Excerpt and Giveaway for: Are You Still Kidding Me? by Stacey Gustafson

*About Are You Still Kidding Me?*

Ever finish your kid's homework? Netflix cheat on your husband? Try to explain Alexa to your mother?

If so, you’re not alone—Stacey Gustafson’s back at it again with Are You Still Kidding Me? In this hilarious and heartwarming sequel to her #1 Amazon bestseller Are You Kidding Me? My Life with an Extremely Loud Family, Bathroom Calamities, and Crazy Relatives. Gustafson tackles the foibles of modern family life—from toddlers and teens to empty nesters—with wry wit and plenty of humor.

Grab a cup of coffee, ease into the easy chair, and be prepared to laugh out loud along with Gustafson—she may not be your new best friend, but you’ll feel like she is by the time you’ve finished these forty-five stories of family life, written by a mother who’s seen it all.

Excerpt

I Netflix Cheated on My Husband

I tried ways to end my deception, but nothing worked. To protect my indiscretion, I routinely deleted my Internet browser history, shredded phone bills and swore my friends to secrecy. I Netflix cheated on my husband.

            How did this begin you ask? I blame it on the old-fashioned dinner-and-a-movie routine. Our choices had boiled down to The Lego Batman Movie and Fifty Shades Darker. Why were we wasting our money on this crap? So, we traded a night out for a night in.

            It all started so innocently.

            Cable television options are limitless. Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, HBO Now, the list goes on. No need to go to the theater when you can indulge in more than fifty hours, or five seasons of thirteen episodes. Intriguing shows like Shooter, Stranger Things, Dexter, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and House of Cards sucked us in faster than a fur ball to a Dust Buster.

            Netflix, where’ve you been my whole life?

            We clicked through cable channels and realized we’d only scraped the surface of the Netflix barrel.

            On Saturday night, we trolled the channels and found The Killing, a crime drama based in Seattle, featuring homicide detective Sarah Linden and her sidekick, Holder. It had more red herrings than a fish farm, and we were addicted by the first hour.

            “Man, this is good,” I said, after three episodes. “One more.”

            “No can do,” said my husband, shaking his head. “Got to get up early.”

            “Come on,” I said, batting my eyelashes. “Please.”

            “Fine, one more. But that’s it.”

            Season One, Episode Four, here we come.

            By Sunday evening, we squeezed in Episodes Five and Six.

            “Got to call it quits now,” he said, rubbing his eyes and giving me a glassy stare. “Up for work by six.”

            “Okay,” I said, fidgeting on the sofa. “I’m going stay up a little and read. Night.”

            “No cheating. We agreed to watch this together.”

            Think again, sucker.

            The glow of the television beckoned. What would it hurt? I slammed shut The Girl on the Train and clicked on Episode Seven. I snuggled into my soft throw blanket, popped a can of Coke and let the drama begin. Heck, I’d rewatch it the next time we were together. He’d never know. But I knew I’d crossed the line.

            I had become a Netflix cheater.

            After he left for work the next day, I thought, “What would it hurt to take a little peek?”

            Bam, hooked again, and I binged-watched five more episodes.

            Around 6:00 PM, I texted him, “What time you coming home for dinner?”

            “Thirty minutes.”

            Oh crap, he’ll be here soon.

            “Can you pick up some milk and…um…um…pimentos?”

            He’ll be searching for hours.

            I needed to buy some time to finish Season One. I couldn’t stand not knowing what was happening. Would they catch the real killer? What’s that new evidence they keep talking about?

            Suddenly, I detected the slow hum of the garage door. How the hell did he find the damn pimentos that fast? With a loud bang, the door clanged shut on the concrete floor. I hit “off” on the remote.

            He strolled into the room, and his green eyes scrutinized the screen.

            “Were you watching The Killing?”

            “No way. We promised to watch together.”

            “Where did we leave off anyway?” he said, trying to trip me up with probing questions. He clicked on the three-way light on the end table next to me.

            “Hey, turn that off,” I said, holding a hand to cover my eyes. “So bright.”

            What is this Guantanamo?

            “Well?” he asked again.

            “I think it’s the one where they discover that kid in the teacher’s apartment,” I said, wiping my sweaty hands on my pants.

            “Wrong.”

