Jill Vanderwood

The League of Utah Writers gave out publication awards at their annual Round-up on Friday, September 16th, 2011 in Logan, Utah. Authors and Youth Speakers, Jill Ammon Vanderwood and Savanna Peterson received first place certificates and a Gold Quill pin in the Children's/Young Adult Book category for their book, Drugs Make You Un-Smarter, during the ceremony. Drugs Make You Un-Smarter is written by high school student, Savanna Peterson and her grandmother, Jill Ammon Vanderwood to promote drug awareness to teens. Savanna tells her story about growing up with a father in prison for drug related crimes. Her brother had parties with drugs and alcohol, while her mother worked. This book gives facts about drugs along with stories of those who have abused them. The reader will learn about rehab, how drugs affect a family and hear from kids who, like Savanna, have made a commitment to remain drug-free. This book includes interviews with celebrities such as VH1´s Celebrity Rehab LCSW, Sherry Gaba; Actor Jason London; Actor and Author Tray Cheney; Author´s Jennifer Storm and Kristen Moller; Sheriff Tom Allmon of the Face2Face program, and Dr. Kishore from the National Library of Addictions. Jill Ammon Vanderwood is the author of five books for children/young adults. Her book What´s It Like, Living Green? Kids Teaching Kids, by the Way They Live is the winner of three national book awards and won silver last year from the League of Utah Writers. Savanna Peterson is a high school student from Utah. She enjoys having as much fun as possible without drugs and alcohol. Savanna has taken a stand against drugs and wants to teach others that drugs are not the way to a happy life. Jill and Savanna have spoken at: Boys and Girls Clubs church groups drug rehabs school class rooms They have been interviewed on: Fox 13 Good Day Utah KSL News Radio Conversations Live Radio, With Cyrus Webb Dresser After Dark "A Moment of Change" at CBS radio http://bit.ly/or8H4T The Deseret News The Salt Lake Tribune The Valley Journal Love to Know: Teen Issues—How a Teen Abstains from Drugs and Alcohol Savanna was featured on the Granite School District Website Savanna was interviewed for the Teen Nick website for the ´Above the Influence´ campaign For an interview or to book the authors as youth speakers contact: Jill Vanderwood Jillpickle11@gmail.com

Drugs Make You Un-Smarter authors Jill Vanderwood and fifteen-year-old Savanna Peterson hit the road this summer to teach kids about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. They are joined by motivational speaker and free-style basketball great Jerrickson Hosteen, performing as J-Stylez, and Kari Denny-Flynn, AKA Writtyn who is a hip-hop artist, rapping about the problems in her life, caused by her past drug abuse and the alcoholism of her family.

Volunteering can help a teenager build job skills, self confidence and look very good on a resume. While other kids are just beginning their working experience, you will already have training and experience which can give you the upper hand in the job market. Some volunteer jobs can also lead to scholarships for college.

Fifteen Year Old Teams Up With Celebrities To Co-Author Book, 'Drugs Make You Un-Smarter' 'Drugs Make You Un-Smarter' is written by a high school student and her grandmother. The book is a compilation of stories and includes reports of people who have abused drugs and interviews with actors and professionals. The book offers the hard, cold facts about drug abuse, directly from the users themselves and from those who love them. Judy Shervill, Coordinator of Foundation For A Drug Free World states that "Peterson shows that faith in oneself is the most powerful resistance." [to drug abuse and addiction]

In order to get our anti-drug message out, we needed media attention. I searched online for phone numbers for the editors at the Salt Lake Tribune. If your book isn´t newsworthy, make it newsworthy. Don´t worry if your story only comes out in the area where you live. It is widely available through the internet.

If you are dating a guy and you often excuse his behavior or try to explain it to others, there may be a problem. Look at this from the perspective of others. If more than one person is telling you to watch out, you should listen.

Throw Grandma From The Plane: Noted Children´s Author Takes A Leap to Benefit The Literacy Action Center & Reading Tub While Teaching Eco-Consciousness to Children

The National Indie Excellence Award in the Green category was presented to Utah children´s author, Jill Ammon Vanderwood, for her newest book, What´s It Like, Living Green?, (available through Amazon.com).

A time for earth awareness has come. Learning can be fun and involve the whole family.

With Earth Day approaching,(April 22) Jill Vanderwood, author of What's It Like, Living Green, Kids Teaching Kids, by the Way They Live, invites you to take her Earth Day Quiz, to find out just how 'green' you are.

Just in time for Earth Day, children's author Jill Ammon Vanderwood is excited to introduce you to some very special families who live green and kids who really make a difference for the environment. In her new children's book, What's It Like, Living Green? Kids Teaching Kids, by the Way They Live, kids as young as four up to seventeen are making green choices every day--and so can you.