NEW December Issue in the Amazing Kids! Online Magazine is LIVE

There’s a whole slew of exciting new articles in our latest December, 2009 issue: Christmas South of the Equator! Did you know that kids south of the equator celebrate Christmas in the summer? Instead of donning snowsuits, they throw on a pair of flip flops and head to the beach to celebrate yuletide by the well…tide!

Find out the great mystery of how this all comes togeather and how children celebrate Chrismtas around the world in our December issue! Special thanks to our amazing staff who made this issue possible! Below is a slew of articles from the new issue; check em’ out, and have a wonderful winter and a Merry Christmas!

Also, Amazing Kids! has MOVED! Checke out our new address:
Amazing Kids!20126 Ballinger Way Suite 239 NEShoreline, WA 98155

Why stay up north when the weather heads south?
Hit the Bahamas in our travel review: The Caribbean Waters

Make these Holly Jolly treats
Right in time for Christmas!

Rudolph wants YOU…
To take our CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE, that is.

2 NEW Contests: 2nd Annual Launch My Dream T-Shirt Design and Essay Contest AND Through the Lens of Amazing Kids! Photography Contest

They’re live! Amazing Kids! has two new contests for kids, and the prizes are AWESOME. Check em’ out!

The 2nd Annual LMD T-Shirt Design Contest

Sponsored by All Children’s Furniture, has just begun! Winning prize is a Razr Pro Model Scooter. AND the winning design will be sold on t-shirts in our Zazzle Store, with a percentage of the sales going to help the winner launch their amazing dream! Check out last year’s winning tee designed by Katie Stagliano, and then Enter the Contest! We look forward to seeing what your beautiful designs and dreams!

Through the Lens of Amazing Kids! Photography Contest, 2009

Capture a moment of a charitable cause or event you’ve been involved in via camera!
What is your ‘mighty cause’? Take a photo and let us know! Winners will get a copy of “Change the Way You See Things, for Teens”, by world renown co-author and Emmy Award-winning producer, Hank Wasaik. Be sure to include a paragraph or two about the picture, and then enter today!

Tips on Getting Published, by Sylvan Dell Publishing Editor-in-Chief, Donna German

We'd like to welcome Donna German, Editor-in-Chief of Sylvan Dell Publishing (http://www.sylvandellpublishing.com) to do a special guest blog for us and all of our readers on getting published. Please enjoy, and thank you, Mrs. German, and all the folks at Sylvan Dell, for making so many amazing books!

*****************************
First, let me say that I have been on the author side of submissions, and I vividly recall the 27 rejections that I received prior to my first “yes!” I know that you have written a manuscript that is near and dear to your heart. I also know that you can “see” it in published form and that there is a frustration with the whole submission process – not only to Sylvan Dell but to other publishers as well. Hopefully this will help you to understand what editors/publishers need/look for in submissions.

Please understand that the submission process is overwhelming for editors, too. I receive more submissions in a single day (seven days a week) than we publish in a year! I can’t imagine what editors at the large publishing houses receive! Also, please understand that reading submissions and selecting the list is just one of the many jobs that an editor does.

I try to read all submissions within a few days, and I either reject or tend to hold those which have some possibilities. As the year progresses, I try to keep the number down and will periodically cull the list.

This is a very bizarre business, and if you are still waiting for your first break, I recommend that you start reading books about how to market your book. That might help you in understanding what it is that editors/publishers are looking for when they select manuscripts. Don't forget that this is a business – not just your art of writing. The authors who survive (and thrive) in this business are the ones that truly understand that and commit to doing what it takes.
**************************

ABOUT DONNA GERMAN: Like many women, Donna German wears and has worn many hats during her life: Navy wife, mother, NY Times bestselling cookbook author, children’s book author, editor and co-owner of Sylvan Dell, stock broker, and even historic Charleston carriage driver. While her husband, Lee, who is retired from the Navy, constantly complained that she didn’t need to bring the Library of Congress along with them on their boat, she often did. The boat may have sat lower in the water because of it, but everyone always had something to read! Now that Donna’s 2 daughters are grown, she shares her passion with other families through Sylvan Dell books. Visit their site: http://www.sylvandellpublishing.com

Amazing Kids! - Amazing Evan Ducker on Doritos Bags and Jonas Brothers Website!!!