            “Um, I’m not sure,” I said, as I leaned in and heard the distinct drip of the kitchen faucet. My armpits sweated more than a hot flash.

            “Did you watch more episodes?” he said, eyebrows pinched together, as he squeezed in between the arm of the sofa and my body until our thighs touched. “You can trust me. I won’t get mad.”

            “Fine,” I blurted out. “I couldn’t help it. I Netflix cheated.”

            Seriously, dude, you’ve been out of town so much I had to get my fix.

            “Why?”

            “I’m sorry,” I said, staring down at my feet. “It’s just so good. Never planned it to go this far.”

            “Promise not to watch anymore?” he said, cocking his head to one side.

            I vowed to keep my promise, turned on the television and started scrolling for something else to watch. We’d considered binging on Shooter after watching the previews on Netflix, a drama series based on a former military sniper called back into action to prevent a plot to kill the President.

            But when I clicked on it, I noticed that the red bar underneath, the one that indicated if it had been recently viewed, had disappeared.

            What?! Holy cow, he’s Netflix cheated on me!

            I lost all sense of remorse and settled in for hours of binging on Shooter. Two can play this game.

*Find the Book*

Are You Still Kidding Me? is 99 cents now through September 30^th!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40957106-are-you-still-kidding-me

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Are-Still-Kidding-Keep-Book-ebook/dp/B07FLTF4LF

  

*About Stacey Gustafson*

Amazon best-selling author Stacey Gustafson is a guest speaker, humor columnist, and blogger who has experienced the horrors of being trapped inside a pair of SPANX. Her blog, Are You Kidding Me? is based on her suburban family and everyday life. Her short stories have appeared in Chicken Soup for the Soul and seven books in the Not Your Mother's Book series. Her work appears in Midlife Boulevard, Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop, ZestNow, More.com, Pleasanton Patch, Lost in Suburbia, Better After 50 and on her daughter's bulletin board. 

She writes about parenting and daily frustrations like her dislike of the laundry, self-checkout lanes, public restrooms, Brussels sprouts, roundabouts, and being middle-aged. Her book, Are You Kidding Me? My Life With an Extremely Loud Family, Bathroom Calamities, and Crazy Relatives, released Sept. 2014.

To learn more, visit:

Blog:  http://staceygustafson.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/staceygustafsonwriter/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/RUKiddingStacey

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Stacey-Gustafson/e/B00N25AAHS

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8515129.Stacey_Gustafson

Bookbub:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/stacey-gustafson

*Giveaway Link*

http://aurorasbookbutterflies.com/stacey-giveaway/

Deep Water - Watt Key

This is one of the best books I have read since school began. I read it in one sitting. Julie Sims is spending the summer with her father. He has a dive business. Julie has been diving since she was very small. When she gets to her dad's house she realizes his business is quickly going down the drain. He manages to get a client willing to pay his high price.  Unfortunately, he can tell from the beginning that this father son duo is going to be trouble. With her father not feeling well and unwilling to cancel the dive, he sends his daughter Julie down with the clients. It is immediately apparent that they don't care about listening to instructions. A series of events leave Jamie, Shane and his father floating in the open ocean. Their dive boat has disappeared.  It soon becomes obvious that something has happened and that if they are to survive they are on their own.

This is one of those books where you read about a catastrophic event and think, "wow they made it" things can't get any worse, only to discover that is exactly what this author has done.  This is an intense read and one I definitely recommend.

Cover Reveal: An Unexpected Adventure by Kandi J. Wyatt

I absolutely love Kandi's books and so do my students.  Can't wait to put this one on my school shelves.

Blurb: Protect their community or protect their discovery?

For eighth graders Chace, Harley, Will, and Cherise, that’s a life-changing question after they find a dragon’s egg while hunting for thundereggs on the beach. Toss in summer jobs, family struggles, and a National Security Agent, and their summer vacation just became complicated.

Can they find a solution that won’t leave their hearts broken or their community in flames?

***

One liner: When four eighth graders discover a dragon’s egg, they must choose between protecting their treasure from the NSA or protecting their town from a growing dragon!

