Mark L. Van Name is donating 100% of his proceeds from the hardcover sales of his new novel, Children No More (which Baen is publishing on 3 August), to the charity Falling Whistles to help rehabilitate and reintegrate child soldiers in the Congo.
Children No More is “the fourth novel in the Jon and Lobo series, which follows the adventures of a nanotech-enhanced ex-soldier and his sentient predator-class assault vehicle across multiple future worlds,” according to Baen’s Laura Haywood-Cory. “Though Children No More is a fictional adventure story, it also tackles difficult issues surrounding child soldiers and their reintegration into society.”
Van Name explains why he’s decided to do this: “In February of this year, I attended TEDActive. During a break in the first day’s sessions, I decided that I wanted to do more than just participate in conversations about improving the world; I wanted to do something, something potentially large. Though none of the sessions were about child soldiers, Children No More is—and I was deep into the third draft of it at that point. The novel is, I believe, a page-turner of a good story, as it should be, but it is also at another level a meditation on the challenges of rehabilitating and reintegrating child soldiers.
“Though I have never been a child in war, this topic is near and dear to my heart… [and] I realized that I didn’t need to rely on anyone else—not my publisher, not the bookstores, not anyone—to help those children. I just had to do it.” For his full explanation, see this page.
Publisher Toni Weisskopf adds “Baen Books is proud to publish Mark Van Name’s Children No More and to announce this unusual program, not only because the novel is a superb and moving story, but also because we fully support the cause of reintegrating and rehabilitating child soldiers.”
Falling Whistles is a non-profit organization that works with community leaders in eastern Congo to rehabilitate and reintegrate war-affected children through health, education, job training, and extracurricular programs. Estimates suggest 30,000 children are serving as soldiers in Congo and up to 300,000 are doing so around the world. Even after having escaped from the adults who enslaved them, many child soldiers are drawn back into war. Falling Whistles works to prevent these cycles of violence by reintegrating children into their communities. FW’s David Lewis explains “Falling Whistles works to rehabilitate children and to advocate for peace in our world’s deadliest war, now taking place in the Democratic Republic of Congo. With Children No More, Mark Van Name adds his voice to a growing coalition of whistleblowers who are creatively speaking up for peace in Congo and asking for a new era where children are no longer forced to the front lines. His donation will help rehabilitate war-affected kids in Congo.”
Van Name concludes: “My goal is simple: To raise as much money as possible for this cause by selling as many hardbacks as possible—and keeping none of the proceeds.
“I hope to do it by making gift-giving painless—no, not painless, enjoyable. You don’t have to pay anything extra to get the book; in fact, my publisher has made it the cheapest of my hardback novels ever. All you have to do is buy it, enjoy a good read, and in the process you’ll be doing a good deed.
“Of course, if you’d like to do more, tell your friends. Spread the word. If you want to contribute more ideas, email me via the form on the web site and let me know.”