3GB

First she is hailed as a heroine, then a vicious vandal. For Alexandra, the great-grand niece of Walter Mitty (the ultimate day dreamer), reality too often intrudes upon her rich fantasy world. In addition to finding the real vandal, Xandra must navigate the murky waters of eighth grade, deal with a bully, caretake her younger misfit brother, and ignore her popular older brother. Growing up, she discovers, is about growing but it is also about painful truths, startling moments of anger and confusion, and finding the ways to climb up, over, under, around, and through that Glass Mountain called life. It is Xandra’s love of stories that makes her look at things differently. These stories shelter her and help her to find answers – sometimes. As much as her stories mark her as different, however, they also help her to cope and ultimately triumph in this humorous story of love, family, sacrifice, and forgiveness.

Alexandra Mitty, the great-grand niece of Walter Mitty, is caught in eighth grade English class for daydreaming and saying several of the “forbidden words” such as OK, yeah, and like. As her “punishment”, she must tutor the new kid, an angry Lenore. The two become friends and together ignore the nasty teasing of Mattie and pay attention to Xandra’s little brother, Simon. On one of their walks, Xandra, Lenore, and Simon rescue a cat from an old, deserted house and help the owner’s nephew remove some boxes and furniture from the attic. When it is discovered the owner had no nephew, they are in deep trouble until Simon, a gifted eight-year-old misfit, recalls the license plate. This information leads to the capture of a gang of thieves, and the three are hailed as heroes by the community. For several months, they ride the high of fame, until one day, they arrive at school to find the library vandalized. The principal blames Brent, Xandra’s annoying older brother. Believing Mattie to be responsible and afraid that Brent will lose his college scholarship, Xandra confesses to the vandalism. In disgrace and only believed by a few to be innocent, Xandra struggles to find proof to accuse Mattie. A knock down fight with Mattie at school cements Xandra’s bad girl reputation but also allows her to gain another ally who believes her innocent. Unexpectedly, she finds proof of who the vandal was, but the truth threatens to tear her family apart. Woven throughout 3 G B* are references to stories, legends, folktales, and poetry, all relating to Xandra’s life. It is her love of stories that makes her look at things differently but also helps her to cope and triumph in this story of love, family, sacrifice, and forgiveness. Growing up, she discovers, is about growing but it is also about painful truths, startling moments of anger and confusion, and finding the ways to climb up, over, under, around, and through that Glass Mountain called life.

As a child who loved to read and as a lifelong storyteller, I have always appreciated the power of story. Many of Xandra’s (mis)adventures in my book 3 G B* are based upon events in my own life; she is the eighth grader I wish I had been. I have taught from the preschool level to the college level and have published several educational articles, a book on readers’ theatre, and a book on helping children write. 3 G B* is my first young adult novel.