Mashup: E.T. meets How to Train Your Dragon

Pre-order Link: https://www.books2read.com/u/3yDLX6

Author Bio:

Even as a young girl, Kandi J Wyatt, had a knack for words. She loved to read them, even if it was on a shampoo bottle! By high school Kandi had learned to put words together on paper to create stories for those she loved. Nowadays, she writes for her kids, whether that's her own five or the hundreds of students she's been lucky to teach. When Kandi's not spinning words to create stories, she's using them to teach students about Spanish, life, and leadership.

Where to find me:

Website: http://kandijwyatt.com/
Facebook: http://facebook.com/kandijwyatt/

Google: http://plus.google.com/u/0/+KandiWyatt/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/kandijwyatt

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/kandijwyatt

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13817774.Kandi_J_Wyatt

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Kandi-J-Wyatt/e/B00ZTC4T10/

Other Books by Kandi J Wyatt:

Dragon's Future: https://www.books2read.com/u/bzpDq9

           

Dragon's Heir: https://www.books2read.com/u/47YQE3  

Dragon's Revenge: https://www.books2read.com/u/b5qvGb  

Dragon’s Cure: https://www.books2read.com/u/47kxJa  

Dragon’s Posterity: https://www.books2read.com/u/4DA8og

Dragon’s Heritage: https://www.books2read.com/u/3neVN6

The One Who Sees Me:  https://www.books2read.com/u/mdrRlb 

Journey from Skioria: https://www.books2read.com/u/4AwJee

To Save a Race: https://www.books2read.com/u/49PG5k

Excerpt to share:

After a few more minutes of digging, the stone came free. Will wriggled it until we could get a grip underneath and lift it out. I really had my doubts we could pick it up; I was sure it’d weigh close to a hundred pounds or more. However, to my surprise, it came free and up without a hitch, absurdly light for its size.

“Should it be this light?” I squinted at the rock in our hands.

“I don’t know.” Will shrugged his shoulder.

Chace shifted his grip. “I’ve never seen a single rock this big before. But it should weigh more than this. I still say it’s an egg.”

I was beginning to believe him, but there were some good reasons to doubt it, too. “What bird’s this big, and how did it get here? We’re a long way from the game park.”

The game park was the closest thing to a zoo we had. They had wild animals and some pet deer, sheep, donkeys, geese, goats, and peacocks to feed. They even had an emu and an ostrich, but I still couldn’t imagine either one having an egg quite this size.

Chace shook his head. “I don’t know, but listen.” He took a free hand and tapped ever so gently on the surface.

It echoed hollowly. Before anyone could say anything, a second fainter tap came as if in reply.

“What in the world?” I exclaimed, jumping and almost dropping the thing.

“It’s an egg,” Chace said with firm conviction. “I don’t know what kind yet, but it’s an egg.”

“Wh-what do we do with it?” Will looked like he wanted to toss it in the ocean.

“We keep it.”

Both Will and Chace looked at me as if I had just turned down a shot at a five-point deer during hunting season. I don’t know what I was thinking, but suddenly a fierce desire to protect the creature inside came over me

Guest Post by Katherine Prairie

The Blank Page

Katherine Prairie

www.katherineprairie.com

I’ve had the privilege of meeting many emerging writers over the past few years, and often they ask about my routine, or whether I’ve experience writer’s block. I understand these questions; I had them myself.

Every author has faced a blank page, struggling to find words. For me, it often happens after several days away from the keyboard, which means that taking the weekend off can make Monday a challenge. So I try to do a little writing — even a paragraph or two — every day of the week. That routine, something that can take as little as fifteen minutes, somehow makes the blank page less intimidating.

It doesn’t always work. Right now, while I’m busy promoting BLUE FIRE, it’s easy to make my to-do list a priority or to focus on research for my next Alex Graham thriller, instead of writing. But those tasks can easily fill a day or a week, leaving me to face the dreaded blank page again the next day! So I start my day writing, and push other tasks to mid-morning with the intent of restarting my afternoon with more writing. Even if my to-do list takes over, I’ll manage to put in at least a few of hours of writing time during my most creative time of day.  And I turn to music to get me started.

I’ve created several playlists, everything from dark and moody, to soft and reflective, that serve to narrow my focus and set the tone. Because I write in multiple perspectives, I select the music that fits the character telling the story in the scene I’m working on. Alex Graham’s music tends to be mostly rock, which seems fitting for the risk-taker and adventurer that she is. Dr. Eric Keenan’s songs, on the other hand, are energetic,  the music of a man racing to save lives in the emergency room!

