Four young preteen boys form a strong bond of friendship that carries them through adulthood. The bond is unusually strong because the boys are individually so different and yet understand and appreciate their differences as well as the sameness in their motivations, their goals, their achievements, and their loyalties. Readers will identify their own childhood as the four make friends and enemies, heroes and mentors along their path of adventure and misadventures. A page-turner of the first order, the reader will feel an active participant in this fast-moving roller-coaster ride of the coming

Friends and Heroes

Sometimes defeat seems inevitable and then something changes the odds--An abused and loveless child finds strength and courage in Starting Point by Dr. Jackie Smith. This is an inspiring story of how resiliency and faith can change the outcome of a life's struggle. Those who read Starting Point will be captivated by this first book in a three-part series which follows a childhood of hardship and despair into a surprising future. Sometimes a bright future can come to those who least expect, but perhaps most deserve it. How will this story end? Prepare to be inspired, and motivated by a story wh

Starting Point

Most of Josh's friends don't want to go to the principal's office. But he just loved it! He would do anything to get to go there. When he first started school he used to say to his teacher, "I want to go home!" Or sometimes he would say, "I want my mommy." But that was when he was new to his school. Now he was in kindergarten and not a baby. He was going to real school. When the teacher wouldn't let him go home or his mommy didn't come, he would ask, "Can I please go to the principal's office?"

Going to the Principal's Office

We all know children learn best by example; watching parents, peers, and teachers can have a lasting impact on young minds. In this story, a young girl gets into mischief when her mom is out of town and she is left in the care of her grandparents. The results have an unusual effect, but teaches a very important lesson in patience. Learning the difficulty in waiting until she is older before she attempts grown-up activities is a hard but important part of growing up. Children will find the humor in the illustrations showing what her curiosity causes.

Kennedy's Curiosity

There once was an old man Who lived on a hill. Unless he has moved, He lives there still. He has a dog and a cat And a mean old goat. A big apple tree, Surrounded by a moat.

Fun Poems for Children

Often children are reluctant to face their responsibilities seriously. Punishments such as banishment to their room for a period of time, taking away favorite toys or games, having "reasonable" sit-down talks, special treats, lavish praise or even bribery such as allowances may make a short-lived difference. However; in this charming children's book the mother finds exactly the right "key" to enlist more cooperation from her heretofore lazy daughter. Young readers get an opportunity to guess what the answer is in a surprise guess at the end of the book.

Crazy, Lazy Daisy

This is a story of a young boy's imaginary friends when he was a child. When he is grown, he realizes they are not real and he must let them go free, perhaps to keep another child company. The author's own daughter had an imaginary mouse called "George Mouse" which still remains very much in the memories of the family. Children have a wonderful ability to blend real and imaginary, to compensate for loneliness or other grown-up circumstances out of their control. With maturity, other coping skills come into play and the imaginary friends are replaced by real ones. The book is filled with bright

The CAT, The RAT, and ME

It would soon be Michael's third birthday. Grandma Brown told her good friend, Ellie Smith, "I must hurry and go shopping for a birthday present for Michael." "What kind of present will you buy?" asked Ellie. "I am going to get one of those Super-Dooper, Wonder-Water-Willies I saw on T.V. I just know my Michael will just love it!"

The Perfect Gift

A very long time ago in an ocean far away from where we live there lived a small group of sea serpents. These sea serpents looked just like you would imagine sea serpents would look...they were very big; except the baby sea serpent and he was the smallest of all six. They were bright green with red eyes and scales that ran up their spines.

Six Silly Sea-Serpents

Excitement ran through the small farming community school when Mrs. Williams announced the new student arriving was an Indian. Jeffrey, Ricardo, and Thomas couldn't wait to meet him. This sets the stage for this charming early chapter book about the unexpected meeting of different cultures. Expecting a boy whose great-grandfather may have worn a feathered head dress and scalped someone and meeting a boy whose mother wears a sari and has a red dot on her forehead takes some adjustment for these Texas cowboys. The expectations four young Texas cowboys have of the new student joining their small 

The Indian Who Wasn't

Dr. Smith lives in Austin, Texas and has lots of boys; two sons, four grandsons, and one great grandson. Most of them have a willingness to accept her kisses now. She was the director and principal of a preschool and private school for thirty-nine years before retiring. You may contact her at: Ph.DJSmith@gmail.com.

Hairy, Scary, Things

When Paul's mother asked him to take some cookies. over to the Johnson's house he didn't want to do it. He was usually an obedient boy but he was very busy building a new race track for his favorite cars. Now he would have to put it off and who knew he would get back to finishing it? Their family and the Johnson's were good friends and he liked going to their house to play, just not right now. His mother reminded him, "Mrs. Johnson has been ill and probably doesn't feel much like baking. I want to let her know we're thinking of her and the family."

No Time for Play

Long Journey Home

As any parent will attest, children grow up all too rapidly. Part of this journey begins when they start trying to assert their independence. Perhaps trying to manipulate a later bedtime, their ability to choose their own clothing or food, or being allowed to help make some of the rules. This delightful story is about two brothers who decide mommy's kisses are for babies and they are too grown-up for such things. They no longer want to be kissed goodnight or goodbye. Their mother comes up with an idea in which she can still get kisses from the boys without labeling them as babies, and allowing

The Mommy Monster

An old saying speaks of scary things which go "bump" in the night. This story's scary thing happens where the little girl least expects it: her bed. She knows it is not her imagination because her mother has seen it, too. Together mother and daughter set out together to solve the mysterious puzzle of the scary bed. The story holds a child's interest and will have reader and listener laughing together by the unexpected ending. The book will become a favorite inviting more adventures by its plucky little freckle-faced red-haired heroine.

There's a Bump in My Bed!

There's a sock thief at our house... It's not the dog, the cat, or the mouse. Mom says the washer eats them, Dad says the dryer heats them And then they melt.

The Sock Thief

Brothers and sisters all have their good memories and often even their memories of disagreements. Especially if there is a big difference in their ages; or not enough...This is a story told by a teen-age boy and the trials and tribulations he has adjusting to his much younger sister. At times she brings out his protective side, at other times he is frustrated by her obvious "hero worship" of him, and he sometimes resents the expectations his parents place on him regarding his treatment of her and especially her cat. The cat and he share a mutual dislike for each other, and this is emphasized b

My Sister's Cat

A pre-teen girl runs away from home. She leaves a note to her parents in which she says, "I am not running away from home, but running towards my future." So begins an adventure story with more twists and turns than can be counted. The two threads which weave through the story are the one with the grieving family of the run-a-way child and the one of the young explorer and her remarkable adventure. A guaranteed page-turner with equal parts of death, life, love and sacrifice. A memorable journey which will inject the reader into the story as participant.

Lost and Found

When a young Texas cowboy goes on a campout with a friend and awakens the next morning to something he had never experienced before it seems like a miracle. A white fairytale of snow and ice crystals. He has long dreamed of such a magical environment. He and his friend are ecstatic at first...but as they soon discover, even such a magical sight can have unfamiliar problems and unknown hazards quite different than the ones they usually experience. Their view of this winter adventure presents an entirely new set of skills. Our young heroes discover the "grass may not always be greener on the oth