For more than twenty years, Micheal Maxwell worked with students from junior high through university. For most of that time his talents were put to use working with below grade level, behind credits, at-risk high school students, and adults returning to school for their high school diploma. It was as natural as breathing to bring his love of writing into these classrooms. Year after year every assignment was met with "I hate to write!" While working through his student's writing limitations and negative attitudes, he faced people who said with frustration, and sometimes outright anger, "Why has no one ever taught me this before?" They may or not have been shown the basics of writing an essay. One thing was certain, they didn't understand it. So, they got further and further behind. You hold in your hands the result of all those years of giving "haters of writing" a clear, uncluttered method of turning their thoughts into cohesive pieces of organized writing. As a parent, you know the frustration and heartbreak of a failing student. Those kids are Maxwell's stock and trade. If you are an adult trying to improve your written communication skills, or learn what you missed the first time around, you are in luck. It works for you, too! The Secret to Writing an Essay: A Parent's Guide for Teens and Tweens Who Hate to Write, was written with you in mind; parents who care deeply about their child's success. Step by step, chapter by chapter, this little book lays out simple, understandable tools for taking your child by the hand, and lovingly guide them through the mine field of high school English! This is not a Handbook For Getting an "A", it is a realistic guide to improving your child's writing skills. The goal is to remove the "I hate" from any reference to writing. If we are truthful, most of us weren't big fans ourselves! If your child is failing or falling desperately behind, we will be happy to see them pass. This guide will give them the tools to build their confidence in writing, take away the, "I don't know where to start", or worse, the lonely sense of failure at truly not understanding what to do first. Congratulations on taking the first step in unlocking the secret of writing for your child, and building a better school year. Micheal Maxwell holds a Master's Degree in Education with a concentration in Curriculum and Instruction from Chapman University in Orange, California. Mystery readers know him as the international bestselling author of the Cole Sage Mystery Series, and the young adult time travel novel, The Time Pedaler. Maxwell lives in Northern California with his wife and traveling partner, Janet. They have three grown children, and three grandchildren.