The Raider
a Novel for Kids Ages 9-12
Written by Suzanne Werkema
Cover by Tina Modugno
Sixth-grader Micah Harrington Hess is fed up. The kids in middle school stare straight through him. Despite his natural friendliness and elementary-school successes, he’s invisible now.
When he discovers that his ancestor Micah Harrington fought and raided with Jessup’s Loyal Rangers during the U.S. Revolution, Micah decides to imitate his risk-taking ancestor—to raid the unjust and help the helpless. Micah is ill-informed about the Revolution, but he’s positive no one ignores raiders. His mom says, “God sees you and likes what he sees.” Micah wants the kids at school to see him and like what they see, too.
For the rest of the school year, Micah—with some help from his friends Luke and Mazi and his sister Jodie—perpetrates twelve raids against family, friends, neighbors, classmates, a deli, a car thief, and a mysterious backpack. Some of the raids bring triumph, others turmoil, and one brings near-tragedy.
Can Micah figure out why half his raids backfire? Will he ever stop being a nobody? Does God see him at all?
"Suddenly I grasped why I was invisible. I never took risks—or I didn’t take enough risks. I didn’t count telling copyrighted jokes or jamming Jodie’s underwear in with Kevin’s or informing the school nurse I’m allergic to water. Anybody can do that. If I wanted people to start seeing me, I’d have to be like Micah Harrington. I’d have to take serious risks. I’d have to raid on a scale nobody could ignore."
"We’ll raid people who treat other people like slime. We’ll find some victims and set them free. Wouldn’t that be terrific?"
Just Wondering
40 Poems for Smart Kids (You)
for Kids ages 9 - 12
Written by Suzanne Werkema
Illustrated by Tina Modugno
Just Wondering
40 Poems for Smart Kids (You)
for Kids ages 9 - 12
Written by Suzanne Werkema
Illustrated by Tina Modugno
Why do crabs walk sideways? Does hammering cinnamon sticks cause hunger? Can geometry carry you to outer space? Why’s there a hideout built into a restaurant wall? What should you do if a baseball bat flies toward your head? What can you hear in a totally silent room?
Just Wondering—40 Poems for Smart Kids (You) is for students ages 9-12 who enjoy thinking. Some of the poems are serious, some light. Some rhyme, and some don’t. All forty assume that kids think widely and intelligently. Vivid, witty, full-color illustrations accompany every poem.
The poems’ topics include DNA pasta, ice-skating ancestors, acrobatic raisins, messy rooms, poison ivy, wingless flying, talking silverware, things that never happened, rooftop lookouts, and many others, from these categories:
And for kids who hate poetry, there’s a final poem, “A Poem Is a Horrid Thing.”
Just Wondering—40 Poems for Smart Kids (You) is lively, challenging, and fun for smart kids everywhere.
Just Wondering—40 Poems for Smart Kids (You) is for students ages 9-12 who enjoy thinking. Some of the poems are serious, some light. Some rhyme, and some don’t. All forty assume that kids think widely and intelligently. Vivid, witty, full-color illustrations accompany every poem.
The poems’ topics include DNA pasta, ice-skating ancestors, acrobatic raisins, messy rooms, poison ivy, wingless flying, talking silverware, things that never happened, rooftop lookouts, and many others, from these categories:
- People I (Might) Know
- Science, Math, and Food
- Outdoor Adventures
- My Room
- Thinking and Wondering
And for kids who hate poetry, there’s a final poem, “A Poem Is a Horrid Thing.”
Just Wondering—40 Poems for Smart Kids (You) is lively, challenging, and fun for smart kids everywhere.
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The Slithering Mist
a Picture Book for 4-to-8-Year-Olds Written by Suzanne Werkema Illustrated by Tina Modugno The curlicue forest is wrecked. Can the tumblers who live there survive? Will their cubby protect them? Will Jot and Yittle ever skimper and rimble again?
The Slithering Mist is a make-believe tale of disaster and recovery. In real life, children hear about fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods. Some kids even experience them. Children ages 4 to 8 who are caught by calamities ‒ or afraid of the possibility ‒ will find this story and its fanciful illustrations comforting. The Slithering Mist reassures kids that such disasters do not last forever. |
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Sample pages from The Slithering Mist:
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What Kinds of Animals?
Pets, Backyard Critters, Wild Animals, Sea Creatures, Crawlies |
"Cobwebs"
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What Kinds of Poems?
Short, Long, Rhymed, Unrhymed, Funny, Serious, Real, Fake |
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Upside-Down Jellies available at Amazon.com
The Slithering Mist available at Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com
Just Wondering available at Amazon.com and through Ingram Book Company
The Raider available at Amazon.com and through Ingram Book Company
The Slithering Mist available at Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com
Just Wondering available at Amazon.com and through Ingram Book Company
The Raider available at Amazon.com and through Ingram Book Company