Congratulations to Amazing Kid! Evan Ducker, age 15 (our November 2008 Amazing Kid! of the Month)!
www.amazing-kids.org/akom11-08.html

Evan Ducker, along with his "International Buddy Booby's Birthmark Read-Along for Tolerance and Awareness" project and book, is currently featured on 44 million Doritos bags, available NOW in grocery stores across the country!!!


The promotion is part of the "Do Something" campaign -- which named Evan one of the "Top 12 Youth World Changers" in 2009!

The Jonas Brothers feature Evan Ducker and Buddy Booby's Birthmark on their charity website, Change for the Children here: www.changeforthechildren.org/view_change.php?id=64

Congratulations again, Evan! We think you're amazing! :-)

Your friends at Amazing Kids!

Good News! Former Amazing Kid! of the Month Gets Grant and Needs Your Help!

Former Amazing Kid! of the Month, Ashlee Smith, Founder of "Ashlee's Toy Closet", has been selected as a World of Children Honoree for 2009. She's being given a $15,000.00 grant. She's been been challenged by the World of Children ask others to match the funds. She want to take this money and make it grow into a sure way to take her organization to higher levels and reach children world wide. Any little bit helps and will be used 100% for toys. Ashlee is working on helping all of the homeless children in America and around the world. Please visit her website for more information! www.ashleestoycloset.org

Amazing Kids! Congratulates Amazing Kid! Katie Stagliano, now in People Magazine!

Pick up a copy of the current issue of People (Oct. 26, pg. 87) and get inspired by Katie's story! Katie was the winner of Amazing Kids!' 1st Annual Launch My Dream Contest, as well as our March 2009 Amazing Kid! of the Month (http://www.amazing-kids.org/akom3-09.html#top)

Then join Katie's Launch My Dream Team on her Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=48567540431

...and help support her dream, ending childhood hunger and be sure to tell your friends and family! You can purchase her Launch My Dream! t-shirt or hoodie, which she designed as part of Amazing Kids!' 1st Annual Launch My Dream! T-Shirt Design and Essay Contest! (Read about last year's contest here: http://www.amazing-kids.org/lmdtcontest08.html) Get your shirt and take a picture of yourself wearing it and post it on Katie's Facebook page to show your support!

Buy Katie's Launch My Dream! shirt today at: http://shop.verymeri.com/collections/fundraising-tees/products/launch-my-dream-no-hungry-children

To learn more about Amazing Katie and Amazing Kids!' Launch My Dream! initiative, which is helping kids like Katie launch their dreams, go to: http://www.amazing-kids.org/launchmydream.html

If you are a kid or teen, you are invited to enter Amazing Kids!' 2nd Annual Launch My Dream! T-Shirt Design and Essay Contest, kicking off this week! The winner will get their dream printed on their very own Launch My Dream! T-Shirt and will get help creating their very own Launch My Dream! Team to help them launch their dream for their amazing future!Learn more here: http://www.amazing-kids.org/contests

Thanks for supporting such an Amazing Kid! Go, Katie! We're incredibly proud of you! :-)

Alyse Rome

Founder/President

Amazing Kids!

http://www.amazing-kids.org/

Calling Southern California Kids and Teens: Enter to win Amazing Kids!' two ticket giveaway to Cirque du Soleil in Santa Monica!

TICKET GIVEAWAY TO SEE KOOZA, CIRQUE DU SOLEIL'S LATEST SHOW FOR FAMILIES!


Are you a kid or teen who lives in Southern California, or are planning a visit to Southern California on Thursday, October 22?

Here's your chance to win 2 tickets to Kooza, the new Cirque du Soleil's show for families at the Santa Monica Pier on October 22, a value of over $100!!!

Be the first kid or teen, up to age 17, to answer the following two questions correctly by sending us an email to: info@amazing-kids.org, and you will be the winner of the tickets! (You must answer both questions correctly to win.)

QUESTIONS:

1. Amazing Kids! has a literacy-based, traditional letter writing pen pals program called Amazing Kids! PenPals. What was the year that Amazing Kids! started their Amazing kids! PenPals program?