As you would expect, ominous music fills my office when I’m writing from the perspective of my villain, but what I find interesting is that there’s always a one song that becomes a signature for that character. That was certainly true for Shen Li. His signature song, Ed Sheeran’s Make It Rain from the Sons of Anarchy series, makes me I feel as though I’ve dropped into the mind of this complex foe, and I often start my day with it.

Every writer develops their own strategies, but perhaps there’s an idea here that will work for you!    

 *****************************************************************************

FULL DESCRIPTION – BLUE FIRE

Tanzanite, a rare blue gem born in fire and revealed by lightning, is found only in the Merelani Hills of Tanzania. But now the death of a gem smuggler points to another possibility. A South American mine owned by Tabitha Metals may hold the find of a century. But why is it kept hidden from the world? Geologist Brian Graham can draw only one conclusion: the mine’s untraceable wealth is used to fund terrorism. And he must reveal the truth.

Brian heads to Colombia to check out mines there while his geologist daughter Alex and Tanzanian miner Mosi Ongeti start in Brazil. But their daring plan ends with a gunshot, and they are now pursued by the henchmen of a sinister, powerful arms dealer.

In a high-stakes race across two continents, Alex fights to expose the mine before the man behind Tabitha Metals can stop her.

SHORT DESCRIPTION – BLUE FIRE

A daring act reveals an incredible secret deep in a Brazilian mine, and catapults geologist Alex Graham into the world of a powerful arms dealer. She heads to Tanzania, to her father whose cryptic message started her quest. But her enemy is closing in.

AUTHOR BIO

Katherine Prairie brings her own experience as an international geologist to the Alex Graham thriller series. Her debut novel THIRST was shortlisted for the 2017 Whistler Independent Book Awards. She served as the founding president of Sisters in Crime - Canada West, and she is a 2018-19 Crime Writers of Canada director.

AUTHOR LINKS

https://www.katherineprairie.com

http://facebook.com/katherineprairie

http://twitter.com/authorprairie

Buy Links:

PUBLISHER BOOK/BUY LINK

https://stonedriftpress.com/books/blue-fire/

BOOKSTORE BUY LINKS

https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Fire-Katherine-Prairie/dp/099493775X

https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/blue-fire/9780994937759-item.html?ikwid=katherine+prairie+blue+fire

http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780994937759

A Tribute to My Mother

If you have been reading my blog for a while you will notice that my posts have been irregular.  In April my loving mother slipped in our bathroom hitting the toilet paper holder and cracked a rib. The x-ray also showed a spot in her lung. A biopsy was ordered and she was diagnosed with stage 3.5b lung cancer.   In June she went into congestive heart. The solution always comes with its own set of problems. They give her an extra water booster. This usually messes up her electrolytes and dehydrates her.  Then we have issues with her sugar.  This time we spent three weeks on a roller coaster ride with trips every 3 days to the doctor.  At the end of the third week he hospitalized her.  Her oxygen level was 71 and her heart rate while sitting was over 120.  She was very sick.  After ten days she went to a rehab facility for physical and occupational therapy.  They absolutely loved her. She was a strong Christian woman and her love for God and her fellow humans was a natural part of her life.  She seemed to be improving. She tried to do everything she could to improve.

Before she got sick she and her best friend Marie would visit another of their friends in an assisted living facility every Thursday to play Uno.  She was cut-throat when they played. They joked around and accused each other of  cheating when they won. She was very happy during this time.  Before she lost all of her sisters they would get together when she would visit them up north and play games. It was always the same story. The losers always accused the winner of cheating.  They would laugh for hours.  Her pastor's mother-in-law was the lady they visited on Thursdays. His mother-in-law lived with him and his wife before she went into assisted living. They would go to his house to play dominoes or Uno.  He jokingly nicknamed them "The Casino Gals". She loved it as much as she loved her pastor. She always shared with us what jokes he cracked as they sat around playing games. 

