Should a boy have to be a pigeon killer
to earn his town's respect?

The big event in ten-year-old Palmer LaRue's hometown of Waymer was the annual Family Fest, held at the end of the summer. Family Fest involved more than eating hotdogs and potato salad. The town had pigeons brought in from a large city a hundred miles away. The birds were trapped and packed into crates. At the Family Fest they were turned lose for the men in town to see how many they could shoot. The one who killed the most pigeons released from his crate was given a trophy. A tradition was that the ten-year-old boys in town were expected to run out between each shooter and wring the necks of those pigeons that were just wounded and not killed outright.

Just thinking about the blood, the feathers, and the poor flopping birds made Palmer sick to his stomach. Pigeons were cute and never hurt anybody. Yet, he knew every boy in town couldn't wait to be ten-years-old and take part as a "wringer" in the shooting contest. After all, everybody in town was there watching and cheering them on. And besides, his own dad had a golden pigeon setting on their living room fireplace mantle - a trophy from an earlier year when his dad won the contest by killing the most birds.

Palmer wanted so much to just be one of the "guys." He was willing to be picked on and even bullied, just so he was made to feel like he was one of the small group of boys that the other kids thought were "cool." There was "Beans," "Muto," and just plain "Henry." He got his chance when these guys showed up for his ninth birthday party. They made fun of him and gobbled up all the ice cream and cake his mother was willing to serve. Still, they were there, and he felt like he was being accepted as one of them. They gave him the nickname "Snots." He couldn't have been happier except for one thing - he was one year closer to becoming a "wringer."

Things get even more complicated for Palmer when a pigeon walks into his bedroom through the window. The pigeon is smart, learns tricks easily, and becomes a pet. It even gets a name - "Nipper." What's going to happen to Palmer's new acceptance by the guys when they find out he has a pet pigeon?

The year goes by really fast. You need to read the book to find out how Palmer eventually deals with his fear of becoming a "wringer."

Four fifth graders come up with a machine
that does their homework

Fifth grader Brenton Damagatchi is a geek, even though he is a true genius. Classmate Kelsey Donnelly never does any work if she can get out of it. Judy Douglas, the teacher's pet, is pretty smart and actually enjoys schoolwork. Newcomer Sam Dawkins is the class clown who thinks he is the coolest guy in the class. One thing ties them together. When Benton invents a computer package that does homework assignments, the other three find out about it. First thing you know all of them start using the "machine" to do their homework. They even name the machine "Belch." Now, is that a crime or what?

Well, it turns out using a homework machine must be some kind of a crime. When the book starts, all of the kids are at the police station. The chief of police is taking statements from each of them. Also being questioned are the fifth grade teacher, another fifth grade student, and Benton's mom. The four kids can only wonder what kind of trouble they are really in.

As you can guess by now, this book is meant to be humorous, and it is. You might just want to read it for fun and to find out what happens to the kids who use a machine to do their homework.

A girl growing up in a small town must cope
with the break-up of her family

Piper Berry lives in a trailer with her mom and dad. The small trailer park was on a hill behind her grandparents' house. Piper received loving attention from both her parents and grandparents. There were hills and fields to roam and plenty of flowers to help make Piper's life a happy one. When Piper was ten, though, her mother decided she was unhappy with her own life. To Piper's shock, her father moved out and her parents got a divorce.

Her mother had to get a job, so Piper was more and more on her own. Her mother did let Piper get a puppy, so Piper did not feel quite as lonely. She called her puppy Booger, and, as golden retrievers do, she grew into quite a big dog. Piper loved Booger, but was disappointed that her father was angry that her mother let her keep a dog in the trailer. It was just one more thing that her dad and mom had to argue about.

Piper had always liked to make up poems, so one of the things that helped her cope with her problems, was her developing skill as a poet. She also formed a friendship with a boy her age that lived in an isolated shack with his mother. The boy's name was Bucky. Later, the two kids find out that Bucky holds the surprising answer to a mystery that the town has wondered about for years.

A reader of "Buttermilk Hill" will find out how Piper overcomes her problems that come with the break-up of her family. As a bonus, a reader will also find out the answer to the town's longstanding mystery.