2. What was the reason that Amazing Kids! started the program?

Hint: Visit the Amazing Kids! PenPals information page on the Amazing Kids! website to learn more:

www.amazing-kids.org/penpals

Got the answers? Send us an email to: info@amazing-kids.org. If you're the first kid or teen to send us the correct answer, you win!

Good luck! :-)

PURCHASING TICKETS TO KOOZA

Cirque du Soleil is offering a special discount to Southern California residents, so if you don't win our ticket giveaway, your family can still take advantage of the opportunity to purchase discount tickets.

Here is more information:

To celebrate Cirque du Soleil's return to Southern California, you can now access this exclusive limited-time offer: 25% off on select performances & tickets to KOOZA!

Details at:

www.cirquedusoleil.com/SoCalPromo

KOOZA by Cirque du Soleil

Opens October 16, 2009

Under the Grand Chapiteau at the Santa Monica Pier

Opens January 8, 2010

Under the Grand Chapiteau at the Orange County Great Park

To learn more about the show, visit the Cirque du Soleil website:
www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/kooza/tickets/santa-monica.aspx?d=37

Good luck, everyone!

Your friends at Amazing Kids!

Welcome our new Amazing Kids! Staff Writers!

Give a warm welcome to our newest Staff Writers joining the Amazing Kids! Online Magazine! We are so excited to have them on board and you can look forward to their wonderful writing beginning this December, and as it appears in many issues to come!

We know you’ll enjoy their fun personalities shining through the amazing articles they write; from Amazing Kids! to Amazing Kids :-), a hearty welcome to our newest Staff additions! Thank you for all of your hard work! We look forward to working with you all.

(From left: Celine, age 13, Amruth, 4th grade, and Isabella, age 8)

Enjoy Our First-Ever Podcast/Video Interviews!

This past issue of the Amazing Kids! Online Magazine, Kent Healy and Hank Wasiak, two amazing authors and mentors who have accomplished amazing things, were interviewed by two Amazing Kids! Writers, Andrew Sibner and Alex Paulk! Watch the whole shebang on the Amazing Kids! YouTube account: http://www.youtube.com/amazingkids1

Let us know what you think, and thank you to Mr. Healy, Mr. Wasiak, Alex, Andrew, and Braxton for your special, special help in making these amazing interviews possible! We couldn’t have done it without you. Happy fall, everyone!






Our interview with Hank Wasiak: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShEWlHIC0N8




Our interview with Kent Healy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ev9y5DHogoE

NEW! Check out our October 09’ Amazing Kids! of the Month!

Hungry to read something inspiring and fresh; something that’ll get your game on? Check out our new October Amazing Kids! of the Month: the young FUNDaFIELD Directors. These Amazing Kids wouldn’t stop at what others called Impossible; instead, they pitched in together and made a difference for hundreds of kids all accros Africa. Want to learn more? Read the new AKOM!

Are You a Kid Genius?

Calling all kid geniuses! Mark Burnett Productions is casting a new game show featuring kid geniuses. If you, or a kid you know, has exceptional knowledge in a particular area, check out the casting notice on the Amazing Kids!' website here:

http://www.amazing-kids.org/KidGeniusCstng.pdf

Please do not contact Amazing Kids! with questions, as we are not casting the show. We are only helping distribute the information about the casting opportunity.

Thank you! And as they say in show biz, "Break a leg!"

3...2...1...Liftoff!

The Wonders of Space are endless and miles away from our humble abodes. Dancing planets and star-studded nebulae laugh playfully so very close, thanks to the research of the brave, inquisitive dreamers we call astronauts and scientists, but yet so very far…millions of miles away, to be exact. But the Amazing Kids! Online Magazine has just brought the boundaries of space just a little closer to home in our 31st, Fall issue: To Space and Beyond! Check it out to see everything and anything about outer space, as well as wonderful and fantastically cool writing, art, and poems by kids just like you!


We hope you enjoy discovering the endless boundaries of space in our NEW issue: To Space and Beyond! If you do, let us know by writing: editor@amazing-kids.org! Special thanks to the Amazing Kids! Youth Online Magazine Staff who made this issue possible, and Ms. Rome, our adult advisor, for encouraging and inspiring us! BIG THANK YOU’s to our writers and wonderful staff: You guys are “Out of This World!”

