The Year I Lost My Popularity

By Leigh Anne Kidwell

 

       

 

 

 

 

        Elizabeth has just turned thirteen. Out of the blue, two weeks before she starts the eighth grade, her family decides to move to a different town. Now, instead of being part of the popular group she has known most of her childhood, she’ll be the new kid in town.   

       Elizabeth goes through many challenges during her first year at Barksdale Middle School. Her adventures are sure to inspire any young girl who is faced with the same problems. By the end of the book, you will come to love Elizabeth and her newfound world and look forward to more of her challenges in the future.

 

 

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Chapter 1

THE POPULAR ME

        My name is Elizabeth Anne Tucker. I love horses, cheerleading, playing with my many friends and my yellow cocker spaniel, Sasha. I have an older brother, David, who just turned sixteen and started dating, so I never see him anymore. Which is okay, I guess, except I feel like an only child most of the time. I inherited my Dad’s fire red hair and freckles and I am one of the tallest girls in my class, standing at a cool 5’4.” I don’t think of myself as very pretty, although I’m very popular. I have developed earlier in the top area than most of my friends my age, so I sometimes get a little more attention from the boys in my class. I enjoy having many different friends. 

            Take my birthday party, for example: I made sure I invited everyone in my class, so there were a lot of kids there including those who normally don’t get invited to birthday parties. But now that I’m being forced to leave the only place I’ve known as home, I’m going to have to make all new friends. What a scary thought. I never had to worry about this before. Everyone I know, I’ve known since I can remember, and we were always the ones making fun of the new kid coming to town. Now I would be the new kid. I know what people thought of the new kid. I didn’t want to be the new kid. I would never be as popular as I am now. It took me since first grade to earn the title ‘Most Popular Girl’ in class. Maybe I could run away. Where would I go? I have a friend, Katy, who moved to another city. She lives in a nice big house with two stories. Maybe she wouldn’t mind me staying with her? I’m not sure that would fix things, though. My family would still be moving. Maybe I could move in with my best friend Christine. Her parents are divorced and her mother needs to work two jobs. She is always away at night and Christine stays at my house most of those nights. Maybe then she wouldn’t be alone. I don’t know. My mom says this new town isn’t that far away from here, only a half hour by car. On family vacations, when I would ask how long until we get somewhere, my brother used to tell me, “thirty minutes, as long as your favorite television shows last.” I hope I’ll be able to visit and have my friends visit me. Somehow, this still doesn’t make me happy....

 

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Summer Vineyard

by Leigh Anne Kidwell

 

 

 

 

 

          Mary Jane Jenkins is excited about spending a couple of weeks on vacation at her aunt and uncle’s vineyard in California.  She wishes her big sister Samantha didn’t have to tag along.  Two weeks turns into the entire summer when they find out their mother has been keeping a secret, and they have to stay in California for the rest of the summer.  If it weren’t for cousin Josh, Mary would not be able to survive a long hot summer sharing the same room with her sister.  Now that they need each other more than ever, they grow even farther apart.

        Trouble starts when they find out someone is trying to destroy the property.  No one has a clue who it could be, and Mary is on the hung to solve the mystery.  Her big sister is bored with nothing to entertain her and seeks out a close friendship with an older work hand who turns out to have a few surprises up his sleeve. 

        The entire summer is filled with secrets, mysteries and sisterly battles.  Could there be a happy ending to it all?

 

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Check Out A Chapter Of Summer Vineyard

We drove to the vineyard in an old faded blue pick up truck.  Mary had to squeeze in the small seat behind the front where you normally would put cargo.  The luggage was strapped to the bed of the truck.  She kept an eye on it expecting to see it fly out at any moment.

“Whose truck is this?” Mary screamed from the back.  The windows were down to let in a cool breeze.  It was already hot in California.  The radio said the high would get up to 95 degrees.  Apparently the truck did not have air conditioning either.

“This ole’ girl is the vineyards vehicle.  Anyone needing to go outside the grounds to do any errand running or visit anyone can use it.  It is the only one available but she’s a brute.” Mary could see Samantha’s mouth hit the floor.