Janis often went with them whether it was to drive them or assist them in some way.  My mother loved her like another one of her daughters. Janis and her husband Jason had been there for my mom for quite some time. When hurricane Irma went through last year and we lost our power, they loaded her up along with her mattress and took her to their house until our power was restored. They visited her at the hospital. Most importantly to me and her they visited her at the rehab facility.  When she took a turn for the worse and started filling up with fluid and could no longer lay in a bed they bought a wedge shaped pillow to put behind her and a small footstool to put under her feet. They visited her almost daily. The last few days of her life they gave my husband Brad and I a break so we could eat and take care of a few things.  They were there when the nirse came in to assess my mother for hospice. Once again they stayed with her so we could run errands and eat. We returned and they sat with us until we learned what time they would transport her to a hospice house. We knew it would only be a day or two before we would lose her. We had learned only three days before that the cancer had completely taken over her left lung. Three months before it was a spot the size of a walnut.  My husband and I followed the transport and spent the night in my mother's room. The next morning we contacted Janis and her husband and told them we were leaving to eat and change clothes. They came up and stayed until we returned. They were there with us, and my mom's best friend when my mother passed into glory.

Janis and her husband, and my husband and I were never really close. My mother wanted us to be friends. The newfound relationship the four of us has, the closeness we have found was all because of my mother. It was amazing to watch the therapists, social workers, nurses all come in and out of her room at the rehab facility her last day there to tell her how much they loved her, give her a hug and kiss and walk out crying. They told her how much she had impacted their life and what an inspiration and blessing she had been to them. This shows the effect that one person can have on others when they let God's light and love shine through them.  My mother will be missed. But I am truly blessed to have been able to call her my mother.

Intense Book Series by Glenn Haggerty

I have found a new author whose books I absolutely love. His writing style is similar to Max Elliot Anderson and Tim Shoemaker. These are two author's whose books are on my classroom shelves. Not only do my boys love these books, but so do my girls. I highly recommend this author to all of my readers.

Escape 

Genre: Middle Grade, Adventure, Thriller

Source: I purchased a copy

Glenn Haggerty’s books are full of suspense and adventure. Tyler Higgins wants to fit in with the “cool” kids. He is willing to ditch his former best friends to be “cool”.  He is quickly learning that being “cool” is not all it is cracked up to be. Tyler agrees to spy on kids parked at Lover’s Lane.  He invites his former best friend who declines. While hiding in the woods waiting to catch teens making out a car pulls up. When the trunk lid is opened they see what they are sure is a dead body. Unfortunately they are discovered.  This book takes you on an edge of your seat adventure as these two teens try to stay alive.  Discover what exactly is going on. Who is chasing them and who wants who dead.  This is a lite Christian Fiction.  Throughout the book Tyler talks about church and God. The reason I loved this book is because it is so true to life in the Christian aspect.  Tyler has thoughts about what he believes God would want him to do, chooses to take a different path because he doesn’t want to listen to God. The other thing we see is what happens when he makes decisions he knows is wrong.   This is a book that can and will be enjoyed by everyone. This is the first book of a trilogy.

Run

Genre: Middle Grade, Adventure, Thriller

Source: I purchased a copy

Tyler Higgins family has moved.  Now he is once again trying to fit in with the cool kids.  The cool kids have ditched him in the woods.  He decides he will get his younger brother to go into the woods to try and find the “cool kids” treehouse. When a storm hits they stumble onto an old house. As creepy as it is they slip inside. When they hear someone coming up from the basement they hide in a closet.  When the coast is clear they escape.  A run in with the creepy guy from  the old house puts Tyler and his family in danger. When these would-be plumbers threaten him and his friends Tyler takes things into his own hands.  Once again Glenn Haggerty has created a story that keeps you sitting on the edge of your seat.

Chase 

Genre: Middle Grade, Adventure, Thriller

Source: I purchased a copy

This was the most intense of the three books. Tyler has noticed a change in some of his friends. He is sure there is a drug problem in his school.  His plan is to find out who is dealing the drugs. The problem is that they need to find the person at the top of the chain.  Tyler and some of his friends come up with a plan.  They are going to track these drug dealers to get to the bottom of the problem.  But the woods are full of problems.  Sometimes the ones you think you can trust are the ones you need to avoid. Will this adventure cost Tyler and his friends their lives?  These books are so good that I read one a day. I stayed up to finish them each night.  I look forward to reading many more books by this author.