Do Something Good before September 1st

Cincinnati Innovates, a prestigious award with multiple categories, including a student inventor division, and right now, the online voting for each and every age category is about to come to a close, this September.

Why is Amazing Kids! excited about this event? Our very own Jr. Asst. Editor, Natalie, is among the contestants! Vote for her now! What’s at stake? Only a few thousand dollars! And time is counting down quickly; vote for Natalie as soon as possible, before September 1st! Go Natalie!

Be sure to keep an eye out for our two new contests, coming soon, and our new Fall issue of the Amazing Kids! Online Magazine!

You Never Thought You'd Travel Here and Be Back in Time for Dinner...Until Now!

(Left) Llamas in Peru, overlooking Machu Picchu, one of the rare wonders of South America! Photo by Jerry Daykin

Summer is almost over for most of the kids across America, but as back-to-school sweeps the land, we hope you’ll find some time to do a little armchair-traveling! Don’t worry: While the author of the articles had to endure a long trip, plane rides, and perilous adventures, for you, adventure’s only a click away!

In the soaring, sky-high mountains of Brazil, South America, there lays a deserted city, enshrouded in mystery and historical wonder: Machu Picchu. Perhaps even more wonderful than this ancient city is the tales of the travels there…all through a kids’ eye-view! Feel the rush, adventure, and awe of traveling to a treasure of the ancient remains of a civilization, lost in the pages of history, in Brazil. Experience the culture, and read up on some pretty neat (and perilous!) journeys through the chronicled adventures of a kid who got to see it all…and sent back the photographs for everyone to enjoy! Read all about it on National Geographic Kids’ blog, and enjoy the adventure from the comfort of your home! Who knows? Maybe you’ll need the tips, especially if you go there yourself, someday!

Speaking of photography, keep your cameras on (as long as they don’t run out of battery juice! :-)); Amazing Kids! will soon be hosting a photography contest for kids who do amazing things next month! Check back soon for the details!

Special Thanks from Amazing Kid! Katie Stagliano!

We just received this "Thank You!" from Katie Stagliano, age 10!

Katie was our March 2009 Amazing Kid! of the Month and the winner of our First Annual Launch My Dream! T-Shirt Design Contest.

It's so exciting and such an honor for us to know that our Amazing Kids! of the Month and Launch My Dream! kids like Katie are getting the recognition and support they so richly deserve! Together, we can help many more kids like Katie launch their amazing dreams!

Thanks for sharing your story, Katie! :-)














"My name is Katie Stagliano. I’m 10 years old and have a dream of no hungry children. I am making my dream a reality by starting vegetable gardens and donating the harvest to local soup kitchen and homeless shelters to help feed people in need.

I was the winner of the first ever Amazing Kids! Launch my Dream t-shirt design contest.

My winning design was:
My Dream…..No Hungry Children (front of shirt)




It will only take a seedling! (back of shirt)

Katie wearing her Launch My Dream! T-Shirt and Hoodie

Amazing Kids! has really helped me promote my dream and make it a reality. It has been really wonderful to see my friends and family in their Very Meri shirts that I designed!!!!

Since I won the contest I have received numerous awards and honors such as:

1) Being selected as a ‘Build-A-Bear Huggable Hero’







Katie with her gift bears
from Build-A-Bear
(check out the cute mini
Launch My Dream! T-shirt they made
for her bear on the right!) ;-)






I went to St. Louis, Missouri and met the other amazing 11 kids, participate in a professional photo shoot, take part in a leadership program, paint a mural at Mason School, and make wonderful new friends. [Click here to watch a news video about it!]

2) I was a store finalist from Kohl's Kids Who Care Scholarship Program.

3) My dream received a Quaker Go Grant to start a new garden which will be located in my neighborhood.

4) I was featured on the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams on the ‘Making a Difference’ segment. [Click here to watch the video!]

5) I went on a trip to Florida to be a guest at the NAED Convention with two other great Amazing girls, where I was recognized by Robroy Industries as being Extraordinary, the next generation,

6) This month [August] I am featured as a Zorbitz Karma Kid of the Month.

7) My story has been in many newspapers articles and I have made several television appearances locally.

