Blueberry Bonanza

"A flavored tale with a built-in community-service message that may encourage youthful entrepreneurial efforts-or at least kindness to bears." — KIRKUS REVIEWS

Take on community challenges with the power of friendship in Blueberry Bonanza, a chapter book for young activists!

Nicholas Preston, age 8, is a blueberry guy. Lately, that’s been a very good thing, because the blueberry bushes his parents planted in their yard have been delivering more fruit than a family of four can pick…or eat! This summer, the crop is their biggest yet, but Nico has a plan to get the whole town involved!

If he can convince all his classmates to volunteer to pick the berries, he'll have plenty to sell to raise money for the Community Center and a park opening—but bear encounters, classmate trouble, and the town's crankiest resident make Nico's goals a little harder to reach. Find out how persistence, friendship, and maybe a little bit of magic help Nico turn his blues into blueberries in Blueberry Bonanza!

About the RACCOON RIVER KIDS ADVENTURES Series

No matter what your size, substantial change starts with a bit of courage, a good idea, and a little help from your friends. The RACCOON RIVER kids introduce early readers to the impact kids can have in their own communities. Whether it’s uniting a town to save a building or just finding a home for a lost pup, the pint-sized pack always go big. The creative crew jump into action when they see a problem, inspiring young optimists to do likewise–or to just unwind with a light-hearted story.

Praise Raccoon River Kids

"With pluck and community spirit, the Raccoon River Kids get it done—another winner." — KIRKUS REVIEWS

"A great story for our fractured times...with its energetic writing and can-do attitude, this is sure to be a hit with readers.” – KIRKUS REVIEWS

"The characters and the plot are empowering and inspirational for community-minded young entrepreneurs. VERDICT A worthwhile addition for public and school libraries." – BARBARA AUERBACH, NEW YORK CITY SCHOOLS

Lauren L. Wohl has been involved with children’s books… well … forever—primarily on the marketing side of publishing. She's worked in large established publishing houses and also helped brand-new publishers get going. Lauren and her husband owned Rabbit Hill, a children's bookstore on Long Island, New York, where she was the Saturday morning storyteller. Lauren has a master's degree in Library Science; has been a school librarian; taught in the New York University Publishing program; and mentored students in the MFA program at Simmons College. She was program director for James Patterson's ReadKiddoRead and is now consulting with several publishers. She is an author of several picture books and a chapter books series, and she’s proud to be the local “kids book lady” in her neighborhoods.

Lauren lives in western Massachusetts, where she enjoys the mountain views and quiet times to enjoy nature for part of the year and in Miami Beach, Florida, just a mile from the beach but smack in the midst of busy city.

Mark Tuchman, a native New Yorker, is the long-time creative director for a venerable publication known for its reviews of children’s books. Earlier in his career he created cartoon illustrations that appeared in national magazines and big city newspapers. Mark is raising three awesome children with his wife Michelle, and splits his time between Brooklyn and Facebook.