The Life Skills Series · Ages 8 to 12
The Skills School Skips, In Books Kids Actually Finish.
Interactive workbooks for parents and kids to grow up together. Nine Life Skills books across ages 8 to 12, the AI Generation trilogy, and a new playbook for the parents raising them.
Also from Pax Ember · A book for parents →
For Parents · by Steven Makarion · Second edition, available now
Raising the AI Generation
A parent's playbook for kids growing up with AI.
The grown-up companion to the kids' books. Calm, practical, and specific about screens, chatbots, school, and the conversations that matter now. Written for the parent who wants to lead, not panic.
The Life Skills Line
Life Skills for Kids
The skills that make a kid feel capable. Confidence, independence, money, feelings, friendship, and safety, one small win at a time. A book for each age from 8 to 12, plus standalones on the topics that deserve their own.
Life Skills Every 8-Year-Old Should Know
Confidence, independence, and everyday skills, sized for eight.
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Life Skills Every 9-Year-Old Should Know
The real-life skills that fit a nine-year-old's world, one small win at a time.
Get on AmazonLife Skills Every 10-Year-Old Should Know
Money, feelings, friendship, and doing hard things, built for ten.
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Life Skills Every 11-Year-Old Should Know
The skills that carry a kid toward more independence at eleven.
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Life Skills Every 12-Year-Old Should Know
Getting ready for the teen years, with the skills that matter at twelve.
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Money Skills for Kids
How money works, and how to save, spend, and give it with a clear head.
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AI Skills for Kids
What AI is, how to use it well, and how to think for yourself while you do.
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Social Skills for Boys
Making friends, reading a room, and repairing things when they go sideways.
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Big Feelings, Real Tools
Real tools for anger, worry, and the big emotions, so feelings stop running the show.
Get on AmazonThe AI Generation series · by Steven Makarion
For the kids who will grow up with this
Three books that take your family from "what is AI?" to building with it, now in new editions under the author's own name.
AI for Kids, Ages 8–12
Discover How AI Works, Train Your First AI, and Create With It
What AI really is, how it learns, and how a kid can train a first model and make something with it.
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AI Safety for Kids and Teens
Spot Fake AI Answers, Recognize Voice Scams and Deepfakes
A confident wrong answer, a voice scam, a deepfake, an AI "friend": how to tell what's real and stay in charge.
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AI Projects for Kids and Teens
Build a Game That Learns, Code a Roblox Character, and Finish a Real Project
New edition coming the week of October 25. The current printing, Build Your AI Future, is on Amazon.
Coming soonMeet Your AI Learning Companions
Three friendly robots guide you through every chapter of the AI Generation series, each bringing their unique personality and expertise.
Pixel
The Creative One
Pixel sees the world through an artist's eyes. She shows you how AI creates art, music, and stories, and helps you make your own.
Echo
The Communicator
Echo loves language and connection. He explains how AI understands what you say and helps you communicate with anyone, anywhere.
Algo
The Problem Solver
Algo finds patterns everywhere. She shows you how AI thinks through puzzles, analyzes data, and helps solve real-world problems.
What Pax Ember Books Do Differently
Real Things, Not Just Theory
Every chapter teaches you to do something. AI tools that actually work. Real-life skills you can practice this week.
Built for Kids and Parents Together
No technical background needed. Every book includes Parent Corner sections so families can talk through what they're learning.
Safety That's Conversational
Online safety, body safety, emotional safety. Real talk, age-appropriate, no fear-based scolding.
Skills That Compound
Critical thinking, creativity, self-awareness. The skills that matter long after the chapter is over.
For Parents
Finally, books designed for families to learn together.
Every Pax Ember kids' book includes Parent Corner sections in every chapter. They help you guide discussions, understand the material, and support your kid's growth without needing to be the expert yourself.
- No technical background required
- Conversation starters for family discussions
- Age-appropriate safety guidelines
- Activities you can do together
What Families Are Saying
"My daughter and I learned so much together. She now understands AI better than most adults!"
Sarah M. Parent of 10-year-old
"The activities are genuinely fun. My kids actually ask to work on it. That never happens with educational books."
Marcus T. Father of two
"Pixel, Echo, and Algo make complex concepts accessible. My students love them!"
Jennifer L. 5th Grade Teacher
From the founder
A family imprint, built by a father who works with AI every day
Steven Makarion is the founder of Makarios Media, its family imprint Pax Ember, and Vectris Consulting, the author of Raising the AI Generation and the AI Generation series for kids, and a builder who works every day with an AI partner he built, Aria Makarion. The books started at a kitchen table when his daughter, then eleven, asked him what AI actually was. Every one of them carries the same idea: you don't have to hand your life to AI. You can work with it, let it teach you what you're missing, and come out ahead together.