Every bit of recognition has helped my cause. I now have actual funds to help with the gardens that help feed people in need in my community. Many people have read the articles or seen me on TV and offered to help my cause. I have grown and collected over 900 lbs. of healthy food that was donated to The Palmetto House, a homeless shelter in Summerville, South Carolina and Tri County Family Ministries, a soup kitchen in North Charleston, South Carolina.

Being the first winner of the Amazing Kids! Launch my Dream T-shirt Design Contest has been a real honor and I can’t thank Ms. Alyse from Amazing Kids! and Meri, from Very Meri enough!!!! I can honestly say that my dream has been launched!"

By: Katie Stagliano, age 10

Editor's Note:

You can help Amazing Kids! support Katie's dream of "No Hungry Children," by buying her Launch My Dream! t-shirt or hoodie here:
http://shop.verymeri.com/collections/fundraising-tees/products/launch-my-dream-no-hungry-children

Proceeds benefit hunger relief organizations and the Launch My Dream! Initiative, which is helping kids like Katie launch their dreams!

Thank you for your support!

The Amazing Kids! Team
www.amazing-kids.org

Amazing FREE End-of-Summer Reading from Sylvan Dell Publishing!

If you’re looking for something to do during these last days of summer, why not stay cool inside and read?

Sylvan Dell Publishing is saving you a trip to the library, as they have just released a 90-day “free-for-all” of over 45 enriching and inspiring children’s titles available for free online in eBook format! Sylvan Dell’s e-books feature interactive educational stories for kids which you can read yourself right from your computer. You can also choose to have a narrated version of the books read to you (or if you’re a parent, to your child) in English or in Spanish!

Read our review of one award-winning Sylvan Dell book from a previous issue of the Amazing Kids! Online Magazine. Free access to Sylvan Dell’s online books expires 10/31/2009, so start reading today, here: http://www.sylvandellpublishing.com/ebooktrials.php?e=MSBL9J


Read our review of Whistling Wings:
http://www.amazing-kids.org/ezine_27/review.ww.html

Read the Whistling Wings eBook:
http://www.sylvandellpublishing.com/ebooktrials.php?e=MSBL9J

Help Amazing Kids! Get the Word Out! Become the Next Amazing Kids! Volunteer Public Relations Director!

Are you an adult who loves to write and inspire kids? Do you have a knack for news? Do you want to help Amazing Kids! get the word out about our amazing programs and articles?

Amazing Kids! is putting out our call for a Volunteer Public Relations Director who can manage and edit our current blogs and news sites, as well as manage press releases and coordinate publicity communications for us.

If you have good experience with the internet, are a good communicator, and wouldn’t mind volunteering for 5-10 hours a week, please contact info@amazing-kids.org and let us know that you’re interested, with:

Your Name

Your Age

Your State/Country

Your Experience as a Writer or PR Coordinator, if applicable

Why you want are interested in this position, and how you can help

Please let us know asap, and thanks for your support!

Cool Articles from the Amazing Kids! Online Magazine’s Summer Issue

Our Jr. Asst. Editor, Natalie, stands in the bamboo cooler? Yup. That’s right. A fridge for panda food! Read Giants of Nature: Giant Pandas to find out why!

Did you know that Melina Bellows, Editor-in-Chief of National Geographic Kids Magazine wanted to design Hallmark Greeting Cards when she was a kid? Get more cool facts in our exclusive interview!

This picture was taken by a young, award-winning artist and photographer in Romania! If you like art and photography, then check out our NEW Amazing Artists Column to see pictures and art sent in by kids like you! Send your art to: editor@amazing-kids.org

Want to build a tall tower? You can build one just like this…if you have 500,000 Lego bricks lying around, and a few cranes to support it. Learn more about engineering marvels in Building Big, by Assistant Editor, Sean.

Like what you see? Write for Us, Subscribe, Donate, or spread the word to your friends and school to keep the Amazing Kids! Online Magazine full of amazing-ness, today!

Through the Storm: Amazing Kids! PenPals Fosters Lifelong Friends

(LEFT) Amazing Young Hurricane Survivors from Estelle Elementary School,
in Louisiana, holding their letters to their Amazing Kids! PenPals
in California

What would you do if your friend was in trouble? Nearly 4 years ago, a Hurricane Katrina swept over Louisiana, ruining houses and buildings forever. Lots of kids who lived in Louisiana needed a good friend as the aftermath became clear, but all of the kids around them were equally as devastated by the hurricane, and needed a friend, too.

Amazing Kids! quickly went to work, and Alyse Rome, Founder and President began the Amazing Kids! PenPals Program, which has connected countless friends across the world and is still active, today, for any kid who wants to join!

“The Amazing Kids! PenPals for Hurricane Survivors Program is the lightening-rod that encouraged Estelle students to write their stories, in letter form, to share with a new pen pal friend,” said the teachers at Estelle Elementary School in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana.

It was a truly touching experience for everyone involved; kids who had been devastated now had a hope, a friend, and best of all, a kid their own age to share their feelings with. It clearly worked, and kids are still benefiting from their friendships with their Amazing Kids! PenPal, today! You can have a PenPal, too!

What do you think about friends? How would you help kids hurting from a hurricane? Do you think writing to other kids about your feelings would help you if you had gone through a disaster? Tell us what you think by commenting!

2nd Annual Launch My Dream! T-Shirt Contest Kicks Off at Brentwood Market

Thanks to all who came to the verymeri booth at the Brentwood Market on Sunday to design their t-shirt for the kick-off of the 2nd Annual Amazing Kids! Launch My Dream! T-Shirt Design Contest!

We had a great turnout, made some new friends, and met lots of terrific people and some truly amazing kids!

A special "thank you" to Meri (on the right of the photo) and Suzanne Gelfound (center of photo), both from verymeri, for hosting the event in their booth at the Brentwood Market. (That's me, Amazing Kids! Founder and President, Alyse Rome, in the blue dress, standing with Meri and Suzanne on the left of the photo.)


Calling all Creative Kids! If you're are a kid between the ages of 6 and 17, and have an amazing dream you want to launch, then stay tuned for our 2nd Annual Amazing Kids! "Launch My Dream!" T-Shirt Design Contest!

The contest rules should be up on the Amazing Kids! website (www.amazing-kids.org) in the next couple of days, so be sure to check back soon!

Good luck, everyone-- and have fun getting ready to launch your amazing dream!

Calling creative Southern California kids!

Join Amazing Kids! (www.amazing-kids.org) and our charity t-shirt company partner Verymeri.com this Sunday, July 19, from 9 am-1 pm at the Brentwood Farmers Market!

We're kicking off the start of our 2nd Annual Launch My Dream! T-Shirt Design Contest, 2009! Kids and teens ages 5 to 17 can participate by creating a design that illustrates their dream for their amazing future.

Not in Southern California? No worries! The contest will run until October 1, so you don't have to live in Southern California, or be at the market this weekend to participate.

The 2nd Annual Launch My Dream! T-Shirt Design Contest rules will be posted on the Amazing Kids! website soon, so be sure to check back in the coming days! Good luck and see you at the Brentwood Market on Sunday!

A Message from Command Central

The Amazing Kids! Online Magazine’s next theme (picked by our amazing Assistant Editor, Sean!) is To Space and Beyond! Of course, we are planning some super-cool articles from the volunteer youth staff, but if you’re a kid (ages 17 and under), we want to see your work, too! We accept:

Fiction Stories
Poems
Artwork
Jokes
Recipes
Non-Fiction articles
Reviews

If you don’t want to write or draw about space, that’s ok! We’ll review any material sent in by kids, as long as it’s kid-friendly. Send your writing and art to: editor@amazing-kids.org. If you want to send in a space-themed article, please send it before August 5th; this issue will be launched in September! Please let us know if you have any questions, and have a great Summer!

(photo courtesy NASA)

Amazing Kids! Gives Amazing Opportunity to Young, Aspiring Producer, Andrew Sibner

By Andrew Sibner, age 14, California

What if you got the chance to observe and learn from the best producers in the industry? With the help of Amazing Kids!, I was given the incredible opportunity! Paired with animation producer, Helen Kalafatic, (best known for her work on Spongebob Squarepants, Maya and Miguel, and more!) we took to the panels of the “Produced by 2009” conference at Sony Pictures Studio. On arrival, Helen and I got our passes and continued to the lecture of our choice; "Who Does What? The Role of The Creative Producer".

