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Michelle wrote: "Farmer Floyd is adorable!"thank you!
I didn't have time to finish Polly though...I'll get to that one in a bit :).Do you have an illustrator working with you, yet?
I love Farmer Floyd, and though I'm no expert, I think with a little proofreading it would be ready. Polly's Pebble is a neat idea, but still needs some work (mostly the ending). I also read the first two chapters of your YA book and, like Polly's Pebble, I think it would be ready after a good bit of editing. One thing I noticed is that Lisa acts younger than 16, and she would have to either live with Brad or their parents because of school.
Michelle wrote: "I didn't have time to finish Polly though...I'll get to that one in a bit :).Do you have an illustrator working with you, yet?"
not yet. my friend who started the pictures moved to Utah and she has been super busy with work, a new husband and baby. I have some of the pictures she started.
Serena wrote: "I love Farmer Floyd, and though I'm no expert, I think with a little proofreading it would be ready. Polly's Pebble is a neat idea, but still needs some work (mostly the ending). I also read the fi..." oh yes she does live with her parents. I guess I put a middle part in there. Polly has 2 other parts and I have been racking my brain for the 4th book but I just can't seem to get my brain to settle yet.
Another vote for Farmer Floyd! I can visualize the pictures.
Otherwise the picture book (no pictures) is pasted below and one of the Polly's Pebble series is below too.
thank you.
Farmer Floyd
By Melissa Pasek
2009
Farmer Floyd lived in the city and he was not happy. He did not like the noise or the traffic or the dirty air.
Farmer Floyd woke up one day and said, “This is not good. I need to move away from all this noise and pollution.” So, he packed all his things and bought a little house in the country.
On his first night in his new house he said, “This is good.” And he turned out the light and went to sleep.
On Monday, Farmer Floyd woke up and walked around his yard and noticed all the crows eating his apples in his apple tree. “This is not good,” he said, “I need someone to chase these crows away.”
Farmer Floyd went to the local animal shelter and bought a little dog he named Bongo. After a quick visit to the vet, Farmer Floyd brought Bongo home and Bongo got straight to work.
That night Farmer Floyd put Bongo’s bed on the floor next to his and said, “This is good.” And turned out the light and went to sleep.
On Tuesday, Farmer Floyd walked around his yard while Bongo chased the crows and noticed some mice. “This is not good,” he said, “I need someone to get rid of the mice,”
Farmer Floyd went back to the animal shelter and got two cats he named Spanky and Slinky. After a quick visit to the vet Farmer Floyd brought them home to meet Bongo and chase mice.
That night Spanky and Slinky slept on the bed at Farmer Floyd feet and Bongo slept in his bed on the floor. Farmer Floyd said, “This is good” and turned off the light and went to sleep.
On Wednesday Farmer Floyd walked around his yard while Bongo chased crows, Spanky and Slinky snatched mice and noticed the grass was getting tall. “This is not good” he said, “I need someone to eat this grass.”
Farmer Floyd went to a 4-H fair and brought home two little goats he named Nappy and Ninny to meet Bongo, Spanky, and Slinky. After putting a fence around his yard to keep them safe, Ninny and Nappy got to work and chomped the grass down.
That night Nappy and Ninny slept in a shelter in the yard, Spanky and Slinky slept on the bed, and Bongo slept in his bed on the floor. Farmer Floyd said, “This is good” and turned off the light and went to sleep.
On Thursday Farmer Floyd walked in his yard, while Bongo chased crows, Slinky and Spanky snatched up mice, Nappy and Ninny munched on grass and noticed there were a lot of ticks, fleas, and other bugs in his garden. “This is not good,” he said, “I need someone to eat these bugs.”
Farmer Floyd went back to the 4-H fair and brought 8 guinea birds home to meet Nappy, Ninny, Spanky, Slinky and Bongo. After building a coop for the birds to sleep in and be safe Farmer Floyd showed the Guineas the garden and they got straight to work pecking at pests.
That night the guineas slept in their coop, Nappy and Ninny slept in a shelter in the yard, Spanky and Slinky slept on the bed, and Bongo slept in his bed on the floor. Farmer Floyd said, “This is good” and turned off the light and went to sleep.
On Friday, Farmer Floyd walked in his yard, while Bongo chased crows, Slinky and Spanky snatched up mice, Nappy and Ninny munched on grass, the guineas pecked at pests and he saw the big logs he could use for firewood. “This is not good,” he said, “I need someone to help me carry those logs closer so I can chop them into smaller logs to heat the house for the winter.”
So, Farmer Floyd went to a farm in another town and bought a small donkey he named Bubba. After the vet looked him over, Farmer Floyd brought Bubba home to meet the guinea birds, Nappy, Ninny, Spanky, Slinky and Bongo. Bubba got straight to work hauling tree logs for Farmer Floyd to cut.
That night Bubba slept on hay in his own little barn, the guineas slept in their coop, Nappy and Ninny slept in a shelter in the yard, Spanky and Slinky slept on the bed, and Bongo slept in his bed on the floor. Farmer Floyd said, “This is good” and turned off the light and went to sleep.
On Saturday, Farmer Floyd walked in his yard, while Bongo chased crows, Slinky and Spanky snatched up mice, Nappy and Ninny munched on grass, the guineas pecked at pests, Bubba hauled logs to the wood barn and he noticed that the fruit and vegetables were ready for picking. “This is not good,” he said, “I need help with picking, packing, and piling the fruit and vegetables.”
