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Tiger Beetle at Kendallwood
Marcy Hankin's world has been turned upside down ever since Spence Caldwell arrived in her hometown of Andonburg, Oklahoma. Why the state football champ would want to come to an out-of-the-way little town like Andonburg for his senior year is anyone's guess. Spence and his aunt and uncle have taken up residence in the old Kendallwood mansion and have plans to restore the place. The girls at Andonburg high are in a dither; the football jocks have their noses out of joint. But for Marcy it means the vast wooded acreage of the Kendallwood estate is no longer her private haven for insect collecting. Which means she'll be unable to finish her entomology project in time for the fair; her goal of winning Grand Champion is in jeopardy. Losing her special getaway place is just the beginning. Soon she's caught up in her twin sister, Cissy's, scheme to claim Spence Caldwell as her own. Cissy's plans include convincing Marcy to try out for cheerleader - something Marcy has neither the time nor the desire to do. Cissy detests every bug in Marcy's many collections. According to Cissy: "No guy in his right mind would ever want to date a girl who plays around with those creepy things. It's abnormal." Spence's presence changes everything in Marcy's world. Caving to pressure and trying to fit in, Marcy finds she's denying the very things she loves. She loses sight of who she truly is and she's miserable. But then she learns that Spence Caldwell has a few secrets of his own. What actually did bring Spence to Andonburg? And what could it possibly have to do with Marcy and her love of bugs?
158 pages, Paperback
First published December 4, 2013
1 person is currently reading
198 people want to read
About the author
Norma Jean Lutz
122 books22 followersNorma Jean Lutz’s writing career began when she enrolled in a writing correspondence course. Since then, she has had over 250 short stories and articles published in both secular and Christian publications. The full-time writer is also the author of over 50 published books under her own name and many ghostwritten books. Her books have been favorably reviewed in Affair de Coeur, Coffee Time Romance, Romance Reader at Heart, and The Romance Studio magazines, and her short fiction has garnered a number of first prizes in local writing contests.
Norma Jean is the founder of the Professionalism In Writing School, which was held annually in Tulsa for fourteen years. This writers' conference, which closed its doors in 1996, gave many writers their start in the publishing world.
A gifted teacher, Norma Jean has taught a variety of writing courses at local colleges and community schools, and is a frequent speaker at writers' seminars around the country. For eight years, she taught on staff for the Institute of Children's Literature. She has served as artist-in-residence at grade schools, and for two years taught a staff development workshop for language arts teachers in schools in Northeastern Oklahoma.
As co-host for the Tulsa KNYD Road Show, she shared the microphone with Kim Spence to present the Road Show Book Club, a feature presented by the station for more than a year. She has also appeared in numerous interviews on KDOR-TV.
Norma Jean has brought out past out-of-print novels to create a new series. These teen novels (which she likes to call "Clean Teen Reads") were published in the 1980s and 90s, yet the story lines are timeless. Sporting new titles and new book covers, these books will become part of the "Norma Jean Lutz Classic Collection" series.
Her newest teen offering is Brought to You By the Color Drab. A story of a young man living in the ghetto who seemingly was born in the wrong place in the wrong time. This is a story of redemption!
Norma Jean is the founder of the Professionalism In Writing School, which was held annually in Tulsa for fourteen years. This writers' conference, which closed its doors in 1996, gave many writers their start in the publishing world.
A gifted teacher, Norma Jean has taught a variety of writing courses at local colleges and community schools, and is a frequent speaker at writers' seminars around the country. For eight years, she taught on staff for the Institute of Children's Literature. She has served as artist-in-residence at grade schools, and for two years taught a staff development workshop for language arts teachers in schools in Northeastern Oklahoma.
As co-host for the Tulsa KNYD Road Show, she shared the microphone with Kim Spence to present the Road Show Book Club, a feature presented by the station for more than a year. She has also appeared in numerous interviews on KDOR-TV.
