New York – May 1, 2017 – The novel “The Dirt Merchants” by Henning Morales, an inspirational journey of a 17-year-old juvenile delinquent who meets high-powered motivational masters and turns his life around, has been accepted into the library at the Martin Luther King Center in Hackensack, a community center known for its strong emphasis on catering to at-risk youth in the area. The book is additionally in the process of being accepted as part of the Honors English curriculum at two New Jersey schools – Central High School in Newark and Teaneck High School in Teaneck. Teaneck High School has asked Mr. Morales to speak at two assemblies for its entire student body and has requested that 25 books be delivered to the faculty and staff. The closed assemblies at Teaneck High School will take place June 2, 2017, on the eve of the second Youth Mentorship Forum in New Jersey. The assembly will feature a prestigious line-up of educators speaking on the most important issues facing today’s youth. Mr. Morales will be the keynote speaker, featuring youth mentorship concepts from the novel.
The Dirt Merchants has been compared to “The Outsiders”, as life lessons are melded into a courageous story in which young people come-of-age in the process.
On February 23, 2017, Henning Morales spoke at the inaugural Youth Mentorship Forum in New York. Forum founder, Dr. Suzette Febre-Hart, a thirty-year veteran educator stated, “Henning is such an inspiring presence and has made, and will continue to make, a major impact on the lives of countless young people. His gritty book is full of life lessons and the story is not only compelling but also a part of New Jersey history and, which I believe, will instill life lessons in our young men and women in a fascinating and entertaining way.”
Professor Alejandro Ruiz, Academic Counselor at the University of Southern California, has agreed to co-produce a “Youth Mentorship Session” at USC’s Los Angeles campus on August 3, 2017, featuring Henning Morales as keynote speaker. Professor Ruiz said, “I couldn’t put The Dirt Merchants down. Not only is it entertaining, I instantly knew that it would grab the attention of freshmen at USC and high school senior applicants. After meeting Mr. Morales, he encouraged me to reach out to Dr. Febre-Hart in New Jersey and immediately we started the process of preparing the USC event, inviting students and faculty to experience the life changing messages found in the novel.”
In preparation for the high school speaking tour, and in expectation that the book will become part of numerous high school curriculums, Mr. Morales has confirmed that The Dirt Merchants ‘Highwaymen Edition’, geared towards high-schoolers, will be released in June 2017. Mr. Morales said, “It has been my pleasure and passion to coach, teach and mentor kids, and now that the message is getting into schools, it has been a joy to work with these compassionate and talented educators to instill productive values in our young people.”
The feature film version of The Dirt Merchants is currently in development.
About Henning Morales
Henning Morales is a bestselling author, keynote speaker and film producer. He is widely considered a premier motivational speaker and thought leader. His passion for providing young people motivation, guidance, coaching and mentorship to lead happy, productive lives has become his life’s purpose. His inspiration stems from his personal experience having been a confused seventeen-year-old troublemaker who met some high-powered motivational masters, opening him up to age-old principles of success and happiness. Although he is involved in multiple projects including books, public speaking, events, TV and films, all have one central theme: the direct coaching of ‘kids’ and the coaches, parents, aunts, uncles, teachers and other kids who influence them. He defines ‘kids’ as young people (people just getting out of school) or people of any age who are young at heart. For additional information, contact: DirtMechantsFilm@gmail.com