The Canasta Capers

Children's Books

Swerdfeger, Steven

Literature & Fiction

Star Cloud Press

<p>Haunted by a recurrent dream that echoes the moments before the tragic deaths of his parents from an accident caused by a drunken driver, David Andrews must relocate to Midville to live with his Great-Aunt Lillian Biggs. As David grieves his loss, he struggles to find a place in his new community, mid with the unwelcome intrusion of a bully and the harshness of two faculty members at the Midville Middle School. Several new friends, however, come to David's rescue and assist him in his determination to find a non-violent way in which to relate to the school bully, and through their common struggles and adventures become an intrepid Gang of Four. What others have said: "Steven Swerdfeger has an eye for the details of everyday school rules and rituals that allows him to place his precocious hero and his "Gang of Four" in a convincing setting. Because he also has a feel for the fun that comes from the camaraderie of young people bucking the system, his central theme of a search for fairness and justice in life is rendered lightly. Swerdfeger remembers what it is like to be young and discovering adult hypocrisy for the first time, so he can increase the appeal of his young bunch when he creates richly comic grown-up nemeses for them to challenge. What is more, he knows how to ground the comedy in more muted and serious emotions: the smartest boy in town must confront problems for which there are no easy intellectual solutions, and in the end even the school bully has his own story to tell." - Paul Howe, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania "This is a gentle story, told with engaging warmth. Swerdfeger weaves a tale of four middle school children who deal with real life issues, from cutting in on lunch lines to tragic car accidents. Through these experiences, David Andrews learns to turn enemies into friends through compassion." -Joseph Downing, Syracuse, New York Originally published in 1996 under the title Thursday's Child, and later accorded Finalist Honors in the 1997 SMALL PRESS BOOK AWARDS.</p>

<p>The adventures continue as Aunt Lillian and David welcome Bobby Perkins into their home and decide to invite neighbors and friends to an Advent Party. Even a raging snow storm cannot prevent the planned celebration, at which Thatcher Pennythorpe recites part of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, indicating that he at one time gave holiday readings of that story every year. David becomes determined to have Mr. Pennythorpe renew his custom of public readings, with all ticket proceeds going to the community food back. The Potters invite Aunt Lillian, David, and Bobby to Christmas Eve services at Midville's Methodist Church, and later in the holiday the young people attend a Watch Night Service on New Year's Eve, curing the vacation, Sean Potter also takes David and Bobby to the enigmatic Mr. Astor's shop of curiosities where the boys receive unexpected gifts. On New Year's Day, Gertrude Coachman discovers that she no longer needs to continue teaching English, and embarks upon a journey that is beleaguered with unexpected frustrations and surprises. Mr. Ferlinghausen, Midville Middle School's principal, invites David and his cohorts to host an assembly program for Dr. William Gregory, an educator who is comes to speak to the school. David becomes consumed with his science report on the megafauna, and hopes to upstage Mallory Evans, who is obsessed with the T-Rex as well as the need to be an Alpha male. David does his best to win sympathy for the megafauna during his presentation, and experiences a moment of cosmic consciousness regarding the interconnectedness of all life, which evokes in him a profound vision and transformation. Finally, after some intentional slights, misunderstandings and mishaps throughout the story, David, Bobby and Sean discover and acknowledge a new sense of friendship and brotherhood.</p>

An Opening of Heart

Because They THINK They Can

This is a story about a group of adolescents who encounter a new teacher who refuses to allow them to ignore their school work. At the prospect of failing ninth grade, the class implores classmate David Andrews, a respected advocate, to help them. Mr. Gregory sets as their task the requirement to demonstrate that they 'love learning for learning's sake.' Befuddled by this requirement, the students follow David's advice and form a Learning Club. The Learning Club invites Mr. Gregory to be its first speaker. He talks about how students learn differently. Owing to Bobby Perkins' disquiet with fallacies, student leaders agree that it would seem most appropriate to invite a psychologist to speak next. Mr. Pennythorpe, the school's affable history teacher, recommends Dr. Clarence Baker, who proves enormously popular. Invited to return, he speaks first on the subject of hypnosis and later leads the club in an experience of guided imagery. The class is assigned to present its rendering of Macbeth to the community, and more bonding results int their frantic efforts to rid themselves of stage jitters. The play is a huge success. An awards dinner follows which recognizes two faculty and the mayor and which distributes ticket proceeds between school and town libraries. Mr. Pennythorpe speaks, but suffers a heart attack before concluding his remarks. As Pennythorpe lies gravely ill, David works through his worry by organizing a welcome home party for his mentor. Cast members join in, and the elderly history teacher returns safely home to conclude his remarks. Pennythorpe, in his final comments about learning, likens it to love, for "the more we can understand, the more we can appreciate, and the more we can appreciate, the more we can love." 1The title is taken from a quotation ascribed to Pliny the Elder, who said of young athletes of his day, "They can because they think they can."

This is a story about a group of adolescents who encounter a new teacher who refuses to allow them to ignore their school work. At the prospect of failing ninth grade, the class implores classmate David Andrews, a respected advocate, to help them. Mr. Gregory sets as their task the requirement to demonstrate that they 'love learning for learning's sake.' Befuddled by this requirement, the students follow David's advice and form a Learning Club. The Learning Club invites Mr. Gregory to be its first speaker. He talks about how students learn differently. Owing to Bobby Perkins' disquiet with fallacies, student leaders agree that it would seem most appropriate to invite a psychologist to speak next. Mr. Pennythorpe, the school's affable history teacher, recommends Dr. Clarence Baker, who proves enormously popular. Invited to return, he speaks first on the subject of hypnosis and later leads the club in an experience of guided imagery. The class is assigned to present its rendering of Macbeth to the community, and more bonding results int their frantic efforts to rid themselves of stage jitters. The play is a huge success. An awards dinner follows which recognizes two faculty and the mayor and which distributes ticket proceeds between school and town libraries. Mr. Pennythorpe speaks, but suffers a heart attack before concluding his remarks. As Pennythorpe lies gravely ill, David works through his worry by organizing a welcome home party for his mentor. Cast members join in, and the elderly history teacher returns safely home to conclude his remarks. Pennythorpe, in his final comments about learning, likens it to love, for "the more we can understand, the more we can appreciate, and the more we can appreciate, the more we can love."

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Swerdfeger, Steven. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Swerdfeger, Steven

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Swerdfeger, Steven. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Canasta Capers

The Canasta Capers

An Opening of Heart

Because They THINK They Can

Because They THINK They Can