Norma Jean has brought out past out-of-print novels to create a new series. These teen novels (which she likes to call "Clean Teen Reads") were published in the 1980s and 90s, yet the story lines are timeless. Sporting new titles and new book covers, these books will become part of the "Norma Jean Lutz Classic Collection" series.
Her newest teen offering is Brought to You By the Color Drab. A story of a young man living in the ghetto who seemingly was born in the wrong place in the wrong time. This is a story of redemption!
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 21, 2017
Tiger Beetle at Kendallwood by Lutz. I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it. It is a short story about a YA romance featuring 2 disparate characters who spend a lot of the time circling round each other. Marcy has a twin called Cissy and they are the exact opposites. Is Cissy for real with her teenage angst? The new boy in town, Spence, is being fought over by Cissy and Maureen who is well-off. Will Marcy ever be proud of her bug collection and realise her dreams?
March 15, 2017
This book wasn't too long and it was a good young adult/teen book. More twins! Interesting how things work out when you read soo many books. I enjoyed the story in this book and Marcy and Cissy are fun to read along with in this book. Fighting over a boy! I always said I would never do that and I have not done that yet but it is a big thing growing up. I see girls fighting over boys often when I was in school. This book reminded me of those days. I enjoyed it very much! I can watch from the side lines and still be fine. * I received this book from the author---this is my honest review*
March 7, 2017
Marcy Hankin lives in a small Oklahoma town where football is king and teen girls worry about makeup and boyfriends—especially her twin sister. Marcy, on the other hand, loves bugs. In fact, she wants to be an entomologist, which has earned her the nickname Bug Brain. When Spence Caldwell, a senior who was a football star in the big city, comes to town to live in the old Kendallwood estate, whose grounds are Marcy’s best bug hunting ground, her world is turned on its ear.
Tiger Beetle at Kendallwood is an e-book reissue of Norma Jean Lutz’s young adult romance novel, the second in a series being put out in e-book format. It follows the developing relationship between Marcy and Spence, two outcasts in a society that demands conformity. It could have been proofread better, especially in the earlier chapters, but was an entertaining read.
I received a free copy of this book.
Tiger Beetle at Kendallwood is an e-book reissue of Norma Jean Lutz’s young adult romance novel, the second in a series being put out in e-book format. It follows the developing relationship between Marcy and Spence, two outcasts in a society that demands conformity. It could have been proofread better, especially in the earlier chapters, but was an entertaining read.
I received a free copy of this book.
February 16, 2017
"Learning To Make Choices"
Author Norma Jean Lutz has been a long time story writer for decades. Most of her stories are written for teens and pre-teens. They are clean, enticing stories to be enjoyed by readers of all ages. This story is a young-adult romance which takes place back a few decades before the internet and cellphones. It will grab you right from the beginning with Marcy, whose first love is collecting bugs on the grounds of an abandoned old mansion. She takes along the family dog, Bitsy, a small dachshund. Well, ditto, it grabbed me because in my youth I collected bugs and I've had dachshunds since I was 14 years old. The story features two people who learn that they have a lot in common. They also realize their futures are dependent on making their own choices. A delightful and heartwarming story and I'll be reading more tales from Norma Jean Lutz. Highly recommend.
Author Norma Jean Lutz has been a long time story writer for decades. Most of her stories are written for teens and pre-teens. They are clean, enticing stories to be enjoyed by readers of all ages. This story is a young-adult romance which takes place back a few decades before the internet and cellphones. It will grab you right from the beginning with Marcy, whose first love is collecting bugs on the grounds of an abandoned old mansion. She takes along the family dog, Bitsy, a small dachshund. Well, ditto, it grabbed me because in my youth I collected bugs and I've had dachshunds since I was 14 years old. The story features two people who learn that they have a lot in common. They also realize their futures are dependent on making their own choices. A delightful and heartwarming story and I'll be reading more tales from Norma Jean Lutz. Highly recommend.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews