Welcome to Friday Reads!
Enter to win a print copy of Phooey Kerflooey by Kristen Joy Wilks, courtesy of the author, by using the Rafflecopter link at the bottom of the post. (US ONLY!) (Contest ends May 24, 2024) If you’re the chosen winner, I’ll contact you for your information to pass along to the author.
About the book…
A puppy will fix everything.
A boring new house?
Boring house + puppy = adventure!
An attacking squirrel?
Evil squirrel + puppy = a squirrel-battle extraordinaire!
A daredevil brother who zooms into constant peril?
Rowdy sibling + puppy = calm days snuggling their furry friend!
What could possibly go wrong?
When Marcus’s dog dreams finally come true, something is indeed terribly wrong. Phooey Kerflooey is eighteen pounds larger than expected. She will only eat organic lunch meat and drink from a china teacup. Plus, she is terrified of absolutely everything, including his brother’s wheelchair and that troublesome squirrel.
How can Marcus find “perfect peace,” like in Isaiah 26:3, when God has given him a whole lot of chaos?
Through a raucous tornado of personal growth, the boys and Phooey work together to save the day. But when the dust (and squirrel poo) settles, can they convince Dad and Mom to let them keep their puppy princess?
Excerpt…
CHAPTER One
Daredevils, Squirrel Devils, and Dares
Marcus bolted out the door of wheelchair-safe house #4, looking for his little brother, Conner. It had been two seconds. Marcus cleaned his glasses on the edge of his t-shirt and turned in a circle. Where could a ten-year-old in a wheelchair possibly zoom off to in that amount of time?
A squirrel perched on their fence gave an angry chitter. A very familiar squirrel.
“I can’t feed you anymore,” Marcus said. “No nuts, no bread crusts, no snickerdoodles. Dad and Mom said no. You shouldn’t have chewed Dad’s work boots.”
As the squirrel flicked his tail and darted away, Marcus spotted something fluttering across the decorative rocks that surrounded wheel-chair-safe house #4 instead of grass.
A small piece of paper had settled between the rocks and the rim of the sidewalk.
Marcus snatched it up. Maybe Nia had asked Conner to come over to train her guinea pigs to play fetch again.
I see your cast is off. Meet me at the skate park after school. I bet you can’t—
Marcus dropped the note without reading the rest and took off.
It didn’t matter what Adam Weisburn had bet Marcus’s brother. Conner would do it. Conner would rush to do it. Conner would totally battle all of the other kids in their sleepy little town for the right to do it first and fastest, no matter how foolish or dangerous.
Marcus took a right at the library. Maybe he should have gotten Mom or Dad. The skate park was ten whole blocks away.
That was the point of wheelchair-safe house #4. Ten blocks from the skate park (unlike wheelchair-safe house #1), no interior stairs (unlike wheelchair-safe house #3), and no front porch for launching the wheelchair (unlike wheelchair-safe house #2). But Dad hadn’t gotten home from work yet and Mom was still on her phone, trying to find out if their rhododendron bush was poisonous.
Why would a young daredevil even want to make his own tea? Conner hated tea. If he’d suddenly decided he needed a hot beverage, why not use a teabag instead of weird leaves he’d found in the yard? He had added a lot of sugar, though.
Marcus pushed himself to run faster. He absolutely could not let his brother get hurt again. Conner had no fear. Marcus needed to have enough fear for both of them.
He’d slept right through Conner tiptoeing outside to go “adventuring” a year before. His little brother had followed an owl, climbed an enormous oak looking for its nest, and slipped on the icy spring branches. The fall had broken his back.
If only Conner had taken Marcus with him . . . Well, Marcus was sticking with his brother now, even if that meant a race to the park when he’d rather be writing or making a boardgame.
Marcus took a left at a small thrift shop called “The Snazzy Goat”, then chugged down Maple Street as it angled toward the park. There, at the far end—he could just make out a speeding wheelchair with technicolor lights flashing from both back wheels and a giant squirt gun mounted on the armrest.
Marcus sucked in a deep breath and turned onto the bike path that angled across the park, pushing himself to a full sprint.
Conner was already peering into the giant pit where skateboards and bikes zoomed with pleasant nonchalance, but wheelchairs tended to perform terrifying flips of destruction. He’d just gotten the cast off his leg that proved extreme wheelchair stunts should not be attempted after a mere ten minutes of practice. Both he and Adam Weisburn should know better.
My review…
What do you get when you combine two brothers, a fussy puppy, and a squirrel? A fun story for readers of all ages. Like many kids, Marcus thinks a puppy will fix all his problems. However, things don’t necessarily go according to his plans. His overthinking will likely be relatable to many readers. Kids are going to love the squirrel’s antics (and adults will, too!). There’s great character development, especially with Marcus.
This book would be a good option for parents, grandparents, or teachers to read aloud with children. Adults will appreciate the life lessons on peace, God (particularly focusing on Him vs. the chaos around us), and dealing with situations beyond our control which are woven throughout.
Phooey Kerflooey: Three Kids And A Puppy vs The Squirrel Of The Apocalypse will entertain readers, as well as provide some valuable spiritual lessons that can lead to great discussions.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy, but I wasn’t required to leave a positive review.
About Kristen…
Kristen Joy Wilks writes from a remote mountain meadow that alternates between quiet and chaos. The mom of three sons, an orange cat, and a giant Newfoundland dog, she lives with her camp director husband at Camas Meadows Bible Camp where she is photographer and camp storyteller. Kristen once climbed a tree and snuck into a church through the balcony to return a library book (and check out another) and has been pursuing stories ever since. Her writing highlights the humor and grace God gives amidst the detritus of life. She can be found tucked under a tattered quilt at 4:00 a.m. writing a wide variety of implausible tales or at www.kristenjoywilks.com.
Rules for giveaway can be found here.
I’m not sure I have a clear favorite book featuring an animal, but I always enjoy reading stories where relationships with animals are seamlessly woven into the narrative. Currently I’m reading a mystery featuring a heroine who can hear her dog talk, and I enjoy hearing about escapades from a canine perspective!
Ooh, that books sounds interesting! Happy reading, and good luck, Candice!
That is so fun, Candice! I’m actually working on some stories from the puppy’s POV and I have to tell you, they are really fun to write!
no fav
Good luck!
There are a lot of good ones out there. Hard to pick!
My favorite novel featuring an animal as the POV character is Leonard, My Life as a Cat. So much fun and so much heart.
Sounds interesting. I’m not familiar with that one. I’ll have to check it out. Good luck, Danielle!
I’ll have to look that one up, Danielle. Sounds delightful!
Very cute cover
Thanks so much, Nancy! I love this character artist. She has done art for my instagram page as well and her puppy drawings are just the best!
I agree! Good luck, Nancy.
Charlotte’s Web probably..
Such a great book!
This sounds like a real fun and adventurous book.
Forgot to say my the book.. Where the Red Fern Grows was one of my favorites
Great choice!
Good luck, Heather!