined install base ranging from 600,000 to 2.8 million Android devices, and appears to be targeting gadgets mostly in the US but also in Russia, Ukraine, Germany, and Brazil.
After discovering the malicious apps, Symantec informed Google which stripped them from the Play Store, so mobile Minecraft fans can rest easily for the time being.
However, the cyber threat looks to have been a fairly advanced one, having managed to sneak past Google’s vetting and security processes for the Play Store by posing as legitimate add-on apps. And once the malware was on a device, it used encryption to obscure its code and avoid basic-levels of detection.
With this in mind, Symantec advises the evergreen practise of keeping your mobile software up-to-date, avoiding apps from unknown sources, paying close attention to the permissions an app wants, and of course use mobile security services.
Minecraft Pocket Edition add-ons have been infecting Android phones with Trojan malware
‘Minecraft’ Is Helping Preserve the Ancient Language of Elfdalian
There are more than 6,000 languages on the planet but we’re losing them at rate of one every two weeks. Globalization and mass communication made the world smaller and English, Mandarin, and Arabic have become lingua franca, pushing out smaller languages that connect minority communities. With a little help, some of those communities are fighting back.
Elfdalian is an ancient Scandinavian language spoken by around 3,000 people in the Älvdalen region in the middle of Sweden. It’s a descendant of old Norse that developed in isolation throughout the Middle Ages. The Elfdalian people lived a semi-nomadic life traveling from a small town to country farms during the Summer. Here’s what it sounds like.
The language is having a hard time in Sweden. Despite international recognition and support, Stockholm considers Elfdalian a dialect of Swedish and not its own official language. Despite its small native speaker base and status with the government, Elfdalian is experiencing a renaissance online. Thanks to the internet and the passionate Ulum Dalska—the Organization for the Preservation of Elfdalian—the language has managed not only to survive but thrive in recent years.
Chris Pennington and Emilia Stjernfelt hope to give it another boost with Minecraft. Pennington is passionate about languages and passionate about helping. “A people’s history and culture is wrapped up in the language they speak,” Pennington told me over Discord chat. “So, one of the most important things you can do is pass that language along to your children.”
Pennington and Stjernfelt are using Minecraft to build a virtual world that’ll make it easier for Elfdalian speakers to pass that language on to their kids. Stjernfelt is Swedish and Pennington is American. Neither are native Elfdalian speakers. The pair met and fell in love in a Swedish Minecraft server. Soon, the two had married and he’d moved across the ocean to be with her.
Minecraft helped Pennington learn Swedish so he could better communicate with Stjernfelt and his other friends and now he thinks it could help people learn Elfdalian. “Most language learning methods it involves some rote memorization” he explained. If you’ve taken a foreign language class you know the drill—flash cards with pictures and labels, constant practice, and repetition. Minecraft, instead, offers virtual immersion, which is a much better way to learn.
The Elfdalian village of Älvdalen in Minecraft is complete with quests designed to help players learn about the culture as well as the language. “We plan to have one where the player goes to help out in one of the summer pasture farms, and another where they are tasked with picking up items from a grocery store,” Pennington said.
The project has excited the Elfdalian community. Ulum Dalska even flew the pair to town to put them through a Summer course on the language. The project is further proof that the language is unique and distinct from Swedish, something Elfdalian speakers have had a hard time making Stockholm understand.
Pennington and Stjernfelt hope to release their Minecraft Elfdalian game next year. They’re looking for skilled Minecraft builders. Interested digital architects can apply here. To learn more about Elfdalian, visit Ulum Dalska’s website.
‘Minecraft’ Is Helping Preserve the Ancient Language of Elfdalian
The ‘Star Wars’ Han Solo movie now has an official name
Star Wars’ cinematic universe tale focused on young Han Solo has a name, and we found out thanks to director Ron Howard, who announced it using a placard in a video shared on Twitter. The name, in case you were wondering, is “Solo: A Star Wars Story.”
It follows the “A Star Wars Story” model set by Rogue One, the first spin-out movie set in the Star Wars universe but occurring outside of the main franchise. These movies occur within canon or Star Wars fictional history, but they don’t center around the Skywalker family and its ongoing saga.
Howard also informed us via the video that primary shooting on Han Solo has wrapped, meaning it’ll now go into editing ahead of its May 25, 2018 release date. The movie actually lost its original directors, if you’ll recall, after The Lego Movie‘s Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (pictured with the cast above) departed the project citing creative differences with Lucasfilm president and Star Wars universe commander in chief Kathleen Kennedy.
The movie, which stars Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover and more, will hopefully still deliver the goods when it debuts next year.
Minecraft now lets you export your creations in 3D — but only on Windows 10
Minecraft players will now be able to easily save their in-game creations as 3D models. A new update adds the capability, but it’s among the few features that can only be enjoyed by players on the Windows 10 edition of the game.
The feature was teased in a beta a couple months back, but is now a main-branch feature for the game. Exporting is done by putting a special block down near your sculpture, house or what have you, and giving it a few parameters: how many blocks in this direction to capture, etc.
The game then exports the resulting model directly to Remix 3D, Microsoft’s new platform for sharing 3D models and animations. From there you can share it with others or export again to Paint 3D, where you can further decorate it or export (yet again) to other, more interoperable formats.
(If that seems like too many steps to you, or a little too much Microsoft, feel free to use one of the third-party apps that have done this for years.)
Minecraft long ago made the switchover from niche indie game to global platform, and so far the various versions have more or less maintained feature parity. Versions running on Windows, however, have generally had the lead in advanced features like mods, app integrations and so on.
Windows 10 players should find the new feature next time they boot up the game.
Minecraft now lets you export your creations in 3D — but only on Windows 10
Minecraft, King, and PopCap headline speaker line-up for MGF Seattle 2017
Speakers from Minecraft, King and PopCap will take the stage at Mobile Games Forum Seattle 2017 during its two-day run on October 24th and 25th.
The event will host a number of talks and panels from members of the mobile games industry, along with a developer showcase and plenty of opportunities to network.
Speaker roster
Speakers include Minecraft‘s Product Marketing Lead Emily Orrson, King’s VP of its Z2 studio Lou Fasulo and PopCap’s Lead Producer Arjun Balaram.
Orrson will discuss how cross-platform play is working for Minecraft, while Fasulo will be giving a talk on using live ops and a game’s community to improve their games.
Balaram will close out the conference with a case study on how PopCap moved from premium to free-to-play with its game Plants vs. Zombies 2.
Other speakers include Super Evil Megacorp’s Taewon Yun, Game Insight CEO Anatoly Ropotov and Stugan’s Jana Palm.
If the above sessions float your boat, we’ve got a special 20% off discount code for the event: just enter SeattlePG20 as your promo code when purchasing your ticket on the official MGF Seattle website, where you can also find out more information about the event.
Minecraft, King, and PopCap headline speaker line-up for MGF Seattle 2017