“What do you mean the only vehicle?  If I need to shop or go to the beach I have to drive this thing,” she stomped her hand on the console. 

“Sure do.  But you will have to fight everyone else within driving age to it first.  It’s the only vehicle I said and that means business first.  I don’t think I would count on too many trips into town ‘less we need something from the store.  And as far as the beach is concerned, the vineyard is about an hours drive to it.  Sorry, looks like you’ll have to find something fun to do at the house.  I know we can think of something, can’t we Mary?” he smiled in the rear view mirror at her.  He was enjoying tormenting Sam.  Mary knew right away she would like this guy.  Sam just grunted and stooped low in her seat.  It was going to be an interesting vacation after all.

They arrived at the house after a long drive from the airport.   At the entrance to an endless winding road there were two iron gates with a sign on each of them that read, ‘Sunshine Valley Winery:  Welcome everyone!’  Immediately the air felled with the sweet smell Mary remember.  Everything was so beautiful.  There were trees so tall along the driveway the tops of them arched down and over the drive to create a bridge.  Beyond them were miles and miles of rolling hills.   She could see rows and rows of what she assumed were grape vines.  Mary had never seen anything as perfect in her life. 

“Welcome to Sunshine Valley Winery.  If you don’t smell or taste the wine now, you will before you leave.  Even the young start sipping early on the vineyard.” Josh said.  He rolled down his window more to get a better look. 

“It is so pretty.”  Mary stuck her head out of the small slat in the back.  “All this is theirs?” She didn’t remember it being so big before.

“All sixty-five acres of it!”  Josh beamed.  He seemed very proud of it also. 

“Where’s the house?” Sam scooted up in her seat finally.  She was looking around too.  From what their mother told her, Sam had been ten and in school when she brought only Mary to visit long ago.  “Big place. Do you have to drive to get your mail?”

“The mail man brings the mail to the front door around here.  It’s usually packages anyway and they’d be too big for the regular box.  Right over yonder is the house,” he said.  And pointed out the window.

Up on its own hill sat the cutest cottage style house Mary had ever seen.  Not too big and not too small.  It was red cedar with green trim and a green metal roof.  There was a porch off the front that wrapped around one side of the house with rockers ever where you looked.  It looked so inviting like anyone could come and sit down and enjoy a cool glass of lemonade.  Or, wine around here.  The yard had beautiful flowerbeds all around the porch and up a stone walkway.  There must have been every flower in the world decorating the stone path.  You could see red, blue, yellow, orange and even some purple everywhere.  There was a lake off to the right of the house and a small dock with a little fishing boat tied to it.  Mary noticed a weeping willow tree planted on the edge of the water with a tire swing hanging from it that could swing out into the water.  It would be nice to cool off in the lake.  It looked like this was the only beach Samantha was going to get on this vacation. That thought made Mary silently smile. 

“This is the end of the road.  Everyone out you go. Let’s go see Aunt Betty and have some grub.  I’m starving!”  Josh jumped out and grabbed the bags from the bed of the truck.  Mary had to push the seat up and help herself out.  She took a big gulp of fresh air and looked over at Sam who was still sitting in the truck.

“You coming sis,” she asked.

            “Yeah give me a minute.  I wasn’t prepared for country living in California.  I could have stayed home to get country,” she crawled out of the truck and stretched her long legs.  She had worn her long blonde hair up in a ponytail today and by the looks of it, fit right in this type of life.  Mary knew better though.  It wasn’t long before the city girl would come out and show its ugly face.

 

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FAVORITE PICKS FROM THE AUTHOR:  

 

ADULT BOOKS: 

-Nineteen Minutes, by Jodi Picoult

-The Husband, By Dean Koontz

-Wifey, by Judy Blume

-The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd   

-The Key Light Trilogy by Nora Roberts

-A Painted House, by John Grisham

-Misery, by Stephen King

 MIDDLE GRADE BOOKS:

 -Flush, by Carl Hiaasen

-Are you there God it’s me Margaret? by Judy Blume

- Eclipse, by Stephanie Meyer 

-Princess Academy, by Shannon Hale

 Obviously I am in to Chick Lit/Commercial Fiction more than Sci-Fi or Mystery