Book Shelf

HOOT OWL SHARES THE DAWN

By Jennifer Pratt French

Hoot Owl Shares the Dawn won Honorable Mention in the 2005 Independent Publishers Book Awards.

   In this heartwarming, family oriented adventure, an Anglo-Paiute Indian teen, Johnny B. Falcon, angry at his life's misfortunes runs away from his oppressive home at the Moapa Indian Reservation, desperate to find a normal life. "I feel like I'm the last jagged piece of a jigsaw puzzle lost forever."

   With his poor self-image, Johnny hops a cattle truck with his adventures taking him through Nevada to Las Vegas, Dayspring and beyond. He meets a beautiful girl, Lisa, but all seems lost when Johnny has to learn life's lessons the hard way, breaks the law and is sent to reform school. But ironically and fortunately, his association there with three good people: Dr. Lovejoy, Warden Peters and especially old Hoot Owl, the custodian, is about to help Johnny find worth in his own true self.

   Hoot Owl is an 80 year old Indian, once himself an inmate, who empathizes with Johnny and brings about an awakening… after Johnny’s darkest night.

   Hoot Owl shares with Johnny his wisdom, plus one surprising Indian secret that will change Johnny's, and also Lisa's, life forever.

FIDGETS

By Jennifer French

What’s it like to live in a young body and mind while struggling with ADD/ADHD? And how does it feel to have to live with a loved one suffering with this disorder?

   FIDGETS is an eye-opening novel written especially for teens. However, people of all ages will find this book heart-warming and thought-provoking — siblings, parents, educators, librarians, health care professionals and more.

   Mildred Patterson owns the THE OLD HAS-BEEN ANTIQUE SHOP in Evergreen Colorado. Her daughter, Betsy, "keeps hoping a two-ton leech will swallow up her immature, older brother and regurgitate him back up … whole and well."

   Eventually, and after much heartache, the Patterson family unravels the mystery, finds the culprit (ADD/ADHD) and finally makes an arrest … "a rest" well-deserved by everyone involved. After many years of total chaos, fear, frustration and little hope, this family finally finds an effective treatment; an alternative to Ritalin and other invasive-type drugs.

   There have been hundreds of non-fiction books written about ADD/ADHD and many are written with ‘ho-hum’ dry facts. FIDGETS, on the other hand, is a novel that captivates, informs and inspires readers with plenty of action, humor and clear lessons for coping with this little-understood affliction.

   This entertaining story concludes with a ‘new sign of the times’ being posted at the store: THE AIN’T WHAT IT USED TO BE ANTIQUE SHOP … symbolizing a big sigh of relief for the entire family, as well as the Evergreen community.

Jennifer's Art Portfolio:
Jennifer's new series, GULL'S FIRST IMPRESSIONS
I've always gotten a kick out of watching the sea gulls dart hither and yon and
thought it'd be fun to have these sassy & sociable creatures come ashore and give us
a bird's eye view… by taking part in many of Florence's and other coastal settings.

Photos of Jennifer's Gull's First Impressions series
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A Spotted Whale

Do the Dunes

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