GRATEFUL

So today I am grateful for my son's safe return from his third military deployment. He was deployed last year. He was supposed to walk my daughter down the aisle in December. When he learned he was to be deployed he secretly took a photo with her in her wedding gown. The day of the wedding arrived. There was to be a computer set up so he could watch the wedding live. The computer could not pick up the WiFi from the house.  They were finally able to connect with one of their phones and my husband strategically stood behind the lady officiating, and in front of the entire audience holding that phone so that he could still be a part of that day. This showed love and dedication as it was midnight where he was when the wedding started.  My son has missed birthdays, anniversaries, funerals. He has missed so much of his children's lives while they are growing up. He never complains. He is proud to serve. It was always his dream.  I am proud and grateful that I have a son who so proudly serves his country. I am grateful for a daughter-in-love who supports her husband when he serves. I am grateful for grandchildren who have been taught how important their father's job is to the world. Yes, today I am very grateful that my son returned home safely to be reunited with his family.

My Favorite Place

Source: http://www.artistcommunities.org/

Mark Levine over at Mindful Literacy wrote a post titled "Your Favorite Place".  After reading his post I decided to follow suit and write about my favorite place. I've had several places that I would consider my favorites over the years. But every July since last year I will think about Manasota Key. Summer before last I followed my friend Joy Hawkins on Facebook  as she spent three glorious weeks at the Hermitage Artist Retreat on Manasota Key and wrote about her experience.  Since I live in Florida and I've been on both coasts, I have to say I prefer the west coast more than the east coast. So last year I was thrilled to learn that I was one of five teachers in Florida chosen to spend three weeks, like my friend had, at the Hermitage Artist Retreat.

My cottage sat on the beach.

I had a view from my writing desk of the bay to my right across the two lane road, and the gulf to my left.

I accomplished more with my writing while I was there. However, there was something even more important that I accomplished. I learned how to put away school and relax just for me.  I have always struggled with this.  I took so many pictures while I was there. When I am becoming anxious and non-productive I pull up those pictures and IMAGINE that I am on that beach once again.

It didn't matter if I watched the sun rise, the sun set, the storms roll in. It didn't matter if I walked with the turtle lady looking for new  turtle nests or sat quietly  and almost alone on the beach and listened to the waves crash. I was relaxed. I have found that when I can not physically go somewhere, that sometimes pictures will conjure up those happy memories. So I ask you, what is your favorite place to go and why?

Heaven's Peak by Miguel Estrada

Genre: Young Adult, Horror
Source: I purchased a copy. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I have to say I really enjoyed the story. The cover drew me in. As you get further into the book you understand how the cover goes with the story.  You have people  disappearing. The FBI gets involved. Then we have a family that has moved to Heaven's Peak. Kevin and his sister Jenny along with their father have moved to Heaven's Peak because this is where their parents met. Now that their mother is dead their dad has moved them back. Kevin and his new camera capture something to validate that things are not heavenly in Heaven's Peak. This is a horror story of the type I have not read in years. In some ways it reminded me of Stephen King's writing. However, the book definitely needed to be proofread. There were a lot of mistakes.  I also hated the use of the "f-bomb".  If it was a clean read and was edited for grammar mistakes it would be a book I could put on my middle grade shelves for my horror lovers. However, since I have all grades check out my books, I sadly won't add it to my classroom library.  I would read more by this author. Hopefully he will take what others are saying and re-edit this book. That is the only reason I didn't give it a 5 star rating.

20 Degrees From Normal by Anissa Ferris and Antonio Ferris

Genre:  Poetry, Children
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

This fun book of poetry was created by a brother and sister team. It isn’t only fun to read but has very subtle messages. The very first poem, “Underappreciated Wheel” had be looking at wheels in a different way. They carry all the weight on bikes, trikes and cars, yet no one ever talks about how wonderful they are. 
I teach middle school and I am here to say that my students would love this fun rhyming, quirky poetry. I loved “Perfect Friend”. So often we want a “perfect” friend and after finding what we think they are we find that what we had before was much, much more. “Skip” teaches that you have to do some preliminary things to be a success.
This book has something for everyone, old and young. I will enjoy adding this to my classroom library next year and providing a copy to our elementary school which will be merging with our school. I highly recommend this book to teachers and parents.