We found some seats and listened to the three speaking producers. Lucy Fisher and Dough Wick, being two of the three, are Co-Heads of Red Wagon Entertainment and have produced such films as Memoirs of a Geisha and the Stuart Little films. The third speaker, Kathleen Kennedy, may be best known for her recent works in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. However, she also produced many famous classic movies! E.T., Back To The Future, Jurassic Park, and Schindler's List were all made possible by Ms. Kennedy. You can imagine the stories she has to share! While writing E.T., a film about a friendly alien, they had hit a wall in their creative process. How would NASA react if they discovered a creature from space? The studio had to send Kathleen Kennedy to go ask NASA themselves! Also, the speakers told a story about an action favorite called "The Fugitive". They had started production on the film, before they had an ending to the script! They considered it a miracle that the movie turned out as it did and with so much success!

Helen and I left the auditorium having learned a lot about producing! Helen was surprised by the similarities between live-action producing and animation producing, while I was surprised how last minute the process can be! We had such a great time and really learned a lot! Thank you, Amazing Kids! for making it all possible!

New Amazing Kids! Website Sparks Dreams and Inspires Children

In celebration of its eleventh year helping kids worldwide realize their amazing potential, Amazing Kids! has re-launched its premier website for children: http://www.amazing-kids.org/ Easy-to-navigate and sporting a fresh new look, the redesigned website is not your typical redesign conceived and executed by adults; amazing-kids.org has in fact been recreated entirely by a dedicated team of kids.

Most noticeable in the new website is the integration of the Amazing Kids! literary e-magazine, the Amazing Kids! eZine, into the overall structure of the Amazing Kids! website, merging the two into one cohesive design.

A children’s educational non-profit organization formed in 1998 by its founder/president Alyse Rome, Amazing Kids! and its award-winning website have become known worldwide for their unique programs inspiring excellence and creativity in children. With initiatives such as Launch My Dream! and educational programs like the Amazing Kids! of the Month, the Amazing Kids! eZine, Amazing Kids! PenPals, and Amazing Mentors!, the organization gives kids a wide-range of positive, productive and fun options for spending their time.

To keep up with the unprecedented growth the organization experienced this past year, Alyse, as founder and publisher of the Amazing Kids! eZine, lead her team of student volunteers throughout the historic redesign, resulting in one of the most significant changes in the history of Amazing Kids!

The team included Amazing Kids!’ webmaster, Braxton, age 15, an Amazing Kids! volunteer for nearly 3 years, and his sister Brittany, age 17, the eZine Editor-in-Chief, a 3+ year volunteer. The two worked diligently to redesign the entire website, bringing their colorful concepts into reality. Volunteering for such an important cause inspired Braxton. The redesign showcases his impressive creative talents and technical know-how.

“I learned a lot,” Braxton says. “Patience is the key to getting to the finish line. At times it was hard, but we managed to get through as a team. This process has helped me realize my own amazing potential.”

Says Brittany: “We are so thankful for the help we received. It took hard work and dedication. That speaks for much of our dreams and goals in life: Those who are persistent, surrounding themselves with the right help are apt to gain the prize.”

Visit the new website amazing-kids.org, then let us know what you think by leaving your comments, here! :-)

####
Amazing Kids!
Celebrating its 11th year anniversary, Amazing Kids! is an internationally-recognized children’s educational charity based in Southern California with a worldwide following through their award-winning website, amazing-kids.org. Their mission: helping kids realize their potential.

Congratulations to Amazing Kid! Katie Stagliano (Amazing Kid! of the Month, March 2008)!

Katie appeared on NBC Nightly News last night, April 22! If you missed it, you can watch it on the MSNBC.com website or on Hulu.com.

Katie (and her family!) did a wonderful job! We are so proud of Katie here at Amazing Kids! and we are continuing to help her launch her dream of "No Hungry Children" through our website and through the sales of her "No Hungry Children" t-shirt.

