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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 lunchlines 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.
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 lunchlines 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.
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, misunderstandingsand mishaps throughout the story, David,
Bobby and Sean discover and acknowledge a new sense of friendship
and brotherhood.
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