Happy Tax Day!

You're probably wondering why I have a picture of cows posted, and you'll understand why after I give you my blurb on the latest book I read. In reality, I lived in Abilene, TX last year and this is the view from my apartment. Startling, I know--especially for a girl who had to drive to the "country" to see/smell cows in FL. Needless to say, I didn't spend many hours on my balcony in TX--when the wind blew (which was every 5 seconds) or when the heat was intense (Summer), the cows were pretty ripe! One even escaped the fence once-but that's a story for another day.


Welcome to Wahoo by Dennis and Elise Carr


Victoria Van Wyck is forced to flee her privileged life in Europe when "the mob" threatens to kill her family. Being escorted by family friend/employee Adam York (aka "Uncle Bob"), Victoria (aka Amanda Jones) must face life in the middle of "no-where" Nebraska, aka Wahoo. While adjusting to changes--(having to get a job, making friends (?), and having to (egads!) clean up after herself)--Victoria/Amanda must also complete her Junior year of high school and "keep her nose clean" and stay out of the limelight so that those pesky mobsters do not find and kill her. Will she manage to pull it off? Will she survive "the mob" and be reunited with her family? You'll have to read the book to find out!

I wasn't sure what to expect when I first started reading the book--some of the characters were not as rounded as I thought they should have been--given their status in the book. The saving graces are that Victoria starts working at her local library, learns to LOVE reading, competes with her new-found friend for the best grade in History, and isn't concerned about the typical teenage "what will they think of me" syndrome. It's a really cute story and most girls will enjoy reading the book.

I've actually spoken to Mr. Carr and was in negotiations to bring him to our school--especially since he seemed to really care about instilling the love of reading to the students--unfortunately/fortunately, he was arrested for "allegedly" having drugs in his camper. Click here to read the article. Needless to say, they WILL NOT be making an appearance at our school.



Why the cows? That's what I think of when someone mentions the "middle of nowhere." (The setting of the book.) I'm sure wheat fields would be more appropriate, but Abilene is a small town (although a bit bigger than Wahoo) and that's how I related to the book. After all, I had to readjust to "small-town" life after having lived in the "big city" for a gazillion years too.