Farmer Floyd’s family came and met Bongo, Slinky, Spanky, Nappy, Ninny, the guineas, Bubba and got straight to work. They picked apples from the crow free trees, gathered vegetables from the bug free garden, and piled it all in the mouse free barn.
That night, after saying thank you and good-bye to his family, Bubba slept on hay in his own little barn, the guineas slept in their coop, Nappy and Ninny slept in a shelter in the yard, Spanky and Slinky slept on the bed, and Bongo slept in his bed on the floor. Farmer Floyd said, “This is good,” and turned off the light and went to sleep.
On Sunday, after he went to church, Farmer Floyd sat on his porch swing while Bongo slept on the step, Slinky and Spanky bathed in the yard, Nappy and Ninny lay in the shade, the guineas roosted in the trees, and Bubba rolled in the dust. “This is good,” Farmer Floyd said, “This is really good,” and fell asleep.
THE END
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POLLY’S PEBBLE
Polly was a little girl who lived in the country. She enjoyed taking walks and looking for unusual pebbles that she collected. She had quite a collection of brown, blue and black pebbles. Some were perfectly round and some were flat. But out of the many pebbles that Polly had she did not have any one favorite because she loved them all the same.
One warm spring day, Polly was walking on the bank of a stream that was down the road a bit from her house, when out of the corner of her eye she saw something glitter. She turned and walked closer to it. It was a white pebble! She had white pebbles in her collection but this one has sparkles in it. She had a feeling that it was special. She picked it up a held it in the palm of her hand. As she was walking further down the stream and looking at her new pebble, she imagined where it might have originally come from.
‘Maybe it belonged to a magician!’ Polly thought to herself with excitement. ‘That’s probably how he does his magic tricks, by keeping his magic pebble in his pocket.’
Then the expression on Polly’s face changed. “Or…maybe it was a special pebble that belonged to a magic genie,” said Polly aloud, “and as long as the genie had this pebble in a punch around his neck all the genie had to do was to say, ’fly’ and …whoa…!!!” Suddenly, Polly was lifted off the ground and into the air. She was no longer imagining she was really flying!!!!
Polly had to think quickly as she kept going up into the air higher and higher. What should be said to get down form up here? “Land” she said, but nothing happened. “Ground” she commanded, but she was still floating further up into the air. “I want to et down!” she yelled and she gently floated down landing her feet on the ground.
‘This is great!’ She thought. “I need more practice,” she said aloud. Polly used her pebble to fly form onside of the stream to the other and back again. She flew back and forth for a long time and as she flew she went further and further down stream. Polly was so excited about her new discovery that she forgot about the time. After a while she noticed it was getting dark and that she was not in a familiar area.
“Oh no,” she said, Mom and Dad must be wondering where I am.” So, Polly started running back toward her home. Soon she became tired of running and had to slow to a walk, knowing that it was getting later and later and darker and darker. Then she stopped and realized that she could get home faster by flying.
Polly exclaimed, “Fly home!” and she was swooped up in the air, once again, heading for home.
It was really dark and Polly could not see too clearly, then, ‘boom!’
“Ouch!” screamed Polly. She had flown into a tall, tall tree. When she realized what had happened she suddenly cried, “My pebble! I dropped my pebble when I hit the tree! How am I ever going to get down from this tall, tall tree?” Polly began to cry. She pictured her parents worrying and crying because she wasn’t home. Polly cried harder until she cried herself to sleep.
When Polly woke up the sun was shining bright. She rubbed her eyes and looked around. She started to laugh a how silly she was to worry. Polly saw that she had landed in her neighbor’s tall, tall tree. The one with the tree house in it. She looked out over to her yard and saw her father in the backyard.
“Dad! Daddy! Up here!” she yelled and waved. Her father looked up and saw her, waved back with a smile of relief then ran into the house to get her mother.
Polly climbed down the tree house ladder. Then she saw it, there on the ground, under the tree, her magic pebble. She picked it up and ran to her yard and into her parents’ open arms.
Polly started to tell her parents the truth about everything that happened. They wouldn’t believe it. They just kept asking if she fell and bumped her head. They wanted to take her to see a doctor just in case.
“No,” Polly insisted. “I don’t need a doctor.” She thought it might be better if she told them what they wanted to hear.
“I did fall and it really hurt to walk and then it felt better, but it was late and I got tired so I just slept in the tree house,” she said in one breath. “I really am sorry,” she ended, hoping they bought that story. They did.
“Well, we’re just glad you’re safe at home now,” her mother said hugging Polly.
“This doesn’t mean that you won’t have a punishment,” Her father continued. “You really worried us. So, you will be grounded for one week. No TV. and any spare time will be spent with your mother helping her around the house.”
“Yes sir,” Polly said bowing her head down sadly. “May I go to my room now?” she asked.
“Go ahead,” her father replied.
Polly went to her room and closed the door. She wasn’t sad at all. She enjoyed the time with her mother and there were only reruns on TV so she wasn’t missing anything. She looked in her room for any empty jar to put her new pebble in and se found one. It was small, just the right size. She put the pebble in it and screwed the lid on really, really tight and then taped the lid. Then she made a label for it that read: Do Not Open Until Age 10.