If you haven't purchased your t-shirt yet, there is still time! Verymeri.com is still taking orders until June 1, so hurry and get yours today! Katie will be donating her 1/2 of the proceeds to hunger relief organizations; the other half goes to supporting Amazing Kids!' Launch My Dream! initiative, so we can continue to help more kids like Katie launch their dreams for their amazing future!

Here's the link where you can buy Katie's shirt: http://shop.verymeri.com/collections/fundraising-tees/products/launch-my-dream-no-hungry-children

Thank you for supporting Katie's beautiful dream, No Hungry Children!

Make it an Amazing day!

Warmest wishes,

Alyse Rome
Founder/President
Amazing Kids! - Helping Kids! Realize Their Potential, One Kid at a Time(TM)
www.amazing-kids.org

Help Launch Katie's Dream: No Hungry Children

One Truly Amazing Kid



Congratulations to 10-year-old Katie Stagliano of Summerville,
South Carolina!

Katie is the winner of the Amazing Kids! "Launch My Dream!" T-Shirt Design Contest and is the March 2009 Amazing Kid! of the Month on the Amazing Kids! website (www.amazing-kids.org)!

As part of our new "Launch My Dream!" initiative
(www.amazing-kids.org/launchmydream.html), Amazing Kids! is helping Katie launch her dream of "No Hungry Children."

12 Million Hungry Children in America

Did you know that in the United States alone, an estimated 12 million children go to bed hungry each night? And sadly, in these difficult economic times we face today, the number of hungry children both in the United States and internationally is increasing.

A 40-Pound Cabbage Feeds 275 People


Get inspired and read Katie's incredible story at: www.amazing-kids.org/akom3-09.html#top.

You'll learn about how she grew a tiny seedling into an amazing 40-pound cabbage in her backyard, and how she donated it to a local soup kitchen and fed 275 people!

Katie's amazing dream is to help feed hungry children, with the ultimate goal of ending childhood hunger. But to help her dream come true, she needs our help!

Katie's Launch My Dream! T-Shirt and Hoodie


Amazing Kids!, along with our charity apparel partner verymeri.com, is selling Katie's "No Hungry Children" t-shirt and hoodie (seen pictured here) to raise money to support her dream.

10% of the proceeds go to support Katie's dream and will be donated to hunger relief organizations. An additional 10% goes to support the Amazing Kids!' "Launch My Dream!" initiative, which is helping kids like Katie launch their dreams for their amazing future.

You can help support Katie's wonderful cause by purchasing a Launch My Dream! "No Hungry Children" shirt or hoodie on the verymeri website: http://verymeri.com/collections/fundraising/products/amazing-kids-no-hungry-children

Launch My Dream! - The Spirit of Collaboration

The goal of Amazing Kids!' "Launch My Dream!" initiative is to help gather the resources that kids like Katie need to launch their amazing dreams for their future.

As such, Amazing Kids! is working in a collaborative effort with other non-profits, businesses (like verymeri.com), corporations, foundations and individuals , to insure that our children's future is a bright one.

Want to learn how you can help, or become a partner or sponsor? Visit the Launch My Dream! information page at: http://www.amazing-kids.org/launchmydream.html, or email us for more information: info@amazing-kids.org.

We look forward to working with you!

Calling All Kids!

Katie wants to encourage kids everywhere to grow vegetable seedlings in their backyard, or in a window box, so they can donate the vegetables to help fight childhood hunger. In her Amazing Kid! of the Month story, you will learn how she was able to enlist her entire school in her effort, and they are now planting a huge empty lot at their school with vegetables to feed the hungry in their community and to help feed students at their own school.

Parents can contact Katie to get advice about how their kids can get started through her Facebook page which her mother Stacy has set up: www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=48567540431

Parents must sign up for Facebook in order to be able to add a comment to Katie's page.

Get Your Very Own "No Hungry Children" T-Shirt or Hoodie!

Help support Katie's dream by getting your very own "No Hungry Children" t-shirt or hoodie designed by Katie here:

verymeri.com/collections/fundraising/products/amazing-kids-no-hungry-children

Thank you for helping us make Katie's beautiful dream, helping feed hungry children, come true!

Until next time...

Go out and do something Amazing today!

Alyse Rome
Founder/President
Amazing Kids! - Helping Kids Realize Their Potential, One Kid at a Time(TM)
www.amazing-kids.org