KANSAS CITY, Mo. — 8-year-old Madden Tanner has high hopes and aspirations.
“What I want to do is almost everything I see, like be like my dad," said Madden. "He’s a carpenter, and then I want to be a massage therapist. I want to be a builder. I want to be a police officer, anything you say I’ll be.”
You can also add published author to Tanner’s list. He’s already written two books and a third one is expected next year.
“I started reading on my own when I was about 4," said Madden.
Madden’s books are based on his life experiences, including S.T.E.M (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and experiences with his mentorship group. Madden has also launched a clothing line that includes bowties made of Lego’s and t-shirts with the hashtag LITeracy.
“The hashtag is L-I-T, it’s capitalized," Madden’s mom Tovah Tanner tells 41 Action News. “That just represents that hypeness, that excitement, that enthusiasm [for reading]."
Madden has even started a book club that meets once a month.
“He’s a hard worker. He’s focused,” Tovah says. “He comes up with great ideas.”
Madden’s father Anthony echoes his wife’s sentiments.
“It’s exciting for me to be able to see our children learn, but it’s more exciting for me to see that our children want to learn," Anthony said.
The goal of this eight-year-old author is for kids to take a page from his book, literally and figuratively. Click here to learn more about Madden’s mission and his book club, R.O.Y.A.L.E. Book Club.
